Shield of the Republic cover art

Shield of the Republic

Shield of the Republic

By: The Bulwark
Listen for free

About this listen

 Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. We probe beyond the hive mind of Washington conventional wisdom on national security and foreign affairs.Bulwark Media Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • Russia is Openly Attacking NATO

    Russia is Openly Attacking NATO
    Sep 21 2025
    Eric and Eliot discuss the perilous moment for the American Republic in which we find ourselves after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. They discuss the recent developments in the Ukraine war, including the violation of Polish and Romanian airspace by Russian drones and the extreme danger these steps represent to European security. Eliot also reports from Israel on the recent strike against Hamas senior leadership in Qatar, observing that both the Mossad and IDF either refused to carry out or expressed deep reservations about Netanyahu's proposed course of action. The two also analyze recent leaks suggesting that the forthcoming National Defense Strategy will reflect a prioritization of the homeland and the Western Hemisphere rather than the Indo-Pacific, as many had expected.

    Eric & Frank Miller's Latest on Ukraine:
    https://thedispatch.com/article/weakness-is-provocative/

    Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • How Does Israel Adapt After Failure?

    How Does Israel Adapt After Failure?
    Sep 11 2025
    Eric and Eliot welcome Yaakov Katz, former Editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post and co-author of While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East. They discuss Israel's persistent misjudgments of Hamas and lack of preparedness for October 7, highlighting the impact of Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the absence of on-the-ground intelligence that blinded Israel to Hamas’s plans. They also note the ongoing traumatic impact on the IDF, the danger of overlearning lessons from October 7, Israel's shortcomings in telling its own story, and the contrast between Israel's failures in Gaza and its successes in Lebanon and in the 12-Day War with Iran.

    While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East: https://a.co/d/iT0D7QD

    Shadow Strike: Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power: https://a.co/d/62dAcdi

    Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • The Man Who Enlarged NATO

    The Man Who Enlarged NATO
    Sep 4 2025
    With Eliot traveling, Eric welcomes Stephan Kieninger, author of Securing Peace in Europe: Strobe Talbott, NATO and Russia After the Cold War. They discuss the role of Strobe Talbott, a close Clinton confidante and Deputy Secretary of State, in crafting Clinton’s strategy for building a “Europe whole and free” after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They cover U.S. efforts to stabilize Russia’s move toward a free market and democracy in the 1990s, the negotiation of the Budapest Memorandum, which led to the return of Soviet nuclear weapons left on Ukrainian soil after the breakup of the USSR, and the Bosnia crisis, including Talbott’s part in bringing Richard Holbrooke to lead its resolution. They examine at length Talbott’s strategy for enlarging NATO at the 1997 Madrid Summit while also negotiating a NATO-Russia agreement, offering Russia a voice, but not a veto, in European security. They close their conversation by considering the Clinton Administration’s role in supporting Russian reform efforts during the 1998 economic meltdown, the souring effect of the war in Kosovo on NATO-Russia relations, and the rise of Vladimir Putin.

    Securing Peace in Europe: Strobe Talbott, NATO, and Russia After the Cold War: https://cup.columbia.edu/series/woodrow-wilson-center-series/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.