The IR thinker

Problems of Post-Communism is a long-standing peer-reviewed academic journal that examines political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist societies. First established in 1952 under the title Problems of Communism, the journal was originally published by the United States Information Agency and adopted its current name in 1992 to reflect the profound transformations following the end of the Cold War.Journal's homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/mppc20Editorial Board: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/mppc20/about-this-journal#editorial-boardImpact Factor: 2.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.2Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science First Decision: 112 daysAcceptance Rate: 28%The current editor-in-chief is Dmitry P. Gorenburg, a political scientist and senior researcher at CNA, who oversees the journal’s editorial direction and its engagement with contemporary debates on the politics and international relations of post-communist countries.Dr. Gorenburg is also a Harvard Davis Center associate and previously served as executive director of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (now the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, or ASEEES). His scholarship focuses on Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and security dynamics in the former Soviet Union, as well as questions of ethnic politics and identity in Russia. BLOG: Russian Military ReformContent00:00 – Introduction01:53 – Evolution of the Journal’s Mission After the Collapse of Communism05:20 – The Intellectual “DNA” of Problems of Post-Communism06:43 – Maintaining Intellectual Coherence Across a Broad Research Scope09:19 – The Role of International Relations in the Journal’s Scope: Thematic vs Territorial Focus10:26 – Disciplinary Balance: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Area Studies11:07 – Major Intellectual Trends in Post-Communist Studies Over the Past Decade14:22 – Democratic Backsliding, Illiberalism, and the Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Research Agendas18:21 – Russian Scholars in Exile and Scholars Working Inside Russia21:05 – Underexplored Topics in Post-Communist Studies22:22 – Annual Publication Volume and the Pressure to Publish More26:31 – Preferred Research Methods and Methodological Approaches29:30 – The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submissions40:51 – Ensuring Fairness and Efficiency in the Peer Review Process43:32 – Editorial Innovations that Improved Journal Quality and Consistency44:45 – The Role and Selection of the Editorial Board46:19 – Publishing Challenges for Scholars from Central Asia and the Post-Soviet Region52:30 – Growing Global Interest in Post-Communist Studies53:13 – Should Authors Suggest Potential Reviewers?55:14 – What Makes a Successful Article in Problems of Post-Communism59:25 – The Future Vision for the Journal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Martin Vladimirov unpacks Bulgaria’s evolving energy landscape in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. We discuss shifts in the country’s energy mix, offshore wind prospects in the Black Sea, the strategic role of gas pipelines and interconnectors, and the future of key assets such as the Chiren gas storage facility, the Maritsa Iztok lignite complex, and potential new nuclear reactors.Martin VladimirovMartin Vladimirov is Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), where his work focuses on European and Balkan energy security, energy transition pathways, and the geopolitical dimensions of Russian and Chinese economic influence. He has extensive experience as an energy analyst for The Oil and Gas Year, contributing in-depth reports on Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia, and has consulted for international oil companies across the GCC and MENA regions. Martin is also an affiliated expert with the European Geopolitical Forum in Brussels and previously worked as an energy and economic analyst for CEE Market Watch, covering Iran and Central Asia.Publications: Managing Assets Under OFAC SanctionsEnergy and Climate Security in Europe: From Crisis Response to Structural TransformationThe Kremlin Playbook in Mexico: Asymmetric InfluenceThe Imperative to Weaken the Kremlin’s War Economy: What the West Can DoClosing the backdoor: The new TurkStream is here. Can the West stop it?Content00:00 – Introduction01:38 – Bulgaria’s Evolving Energy Mix after the War in Ukraine09:07 – Exploring Bulgaria’s Offshore Wind Potential12:45 – Strategic Energy Pipelines Crossing Bulgaria17:16 – Bulgaria’s Relationship with Gazprom and Gas Contracts24:14 – The Greece–Bulgaria Gas Interconnector (IGB)27:05 – Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal and Regional Gas Connectivity28:53 – The Role of Chiren Underground Gas Storage34:31 – The Future of the Maritsa Iztok Lignite Power Complex40:50 – Assessing the Feasibility of Two New Nuclear Reactors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The IR thinker offers a clear and structured tour of contemporary nuclear strategy with Dr Stephen Herzog, moving from the basic categories of nuclear weapons to the political struggles surrounding their control. We unpack the logic of existential and extended deterrence, alliance commitments and escalation management, and examine how arms control agreements and the Non-Proliferation Treaty sustain, yet also entrench, a great power nuclear monopoly. The conversation tackles aspirant nuclear states, debates over “how many is enough”, and the tension between confidence and overconfidence in crisis signalling, before turning to how emerging technologies are reshaping verification, command-and-control, and the broader governance of nuclear weapons.Stephen HerzogDr Stephen Herzog is Professor of the Practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and an Associate of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard Kennedy School. A leading specialist in nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, he combines academic expertise with policy experience gained as a technical nuclear arms control official at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked directly on the implementation and verification of nuclear agreements. His work bridges theory and practice to illuminate how deterrence, treaty regimes and technological change interact in shaping global nuclear security.Publications:Atomic Backfires: When Nuclear Policies FailArtificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation: The Technological Arms Race for (In)visibility‘What about China?’ and the threat to US–Russian nuclear arms controlAtomic responsiveness: How public opinion shapes elite beliefs and preferences on nuclear weapon useWinning Hearts and Minds? How the United States Reassured During the Russo-Ukrainian WarThe Trilateral Dilemma: Great Power Competition, Global Nuclear Order, and Russia’s War on UkraineContent00:00 – Introduction01:57 – Types and Categories of Nuclear Weapons08:40 – Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Historical and Contemporary Contexts10:32 – Understanding the Concept of Existential Deterrence16:39 – Extended Deterrence and the Logic of Alliance Security25:54 – The NPT and the Persistence of Great Power Monopoly31:53 – Treaty Reform or Status Quo? The Politics of Nuclear Governance33:12 – Aspirant States and the Quest for Nuclear Capability34:47 – Escalation Control: Between Arms Agreements and Overconfidence43:15 – The Dilemma of Quantity: Many vs. Few Nuclear Weapons50:38 – Authority and Legitimacy: Who Decides Nuclear Access?55:58 – Technological Challenges to Nuclear Security and Control Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The IR thinker features an incisive conversation with Dr Madalitso Zililo Phiri on what it means to think International Relations from Africa rather than merely about Africa. We interrogate whether an African IR theory exists, how concepts such as Ubuntu, communalism and non-statist authority can reframe sovereignty and power, and what this implies for applying African ideas beyond the continent. The discussion probes Africa’s marginalisation in multilateral decision-making, the contemporary mutations of Pan-Africanism, and South Africa’s foreign policy through a realist lens. We also explore how liberal and mainstream constructivist IR traditions have historically excluded African experiences, what a decolonial constructivism might look like in practice, and whether scholars should pursue a distinct “African school” or treat Africa as a generative site for pluralising the discipline as a whole.Madalitso Zililo PhiriDr Madalitso Zililo Phiri is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the South Africa–United Kingdom Bilateral Research Chair in Political Theory at the University of the Witwatersrand. A former Visiting Fellow at the Centre of African Studies and Research Associate at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and a Carnegie Corporation Fellow via the SSRC’s Next Generation of Social Science in Africa programme, his research spans the political economy of racialised welfare in South Africa and Brazil, the sociology of race, and Black political thought. He has taught African Studies, Sociology, Politics and Research Methods at Cambridge, Wits, Pretoria and Rhodes universities, bringing a decolonial and critical theoretical lens to the study of power, knowledge and global order.Publications:The Colour of Inequality in South Africa and Brazil: making sense of social policy as reparationsMonuments and Memory in Africa: reflections on coloniality and decolonialityAgainst Imperial Social Policy: Recasting Mkandawire’s Transformative Ideas for Africa’s LiberationHistory of Racial Capitalism in Africa: Violence, Ideology, and PracticeContent00:00 – Introduction02:05 – Does African IR Theory Exist? Epistemologies Beyond the West06:27 – Ubuntu, Communalism, and Reimagining Sovereignty10:45 – Applying African Concepts to Non-African Issues15:01 – Authority Beyond the State: African Approaches to Power19:48 – Africa’s Exclusion from Multilateral Decision-Making25:13 – Pan-Africanism in 2025: Dead or Evolving?29:26 – South Africa’s Power Politics Through a Realist Lens34:24 – Liberal IR Theory’s Historical Exclusion of Africa37:46 – Constructivism: Opening or Limiting Space for African Voices?41:22 – Postcolonialism and Decolonizing IR Theory47:22 – Which IR Theory Dominates African Scholarship Today?50:14 – The Risks of Essentializing “African IR Theory”52:57 – Continental Focus vs. State-Centric Analysis in African IR56:54 – Distinct African School or Contribution to Global Pluralism? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The IR thinker explores Mongolia’s evolving energy landscape with policy analyst Telmen Altanshagai, focusing on how a landlocked state navigates dependence, diversification and development. The conversation maps Mongolia’s current energy mix and security challenges, from coal reliance, heating and grid issues in Ulaanbaatar to infrastructure gaps in rural areas, before turning to governance structures and policy coordination. We examine the strategic implications of projects such as the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline and India’s investment in Mongolia’s first oil refinery, alongside China’s expanding role and the prospects for regional connectivity through concepts like the East Asian Power Grid. The episode also considers energy poverty and inequality, the impact of climate change, constraints posed by national debt, and what policy priorities a Mongolian prime minister should pursue to strengthen energy security and harness the global energy transition for long-term, broad-based development.Telmen AltanshagaiTelmen Altanshagai is a Washington, D.C.–based independent policy analyst and Energy and Climate Intern at Observer Research Foundation America, as well as a Fellow at the Global Policy Institute. Her work focuses on energy security and development economics across the Global South, with particular expertise on Mongolia, where she analyses how shifting global energy systems affect economic stability and long-term development trajectories. Publications:Mongolia’s Gas Pipeline Diversification Comes With RiskMongolia seeks new markets in EurasiaMongolia’s Precarious Energy SecurityContent00:00 – Introduction01:31 – Overview of Mongolia’s Energy Mix and Security Landscape04:13 – Pathways for Energy Diversification07:08 – Can China Serve as a Source of Energy Diversification?08:44 – Heating Infrastructure and Urban Electricity Challenges in Ulaanbaatar11:05 – Persistent Dependence on Coal14:02 – Energy Access and Infrastructure in Rural Mongolia16:03 – Structure and Dynamics of Energy Governance18:59 – Potential Benefits of the Power of Siberia 2 Pipeline for Mongolia22:46 – Domestic Expertise and Policy Debate on Power of Siberia 224:32 – Assessing the Need for an Oil Pipeline from Russia25:32 – India’s Investment in Mongolia’s First Oil Refinery27:31 – Mongolia’s Broader Energy Investment Strategy31:32 – Domestic Investment Climate and Incentives for the Energy Sector34:30 – China’s Expanding Energy Investments in Mongolia35:59 – The East Asian Power Grid Concept and Regional Connectivity37:59 – Energy Poverty and Socioeconomic Inequality41:22 – Climate Change Impacts on Mongolia’s Energy Security43:48 – Building Human Capital for Energy Security46:18 – National Debt and Its Implications for Energy Policy49:12 – Comparing Africa and Mongolia: Mining Wealth and Public Benefit51:47 – Policy Priorities: What Should a Mongolian Prime Minister Do to Strengthen Energy Security?54:54 – Future Directions and Research Opportunities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The IR thinker traces Georgia’s journey from Soviet-era infrastructure to today’s contested energy landscape with Professor Murman Margvelashvili. The conversation examines how Georgia’s energy mix has evolved up to 2025, the geopolitical risks attached to different sources, and the ownership and control of key hydropower assets. We explore prospects for hydrogen, the remaining headroom for renewables, and the political, technical and feasibility debates around nuclear power. The discussion also unpacks how conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia affect the grid, how Tbilisi balances Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, the EU, China and the United States to preserve strategic autonomy, and whether additional transit pipelines from the Caspian to Europe are really needed. Finally, we look at untapped domestic potential, the reinvestment of transit revenues, resilience to blackouts and supply shocks, and the governance gaps and under-researched areas that will shape Georgia’s next energy chapter.Murman MargvelashviliProfessor Murman Margvelashvili is a leading Georgian energy policy expert with more than thirty years of experience in the sector, specialising in energy security, sustainability and the geopolitics of the energy transition. He is Director of Energy Studies at World Experience for Georgia, Associate Professor at Ilia State University, and Director of the Energy and Sustainability Institute, and has been closely involved in drafting the National Energy Policy, the National Energy and Climate Plan and the conceptual foundations of Georgia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.Publications:The Role of Black Sea Security in Shaping the Green Energy CorridorEnergy Ties in Occupied Abkhazia as a Potential Threat to Georgia’s Western AspirationsSystemic Approach to Energy SecurityContent00:00 – Introduction01:58 – From Soviet system to 2025: evolution of Georgia’s energy mix05:03 – Dependency and geopolitical risk across Georgia’s energy sources09:17 – Ownership and control of Georgian hydropower10:53 – Hydrogen in Georgia: prospects and pathways15:16 – Have renewables peaked? Headroom for additional capacity17:18 – Nuclear power in Georgia: options, debates, feasibility19:52 – Abkhazia and South Ossetia: implications for Georgia’s power grid22:48 – Balancing Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, the EU and China: safeguarding strategic autonomy32:53 – Expanding Caspian gas to Europe: do new Georgian transit pipelines need to be built?34:51 – Armenia’s role in Georgia’s energy geopolitics36:50 – United States interests in Georgia’s energy sector38:51 – Türkiye–Azerbaijan energy cooperation: impacts on Georgia43:03 – Untapped and hidden energy potential in Georgia45:40 – Reinvesting transit revenues into energy modernisation50:20 – Supply shocks and blackouts: resilience and response53:21 – Assessing the effectiveness of Georgia’s energy strategy56:35 – Governance gaps and failures: lessons for reform01:02:14 – Under-researched energy topics in Georgia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The IR thinker asks what Georgia’s EU integration really means for democracy, regional security and great power competition, in conversation with David Bujiashvili. The discussion traces the historical and normative drivers behind Georgia’s European choice, the EU’s response to Tbilisi’s membership application, and how narratives around democracy, the rule of law and human rights are communicated – or distorted – at home, including via Russian disinformation. We look at early reform challenges, the current stage of the accession process and why it has stalled, as well as the practical impact of the Association Agreement, the DCFTA and visa liberalisation. The episode also examines the future of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the lessons Georgia has drawn from Central European accessions, the effects of the war in Ukraine, and how shifting roles of Russia and China in the South Caucasus feed back into EU–Georgia relations and the Union’s own enlargement strategy.David BujiashviliDavid Bujiashvili is a distinguished expert on European affairs with more than 25 years of experience in EU integration and assistance coordination. He holds a PhD in Economics and a Master’s in International Economic Relations, combining academic depth with extensive diplomatic and policy practice.At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, he served as Director of the EU Assistance Coordination and Sectoral Integration Department, where he played a pivotal role in overseeing the implementation of the EU–Georgia Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). His work focused on aligning Georgian legislation with the EU acquis, ensuring inter-institutional coordination through sectoral working groups, and drafting key EU-related strategies and action plans.Dr Bujiashvili has chaired Association Committees and Sub-Committees in negotiations with the European Commission, coordinated Georgia’s EU Accession Questionnaire (2021–2022), and organised strategic communication and public outreach campaigns on EU integration. He has also worked extensively with civil society and the business community on sectoral reforms, while serving as focal point for major EU assistance tools such as Twinning, TAIEX, SIGMA, INTERREG, and anti-fraud mechanisms in cooperation with OLAF.Publications:EU-Georgia Association Agreement and Visa Liberalization Under QuestionContent00:00 – Introduction02:37 – Historical and Normative Drivers of Georgia’s EU Integration14:10 – EU Response to Georgia’s Membership Application17:01 – Democracy, Rule of Law, and Human Rights Narratives18:26 – Public Access to EU Information During Accession21:22 – Example of Russian Disinformation Campaigns23:31 – Early Challenges of Reform and Implementation26:19 – Current Stage of Georgia–EU Accession29:37 – Why Has the Accession Process Stalled?32:32 – Georgian Representation in the EU Today34:56 – The Future of Abkhazia and South Ossetia37:03 – Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)39:34 – EU Visa Liberalisation and Georgia43:17 – Learning from Central European EU Accession Experiences45:26 – Forms and Practice of Regional Cooperation48:03 – Impact of the War in Ukraine50:37 – Russia’s Changing Role in the South Caucasus52:32 – China’s Influence on EU–Georgia Relations54:02 – Lessons for the EU from Georgia’s Accession Experience Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.