East meets West with Olga and Tara

Trump ‘pulls the rug’ on Ukraine, nine days of diesel, Houthis hit Saudi – with Larry Johnson
Olga and Tara welcome Larry Johnson, former CIA officer, to break down the US-Russia diesel deal and what it means for Ukraine, the tension between the CIA and Trump, the roots of the Houthi-Saudi conflict, and how political fragmentation in the US...
Oct 13, 2026 13:22
East meets West with Olga Bataman and Tara Reade is a place where we invite guests from both East and West, so you can get a perspective from across the ocean – on politics and things that matter.

Trump ‘pulls the rug’ on Ukraine, nine days of diesel, Houthis hit Saudi – with Larry Johnson
Olga and Tara welcome Larry Johnson, former CIA officer, to break down the US-Russia diesel deal and what it means for Ukraine, the tension between the CIA and Trump, the roots of the Houthi-Saudi conflict, and how political fragmentation in the US...
Oct 13, 2026 13:22
Why Russia won’t collapse, how to win Russia-Ukraine war, real Putin — with Fyodor Lukyanov
East Meets West welcomes Fyodor Lukyanov, Program Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club for a deep-dive perspective on the escalation between Russia and Europe, why both Kiev and Moscow believe they can win the war, and how the...
Oct 1, 2026 05:26
Ukraine’s vanishing men, Trump’s Jimmy Carter problem, stalling peace deals – with Ben Swann
Olga and Tara welcome investigative journalist Ben Swann – creator of the acclaimed Zelensky Unmasked series – for a wide-ranging conversation on the war in Ukraine that is draining a generation, Trump’s risk of becoming another...
Sep 23, 2026 12:02
Europe’s sleepwalking leaders, mercurial Trump, pragmatic US, UN Reform — with Dmitry Polyanskiy
Olga Bataman and Tara Reade welcome Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, for the Russian perspective on the risk of a direct conflict with Europe, America’s role in the peace talks, and the future...
Sep 21, 2026 12:21
Trump’s changed, Iran and Ukraine as forever wars, midterms don’t matter – with Jimmy Dore
Olga Bataman and Tara Reade are joined by political commentator Jimmy Dore to talk about Trump’s new hair and new term, Ukraine negotiations, Iran, the current state of the US military, the Charlie Kirk assassination, the Epstein files, and...
Sep 10, 2026 12:06
Europe’s five mistakes in Ukraine, NATO needs an enemy, what Russia wants – with Konstantin Kosachev
Olga and Tara welcome Senator Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council – for Russia’s perspectives on the war in Ukraine, Western policies and the world’s future security. Did Europe misunderstand the...
Jul 29, 2026 10:00
Tucker Carlson: US-Israel intel merger is treason, US already at war with Russia, Europe can’t fight
Renowned journalist Tucker Carlson joins Olga and Tara for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of American foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, US-Russia relations, Israel, Iran, free speech, and the shifting global balance of power. Is the US...
Jul 23, 2026 07:48
War and US post-Lindsey Graham, NATO 3.0 and Ukraine’s Mirage Patriot Factory – with Richard Sakwa
Olga and Tara are joined by renowned political scientist and University of Kent Professor Richard Sakwa – to dissect the legacy left by US Senator Lindsey Graham, who suddenly died right after visiting Ukraine. Will the departure of one of the...
Jul 14, 2026 14:04
UK detains human rights lawyer, NATO’s somber summit & ‘Op Barbarossa 2.0’ – with Daniel Kovalik
Olga and Tara welcome human rights lawyer and peace activist Dan Kovalik to recount his recent high-stakes detention at the UK border and discuss the broader geopolitical climate surrounding NATO, Russia, Iran, and the US. Why are Western...
Jul 10, 2026 06:15