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Dining with a Dozen Diplomats, A Culinary Holiday Special: Part One
Embark on a culinary exploration with us as we uncover the cherished comfort foods and cultural tales shared by diplomats from an assortment of countries. These twelve diplomats offer insights into how food can serve as a bridge between peoples both past and present. For the “Dining with a Dozen Diplomats” culinary special episode, our host J. Alex Tarquinio chatted with foreign ministers, with permanent representatives, so-called because they lead their country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and with the president of the United Nations Delegations Spouse’s Club. Contributors:The Delegates LoungeJ. Alex Tarquinio (host). @alextarquinio of @delegatesloungeAustraliaH.E. Rebecca Bryant, Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations. @BecsBry @AustraliaUNBrazilThe Consulate General of Brazil in New York. @Itamaraty_EN CyprusH.E. Maria Michail, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations. @MichailmariaCY @CyprusinUNThe Czech Republic (Czechia)H.E. Martin Dvořák, Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic. @_MartinDvorak @CzechMFAEstoniaH.E. Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia. @Tsahkna @MFAestoniaFinlandH.E. Elina Valtonen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland. @elinavaltonen @Ulkoministerio MaltaH.E. Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations. @_VanessaFrazier @MaltaUNMissionPortugalH.E. Rui Vinhas, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations. SloveniaMr. Klemen Ponikvar, Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations. @SLOtoUN SwitzerlandH.E. Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations. @SwissAmbUN_NY @swiss_unUnited StatesH.E. Robert A. Wood, Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations. @USUNZambiaMrs. Cecilia Kanyangwa Milambo, President of the United Nations Delegations Spouse’s Club and of the United Nations African Ambassadors Spouses Group; spouse of H.E. Dr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations. https://www.facebook.com/UNDWCNewyork/References: My Foreign Policy essay about Slovenia’s campaign for an elected seat on the United Nations Security Council.https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/06/09/belarus-slovenia-russia-united-nations-security-council-rotating-seat/Recipes referred to can be found on our website: https://thedelegateslounge.com/
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A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 3
Join us for a firsthand account of life on and near the battlelines in Eastern Ukraine by Dave Smith, a former Canadian infantry officer who resigned to fight for Ukraine. This is the third episode in our multi-part series where Dave explores the evolving tactics and motivations that define the conflict. He offers listeners a deep dive into the experiences of soldiers and citizens that’s brimming with insights into how the geopolitical climate —including the election of former American President Donald Trump and the arrival of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region — shape Ukrainian optimism despite the war weariness. J. Alex Tarquinio (https://x.com/alextarquinio) and Frank Radford, our hosts in TheDelegates Lounge, (https://x.com/delegateslounge) had three conversations with Dave Smith. The hosts spoke from New York, while Dave spoke from Ukraine via web conference in July and October, and from London in November.ReferencesIn a background briefing by the U.S. Department of Defense in October, the Pentagon estimated that Russia had sustained at least 600,000 casualties, including killed and wounded, since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Some estimates range much higher.https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3932364/a-senior-defense-and-military-official-host-a-background-briefing-on-russias-wa/The Pentagon estimated in November that 11,000 North Korean troops had moved into Russia’s Kursk region.https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3968230/north-korean-troops-enter-kursk-where-ukrainians-are-fighting/Radio Free Europe published an article last year citing some Russian contract soldiers and their families claiming that the state hadn’t honored payments or pardons promised in their contracts. A Reuters photo in the article was reminiscent of the Squid Games drama.https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-systema-investigation-contract-soldiers-pay-pardons-promises-broken/32676712.htmlWe shared some of our guest’s bylines with listeners in the show notes for the firstepisode in this mini-series. Here is his latest essay about his life in Kharkiv for the online magazine Merion West.https://merionwest.com/2024/11/27/at-home-in-the-war/
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A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 2
Join Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces, fighting alongside Belarusian Partisans for Ukraine. From the intense battlegrounds North of Kharkiv to the life-saving professional efforts within its hospitals, Dave offers a raw and authentic soldier's viewpoint of what it is to fight up close on the line of engagement - the Zero Line. The conversation sheds light on the grim realities of capturing Russian conscripts and subsequent efforts at prisoner exchanges, exploring the stark differences in how Ukrainian and Russian forces handle detainees. Dave provides insights on how compromised platforms like Telegram play a crucial role in the information war. He offers a fascinating look at the North Atlantic Fella Organization (NAFO), an internet meme movement that supports Ukraine. Dave's candid reflections, paint a vivid picture of the way in which humor enables both young and old to cope with the stresses of war.J. Alex Tarquinio and Frank Radford, our hosts in The Delegates Lounge, spoke from New York, while Dave spoke from Ukraine via web conference. Part 1 of this conversation began in July with Dave's account of his journey and his insights into the war up until that point. This took place before his regiment was deployed to fight North of Kharkiv. For Part 2, we spoke with Dave in October, after intense combat with Russian conscripts on the Zero Line and his recent stay in a hospital in Kharkiv. He also described how soldiers use social media on the frontlines. As he relates his battlefield experiences, listeners will catch a rare glimpse into how international policies directly impact those on the front lines.References: Alex mentioned an essay that she wrote for Foreign Policy about soft power which included the NAFO fellas Internet meme.https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/08/06/russia-ukraine-soft-power-culture-diplomacy-fellas-nafo/Dave related a story about standing in a trench and watching a video of that same position being hit two days earlier in a social media video. He graciously shared a video of that experience with us, and here are the links on Instagram and X.https://www.instagram.com/p/DCKDdJLJql4/https://x.com/alextarquinio/status/1855287497288266063Dave joined the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment of Belarusian volunteers fighting in support of Ukraine.https://kalinouski.org/en/
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43:42
A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 1
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.htmlDave’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
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Finland's Foreign Minister on Financial Reform and Global Stability
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-futureWe 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/
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About The Delegates Lounge

Join us in The Delegates Lounge, an independent podcast on world affairs based in New York City at the United Nations, the hub of global insights in plain sight. We hope you’ll come back often to listen in on some fascinating conversations hosted by J. Alex Tarquinio, a veteran journalist who writes essays for Foreign Policy from her office across the hallway from the UN Security Council chamber. We’ll wade into the rising tide of global threats to peace and security in our discussions with the denizens of high-level diplomacy, as well as assorted scholars, scientists, soldiers, spies, and other influencers. From time to time, we’ll hit the road for sit downs with the world’s movers and shakers, whether it be at NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C. or to parts as yet unknown.This podcast is solely a production of The Delegates Lounge LLC, which was co-founded by the host and her husband and executive producer, Frank Radford. As we’re a small team, we can’t respond to every message, but we promise to read your messages if you contact us at:[email protected] on X, formerly (and still affectionately) known as Twitter:@alextarquinio of @delegateslounge

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