Ryan + Glenn: Serbia, Russia, and NATO | Inside the Balkans Power Struggle with Ambassador Godfrey

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ Get the daily intelligence brief Ryan and Glenn read—covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, sanctions, military and intel operations. Stay ahead of the news cycle. Serbia. The Balkans. NATO. Russia. History. Power. This episode is a masterclass in how unresolved history shapes modern geopolitics. In this episode of the Restricted Handling Podcast, hosts Ryan Fugit (former Army & CIA officer) and Glenn Corn (34-year CIA veteran, multiple-time Chief of Station) are joined by Ambassador (ret.) Anthony Godfrey, former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia and a career diplomat with nearly 30 years in the State Department and 12 years in the U.S. Navy. Ambassador Godfrey brings firsthand experience from Serbia, Russia, Chechnya, Belarus, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, and beyond—offering rare insight into the Balkans, NATO cohesion, Russian influence, and why this region still matters for U.S. national security. The conversation spans everything from Greenland and Arctic security to the fragile political balance in the Western Balkans, including Serbia's relationship with Russia, China, the EU, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Godfrey also shares extraordinary personal stories—from being declared persona non grata to navigating expeditionary diplomacy in some of the world's toughest environments. Along the way, Ryan, Glenn, and Ambassador Godfrey break down: • Why the Balkans remain strategically volatile • Serbia's balancing act between the West and Moscow • Bosnia's unresolved political structure and rising risk • Kosovo as an enduring flashpoint • NATO's value—and the danger of undermining it • China's quiet economic leverage in the region • Why economic stability is the real key to long-term peace • Lessons from decades of frontline diplomacy This episode combines hard geopolitical analysis, historical context, and unfiltered war stories—the kind of insight you only get from people who were actually there. If you want to understand why the Balkans still matter, how Russia exploits fractures, and what the U.S. should be doing now, this episode is essential listening. 🎙️ In this episode, we cover: • Ambassador Godfrey's career across Eastern Europe and Eurasia • What it really means to be declared persona non grata • Greenland, Arctic security, and NATO cohesion • Serbia's political and economic trajectory • Bosnia and Herzegovina's fragile structure • Kosovo as a long-term security risk • Russian and Chinese influence in the Balkans • Why EU accession matters for U.S. security • Operation Halyard and forgotten U.S.–Serbian history • Why diplomacy still matters in unstable regions ⏱️ TIMELINE / CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro & Ambassador Godfrey's Background 04:30 Being Declared Persona Non Grata 10:15 Greenland, NATO, and the High North 15:00 Why the Balkans Still Matter 20:30 Bosnia's Fragile Political System 26:00 Serbia's Balancing Act: EU, Russia, China 32:30 Kosovo and Regional Stability 38:30 Operation Halyard & WWII History 45:30 Life as a Diplomat: War Stories 52:30 Final Thoughts & Lessons Learned HOW TO FIND GLENN CORN Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer, multiple-time Chief of Station, and current professor at the Institute of World Politics. Institute of World Politics – Faculty Profile https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/ Great South Bay Consulting https://greatsouthbayinc.com/ RESTRICTED HANDLING Subscribe, contact, and get the daily intel brief https://www.restrictedhandling.com/