Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Why do wars so often begin on the margins? In this video, journalist and author Hannah Lucinda Smith joins me to discuss her new book "Hinterlands", and the growing geopolitical importance of unrecognised states, disputed territories, and de facto entities across Europe and its neighbourhood. From Northern Cyprus, Transnistria, and Crimea to Nagorno-Karabakh, Bosnia, and Kosovo, we explore how these geopolitical grey zones have shifted from historical curiosities to key battlegrounds in the emerging struggle between Russia, the West, and leading and emerging regional powers such as Turkey.
In particular, we analyse how local grievances, competing historical narratives and unresolved conflicts are exploited by outside powers, particularly Russia and Turkey, to project influence and challenge European institutions. The deep dive touches on the Balkans, Bosnia's Republika Srpska, Erdoğan's foreign policy ambitions, NATO tensions, and China's growing economic footprint, while asking why policymakers should pay closer attention to Europe's peripheries. If history shows that major conflicts begin on the margins, today's hinterlands offer the clearest warning signs of tomorrow's geopolitical crises.
Hannah Lucinda Smith is an award-winning journalist and author who has spent more than a decade reporting from the Middle East, the Balkans and the former Soviet space. A reporter for The Times and The Economist, she has also written for The Atlantic, WIRED and The Spectator. Until recently based in Istanbul, she is the author of 'Erdoğan Rising'. Her latest book, Hinterlands, explores the contested borderlands where Europe, Russia and the Middle East intersect, and where the geopolitical struggles shaping the twenty-first century are increasingly being played out. It has been named a Financial Times Best Book of the Summer.
Hannah Lucinda Smith | Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers
amzn.to/4bI08Pc
profilebooks.com/work/hinterlands
*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:59 Hinterlands & Their Ties To The New Geopolitics
07:50 How Geopolitics Continue To Impact These Areas
14:44 To What Extent Does Grievance Still Shape The Hinterlands?
19:14 What Is The Bigger Story About Balkan Politics?
25:32 How Ankara, Moscow & The West Compete In The Hinterlands
36:22 What is China’s Economic & Political Role In These Areas?
39:43 How Do Greater Powers Benefit From The Hinterlands?
46:46 Why Does The West Care About These Areas? And Which One Should Be Its Focus?
51:28 How Should Policymakers Approach The Hinterlands?
57:17 Which Hinterland Is The Most Distinctive?
*SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS*
If you enjoy the channel and would like to support independent analysis of international relations, conflict, and security, there are several ways you can help:
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3g
youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay?sub_confirmation=1
JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER
YouTube: youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay/join
Patreon: patreon.com/JamesKerLindsay
*MY LATEST BOOK!*
Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know
Oxford University Press global.oup.com/academic/product/secession-and-state-creation-9780190494049
Amazon amzn.to/2MPY3W2
Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel at no additional cost to you.
#Turkey #Russia #Balkans #Caucasus
Why do wars so often begin on the margins? In this video, journalist and author Hannah Lucinda Smith joins me to discuss her new book "Hinterlands", and the growing geopolitical importance of unrecognised states, disputed territories, and de facto entities across Europe and its neighbourhood. From Northern Cyprus, Transnistria, and Crimea to Nagorno-Karabakh, Bosnia, and Kosovo, we explore how these geopolitical grey zones have shifted from historical curiosities to key battlegrounds in the emerging struggle between Russia, the West, and leading and emerging regional powers such as Turkey.
In particular, we analyse how local grievances, competing historical narratives and unresolved conflicts are exploited by outside powers, particularly Russia and Turkey, to project influence and challenge European institutions. The deep dive touches on the Balkans, Bosnia's Republika Srpska, Erdoğan's foreign policy ambitions, NATO tensions, and China's growing economic footprint, while asking why policymakers should pay closer attention to Europe's peripheries. If history shows that major conflicts begin on the margins, today's hinterlands offer the clearest warning signs of tomorrow's geopolitical crises.
Hannah Lucinda Smith is an award-winning journalist and author who has spent more than a decade reporting from the Middle East, the Balkans and the former Soviet space. A reporter for The Times and The Economist, she has also written for The Atlantic, WIRED and The Spectator. Until recently based in Istanbul, she is the author of 'Erdoğan Rising'. Her latest book, Hinterlands, explores the contested borderlands where Europe, Russia and the Middle East intersect, and where the geopolitical struggles shaping the twenty-first century are increasingly being played out. It has been named a Financial Times Best Book of the Summer.
Hannah Lucinda Smith | Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers
amzn.to/4bI08Pc
profilebooks.com/work/hinterlands
*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:59 Hinterlands & Their Ties To The New Geopolitics
07:50 How Geopolitics Continue To Impact These Areas
14:44 To What Extent Does Grievance Still Shape The Hinterlands?
19:14 What Is The Bigger Story About Balkan Politics?
25:32 How Ankara, Moscow & The West Compete In The Hinterlands
36:22 What is China’s Economic & Political Role In These Areas?
39:43 How Do Greater Powers Benefit From The Hinterlands?
46:46 Why Does The West Care About These Areas? And Which One Should Be Its Focus?
51:28 How Should Policymakers Approach The Hinterlands?
57:17 Which Hinterland Is The Most Distinctive?
*SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS*
If you enjoy the channel and would like to support independent analysis of international relations, conflict, and security, there are several ways you can help:
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3g
youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay?sub_confirmation=1
JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER
YouTube: youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay/join
Patreon: patreon.com/JamesKerLindsay
*MY LATEST BOOK!*
Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know
Oxford University Press global.oup.com/academic/product/secession-and-state-creation-9780190494049
Amazon amzn.to/2MPY3W2
Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel at no additional cost to you.
#Turkey #Russia #Balkans #Caucasus
