#21 Sergey Radchenko: How Russia Weaponized Energy (Even Before Putin)

#21 Sergey Radchenko: How Russia Weaponized Energy (Even Before Putin)

Everyone thinks Putin perfected the energy weapon. But Russia has been using oil and gas as a political bludgeon for over 70 years — and it didn't start with him. Historian Sergey Radchenko traces the full arc of Russian energy coercion, from Stalin's colonial resource extraction in Eastern Europe to the Nord Stream bets that reshaped modern Europe — and makes the provocative case that the weapon has been failing for decades. How does a country turn oil and gas into a political weapon — and why has it kept backfiring? In this episode, I sit down with historian Sergey Radchenko, one of the world's leading experts on Soviet and post-Soviet diplomacy, to trace Russia's use of energy as an instrument of political power. The story begins not with the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but with Stalin treating Eastern Europe as a colonial resource colony in the late 1940s. It runs through Khrushchev's subsidized-energy trap, the 1973 oil shock, the Cold War pipeline battles, Yeltsin's gas wars with Ukraine, and Merkel's fateful Nord Stream bet. Radchenko makes a provocative case: Russia's energy weapon has been failing for decades — and may now be creating a dependence that runs in the opposite direction.

#20 Julia Ebner: Inside the Minds of Extremists

In this live episode recorded in Berlin, Marcel Dirsus sits down with researcher and author Julia Ebner to explore the psychology of extremism, conspiracy theories, and online radicalization. From QAnon and neo-Nazi networks to AI-driven propaganda and the gamification of hate, they unpack how fringe movements recruit followers, spread across borders, and increasingly shape mainstream politics. Julia shares insights from years spent researching extremist communities — including undercover investigations into online hate groups and radical movements — and explains why ordinary people can become drawn into dangerous ideologies. The conversation also explores: * why conspiracy theories are emotionally powerful, * how social media amplifies extremism, * what separates trolls from violent extremists, * and why modern radicalization is becoming harder to contain. Julia Ebner is the author of Going Dark, Going Mainstream, and The Rage. She is a researcher at the University of Oxford and works on extremism, terrorism, conspiracy myths, and the impact of emerging technologies on democracy. The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus offers deep dives into geopolitics and international relations. We provide serious political commentary on foreign policy challenges, modern warfare, and global security.

#19 Eyck Freymann: China Doesn't Need to Invade Taiwan. It Can Just Cut it Off

China doesn't need to invade Taiwan to win.A blockade could bring the global economy to its knees — without firing a single shot. In this episode of The Next Best, political scientist Marcel Dirsus sits down with Hoover Fellow Eyck Freymann to map out the most dangerous flashpoint in global politics: the China–Taiwan conflict. From a full-scale Taiwan invasion to a blockade strategy to gray zone pressure campaigns, they break down every realistic scenario — and ask the harder question: what would actually deter Xi Jinping?

#18 James Ker-Lindsay: The Sovereign State is a Recent Invention. Russia is Rewriting the Rules

Russia didn't just invade Ukraine. It's trying to break the rules of the international system.In this episode, I sit down with James Ker-Lindsay — one of the world's leading authorities on secession and self-determination — to trace exactly how the sovereign state was built, why the rules against conquest exist, and how Russia is now dismantling them one fake referendum at a time. About James Ker-Lindsay:James Ker-Lindsay is one of the world's foremost experts on secession, self-determination, and state recognition. He has advised governments and international organizations on questions of statehood and has authored more than a dozen books on conflict and international relations.

#17 Franz-Stefan Gady: Is Russia Actually Winning? Frontline Reality

Russia says it's winning. The front line tells a different story. Military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady just returned from Ukraine — here's what he actually saw. Russia is betting on spring advances in the Donbas. Ukrainian soldiers say they'll stay "till hell freezes over." So who's right — and does it even matter if nobody has a theory of victory?