Discover why the traditional military doctrines are being upended as we engage with Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces who made the extraordinary leap to volunteer as a fighter in Ukraine. Listen to Dave's compelling narrative about leaving a secure military career to join the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, a unit of Belarusian Partisans opposing Alexandr Lukashenko and fighting to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

J. Alex Tarquinio and Frank Radford, our hosts in The Delegates Lounge, spoke from New York, while Dave spoke from Ukraine via web conference. This is Part 1 of our conversation, which began in July with Dave's account of his journey and his insights into the war up until that point. He was about to go on a major operation. Tune in next week for Part 2. We followed up with Dave as he was ending his latest rotation on Ukraine's Eastern Front in October. As he relates his battlefield experiences, listeners will catch a rare glimpse into how international policies directly impact those on the front lines.

References:

Dave Smith co-authored the following article in Real Clear Defense with Julian Spencer-Churchill:

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/07/03/a_view_from_the_trenchline_1041979.html

Dave’s recent articles in Merion West:

https://merionwest.com/2024/08/29/a-portrait-of-a-stubborn-ukrainian/

https://merionwest.com/2024/10/06/the-origins-of-a-partisan/

Dave joined the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment of Belarusian volunteers fighting in support of Ukraine.

https://kalinouski.org/en/

Dave mentioned the “Leeroy Jenkins” battle cry from this video game meme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLyOj_QD4a4

Join us for a succinct conversation with Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, as she shares her deep views on the Pact for the Future straight from the United Nations General Assembly Week. Minister Valtonen emphasizes the pressing need for equitable funding access for developing countries and the critical role of public-private partnerships and transparent tax systems in achieving economic stability in the Global South. We also delve into the repercussions of sanctions on Russia, examining their complex influence on Russia's inflation and interest rates.

J. Alex Tarquinio (host). @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Elina Valtonen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland (guest). @elinavaltonen of @Ulkoministerio on X, formerly known as Twitter.

References:

Alex, our podcast host, wrote the United Nations General Assembly curtain raiser for Foreign Policy, and in it, she explains the Pact for the Future. Here's a gift link for nonsubscribers.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/09/23/unga-summit-united-nations-dysfunction-guterres-russia/

The Pact for the Future is explained on this site about the Summit of the Future.

https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future/pact-for-the-future

We spoke about the high interest rates in Russia and Central Bank of Russia Chief Elvira Nabiullina.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/11/russia-central-bank-chief-ukraine-war-ruble-value/

Listen in on our conversation with Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, as he explains the intricate connections between global diplomacy and digital innovation. We caught up with Estonia's foreign minister during the United Nations General Assembly week. Our discussion touched on the Pact for the Future and Estonia's leadership in digital innovation and cybersecurity, exploring his take on the delicate balance between fighting Artificial Intelligence-driven disinformation and preserving freedom of speech.

This segment also highlights how digital voting has boosted voter participation in Estonia, especially among younger and mobility-challenged populations, and the critical role of providing objective information to support democratic debates and informed decision-making. Finally, he described his views on the relationship between the conflicts in the Middle East and in Ukraine and explained what he thinks "it" means when talking about victory for Ukraine.

Join us for this episode that navigates the complexities of international diplomacy, cybersecurity, and AI.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host). @alextarquinio of delegateslounge on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia (guest). @Tsahkna of @MFAestonia on X, formerly known as Twitter.

References:

Alex, our podcast host, wrote the United Nations General Assembly curtain raiser for Foreign Policy, and in it, she explains the Pact for the Future, and quotes Ambassador Robert Wood along with other UN experts. Here's a gift link for nonsubscribers.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/09/23/unga-summit-united-nations-dysfunction-guterres-russia/

The Pact for the Future is explained in this site about the Summit of the Future.

https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future/pact-for-the-future

Our guest spoke about Estonia's role in the Freedom Online Coalition.

https://freedomonlinecoalition.com/