Energy rarely makes headlines - until prices rise, conflicts begin, or economies slow down. Yet behind everyday life lies an invisible system of pipelines, supply routes, and strategic decisions that shape how nations grow, compete, and respond to crises. From heating homes to powering industries, energy connects distant regions to local realities in ways most people never notice - until the impact reaches their own lives.

In this episode of The Global Front, Irada Hasan explores how pipelines, sanctions, and geography quietly shape global power. From Europe’s break with Russian energy to Azerbaijan’s strategic rise, Iran’s untapped potential, and Turkmenistan’s vast gas reserves, this episode reveals how decisions made in distant regions influence electricity bills, inflation, and everyday life around the world.

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What is soft power — and when does it stop being soft?

From the Baltics to the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, Russia’s strategy has often relied on cultural integration before political leverage. This episode examines how modern soft power tools — Russification policies, identity shaping, and strategic citizenship — become instruments of long-term geopolitical control.

In The Velvet Glove: Russia’s Soft Power Play, Irada Hasan explores how influence is built through language policy, education systems, passport distribution, media narratives, and “peacekeeping” missions.

A deep dive into how influence is engineered — and why soft power often precedes hard outcomes.

Power rarely announces itself.
It doesn’t shout. It reshapes.

It moves through history, borders, belief, and influence — long before conflicts reach the headlines.

The Global Front is a geopolitical podcast hosted by Irada Hasan, exploring how soft power, hard power, and political strategy quietly shape today’s global crises across Eurasia, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.

Each episode unpacks one real story — a decision, a moment, a system — revealing how the past continues to control the present.

No sides.
Just understanding how the world really works.

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