Lithuania: the Mouse that Roared

Few would think that the tiny country of Lithuania has an activist foreign policy agenda, wedged as it is between Poland to its west and Russia to its east. But this country of just over 2 million people has played its part in pushing back the grey zone threat posed by ‘weaponised migrants’ from Belarus, in coordination with fellow EU/NATO state Poland. It has also taken a particularly strong stance against the worst totalitarian excesses of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by overtly backing the Uyghur people of East Turkestan, Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and supporting an autonomous, democratic Taiwan. In this episode of The Focus, John speaks with Lithuanian MP Dovilė Šakalienė were they discuss this tiny country’s counter migration strategy against Belarus and its bold position against the PRC. What makes this Baltic state so strong in its convictions?Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Om Podcasten

The news today is often biased at the personal, organisational and structural levels, polarising our societies. The Focus is a program designed to cut through this bias to get at the heart of a topic. Join Host Dr. John Bruni and Producers Malcolm Hughes and Neil Smart as they examine the pressing issues of our time whether in Australia or overseas. In an interdependent, troubled and fast-moving world, knowing what questions to ask can lead us to understand and adapt to new and disruptive circumstances.