Independent Thinking
75 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox hosts conversations with leading policymakers, journalists and Chatham House experts to provide insight into the latest international political issues.
Independent Thinking gives listeners the opportunity to engage with the high level conversations hosted by Chatham House.
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Episodes
Is time running out for Ukraine?
April 25, 2024 13:24 - 38 minutes - 44.4 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Oz Katerji and Phillips P. O’Brien, a Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews. Joining them both in the studio is Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk, the OSUN Academy Fellow in the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House. Read our latest: The US aid package to Ukraine will help. But a better strategy is urgently needed As yet another UN Libya envoy quits, his successor must be bolder The Baltic Sea is far from a ‘NATO ...
Are Israel and Iran on the brink of all out war?
April 19, 2024 11:33 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Sanam Vakil, the director of our Middle East programme to discuss Iran's missile attack on Israel and the possible consequences across the region. Joining them both are Professor Yossi Mekelberg and Dr Elham Fakhro, Associate Fellows with our Middle East programme. Read our latest: Iran-Israel exhanges are a test for China’s influence in the Gulf Iran’s attack on Israel was not the failure many claim but it has ended Israel’s isolation The st...
Has the world forgotten Sudan?
April 12, 2024 07:43 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Mohammed al-Ta’ishi, a civilian member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council - where he served as the chief negotiator and main architect of the Juba Peace Agreement. Joining them both are BBC journalist James Copnall and Rosalind Marsden, an Associate Fellow with our Africa programme and the former UK ambassador to Sudan. Read our latest: Sudan’s forgotten war: A new diplomatic push is needed The ‘conflict economy’ of sesame in Ethiopia and Sudan H...
Has Turkey turned against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan?
April 04, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutes - 46.1 MBBronwen Maddox is joined by Soli Özel, a Professor of International Relations at Istanbul Kadir Has University, and Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, the Head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. With them is Galip Dalay, a Senior Consulting Fellow with our Middle East and North Africa programme. Read our latest: Has David Cameron’s return revitalised UK policy in the Middle East? Maduro is flouting his commitment to hold free elec...
Can Germany lead in a divided Europe?
March 27, 2024 09:10 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Mujtaba Rahman, the Managing Director Europe of the Eurasia Group and Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow with Institut Montaigne. Joining them all is journalist John Kampfner, the former head of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme. Read our latest: Is Moldova a new battleground in Russia’s war? Has David Cameron’s return revitalised UK policy in the Middle East? Britain must rearm to strengthen NATO and meet threats beyond Russia and terr...
Senegal, Nigeria and the Sahel: can democracy deliver in West Africa?
March 21, 2024 15:32 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MBBronwen Maddox is joined from Dakar, Senegal by Gilles Yabi, the founder and CEO of WATHI, the West Africa Citizen Think Tank and Idayat Hassan, a Senior Associate with CSIS. Joining them in the Chatham House studio is Paul Melly, a Consulting Fellow with our Africa Programme. Read our latest: Democracy in West Africa: Why Senegal’s election crisis matters Sudan’s forgotten war: A new diplomatic push is needed The UK should help coordinate support for Ukraine by backing EU defence...
China's National People's Congress: the view from Japan
March 13, 2024 10:55 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBBronwen Maddox is in Japan this week, and is joined from Taipei by journalist Bethany Allen to discuss China's National People's Congress and the political calculations of Beijing's neighbours. Joining them are Robert Ward from The International Institute for Strategic Studies and Dr Yu Jie – a Senior Fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme. Read our latest: Why Egypt’s improved economic outlook is mostly down to luck, not skill This time Haiti really is on the brink. The US and UN mu...
Has Donald Trump changed US foreign policy forever?
March 08, 2024 12:18 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBGuest host Leslie Vinjamuri is joined on the podcast this week by Ben Smith, the Editor-in-Chief of Semafor News and Professor Jennifer M Lind – an Associate Fellow with our US and Americas programme. Read our latest: How foreign policy might impact the outcome of the US election This time Haiti really is on the brink. The US and UN must act to restore order How geopolitical competition in the Black Sea is redefining regional order Presented by Leslie Vinjamuri. Produced by J...
Iran’s elections: What’s at stake for the Middle East?
February 29, 2024 11:57 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MBBronwen Maddox is joined on the podcast this week by Gregg Carlstrom, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Siavash Ardalan from BBC Persia and Dr Sanam Vakil – the Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme. Read our latest: The Gaza war is testing Hezbollah’s strategic capability Sweden brings benefits for NATO but accession delay raises difficult questions Watch the keynote address by Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin Presented by Bro...
Is Alexei Navalny's death a watershed moment for Russia?
February 23, 2024 09:53 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Bill Browder – who for years has worked as a human rights and anti-corruption campaigner against the Putin regime. Alongside him is Nikolai Petrov, a Consulting Fellow with our Russia and Eurasia programme and Yulia Mineeva, an Academy Fellow with Chatham House, who was previously Head of News for Novaya Gazeta, the main independent newspaper in Russia. Read our latest: Alexei Navalny’s most powerful legacy is urging Russians to imagine their count...
What does Prabowo Subianto's election mean for Indonesia?
February 16, 2024 09:47 - 28 minutes - 38.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week from Jakarta by Professor Burhanuddin Muhtadi, executive director of the Indonesian polling organization Indikator Politik Indonesia, and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a former advisor to Indonesia’s Vice President and chair of Indonesian think tank, The Habibie Center. Joining them all is Ben Bland, the director of our Asia-Pacific program at Chatham House. Read our latest: ‘Continuity’ Prabowo means change for Indonesia Indonesia’s Democracy Is Stronger T...
Can the UN's first cybercrime treaty protect us?
February 08, 2024 15:51 - 26 minutes - 37 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Ciaran Martin, the former Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre; Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo, Vice Chair of the African Union’s Cyber Security Experts Group; Amy Hogan-Burney, General Manager of Cyber Security Policy at Microsoft and Joyce Hakmeh, the Deputy Director of our International Security Programme. Read our latest: Yes, China pressured Iran on Red Sea attacks – but only to protect its own ships A long war works against Ukraine ...
Is Pakistan's democracy on the brink?
February 02, 2024 09:24 - 26 minutes - 36.6 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Madiha Afzal, an author and Research Fellow at Brookings in Washington DC. Joining them are Dr Farzana Shaikh, an Associate Fellow with our Asia-Pacific Programme and Dr Chietigj Bajpaee, our Senior Research Fellow for South Asia. Read our latest: Pakistan must ensure free and fair elections to avert a meltdown February/March issue of The World Today Russia’s withdrawal from its border agreement with Finland is an expansion of its hybrid warf...
Why is Orbán blocking EU aid for Ukraine?
January 25, 2024 16:22 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Olga Tokariuk, an Academy Fellow in our Ukraine Forum, and Natalie Sabanadze, a Senior Research Fellow in our Russia and Eurasia Programme to discuss Viktor Orbán and Ukraine. Don't miss our expertise: The Director’s Annual Lecture 2024 Orban’s Ukraine gamble is a blow to the EU’s geopolitical ambitions Are we heading for World War Three – and is Britain’s military ready? Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sou...
Can Western airstrikes stop the Houthis?
January 18, 2024 13:16 - 31 minutes - 43.3 MBRoxanne Escobales, Editor of The World Today, is joined this week by Tom Sharpe, a former commander in the Royal Navy and defence columnist with The Telegraph. Joining them are Dr Sanam Vakil, the Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme, and Farea Al-Muslimi, a Research Fellow with Chatham House and Yemen specialist. Don't miss our expertise: The Director’s Annual Lecture 2024 The Houthis won’t back down after strikes on Yemen When Netanyahu falls, Israel’s democrac...
What are the stakes in Taiwan's election?
January 12, 2024 09:31 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Jojje Olsson and Dr Chun-Yi Lee from the University of Nottingham's Taiwan Research Hub to discuss Taiwan's presidential election. Joining them in the studio is Ben Bland, Director of our Asia-Pacific programme. Don't miss our expertise: Taiwan elections offer no clear answers to China challenge The horrors of Ecuador are not just Ecuador’s The Director’s Annual Lecture 2024 Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. S...
What can we expect from 2024?
December 15, 2023 10:21 - 28 minutes - 38.9 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times to discuss the elections and geopolitical flashpoints in 2024. Joining them in the studio are Leslie Vinjamuri, Ben Bland and Armida van Rij. Don't miss our expertise: The Director’s Annual Lecture 2024 Collapsing foreign direct investment might not be all bad for China’s economy The hidden scale of laboratory accidents: The need for transparency and engagement CO...
Bonus episode: How will the Hamas-Israel war end?
December 13, 2023 12:56 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MBAt the Doha Conference, Bronwen Maddox speaks with Dr Majed Al Ansari, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Al Ansari shares the Qatari perspective on the war between Hamas and Israel and the role the country has played as a key interlocutor. Don't miss our expertise: What does Turkey’s policy on the Gaza war mean for the region? Why the time is now for a Palestinian national unity government The UK’s Safety of Rwanda Bill is a reminder that democracie...
What do India's state elections mean for Narendra Modi?
December 08, 2023 10:14Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by writer and academic Nishtha Gautam to discuss what India's state elections mean ahead of the 2024 general election. Joining them in the studio are Professor Louise Tillin from Kings College London and Senior Research Fellow Chietigj Bajpaee from our Asia-Pacific programme. Don't miss our expertise: Reducing nuclear weapons risk Maduro hoped to mobilize Venezuelans around an old grievance in Guyana. He seems to have failed Why the time is now...
What do India's state elections mean for Narendra Modi?
December 08, 2023 10:14Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by writer and academic Nishtha Gautam to discuss what India's state elections mean ahead of the 2024 general election. Joining them in the studio are Professor Louise Tillin from Kings College London and Senior Research Fellow Chietigj Bajpaee from our Asia-Pacific programme. Don't miss our expertise: Reducing nuclear weapons risk Maduro hoped to mobilize Venezuelans around an old grievance in Guyana. He seems to have failed Why the time is now...
What can the world expect from COP28?
December 01, 2023 09:37 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Ana Yang, Bernice Lee and Ruth Townend from our Environment and Society Centre to discuss the COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates. Don't miss our expertise: What is COP28 and why is it important? What COP28 needs to address to avoid climate disaster The emerging global crisis of land use Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty.
Does a slowing economy mean a more assertive China?
November 23, 2023 12:59 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Professor Kerry Brown and journalist Latika Bourke to discuss China's economic slowdown, amid signs of a more assertive foreign policy in Asia. Joining them is economist David Lubin, an Associate Fellow with our Global Economy and Finance program. Don't miss our expertise: China's new scientists Is China building a military base in Cambodia? China–US talks offer optimism at bleak time for arms control Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced b...
What will US foreign policy look like in 2024?
November 17, 2023 09:50 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by journalist Jon Sopel, the host of the News Agents podcast, to discuss the 2024 US presidential election. Joining them are Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of our US and Americas programme and Laura Rozen, a journalist formerly with Politico and Foreign Policy magazine. Don't miss our expertise: US foreign policy in a critical year ahead Biden–Xi meeting: A must-win in high stakes diplomacy The Supreme Court’s decision requires fresh thinking –...
Will Iran escalate the Hamas-Israel war?
November 10, 2023 10:49 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBBronwen Maddox is joined this week by Shashank Joshi, the Defence Editor at The Economist, to discuss Iran's role in the Hamas-Israel War. Joining them are our experts, Dr Sanam Vakil, Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme and Dr Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow with the MENA programme. Don't miss our expertise: The war in Gaza is aligning Russia against Israel Netanyahu’s premiership will not outlast the war with Hamas Iraq shows a political settlement w...
Can world leaders regulate AI before it’s too late?
November 03, 2023 09:01 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBRoxanne Escobales is joined by Lucy Fisher, the FT's Whitehall Editor and host of the Political Fix podcast, to discuss Rishi Sunak's AI summit. Joining them are our experts Olivia O’Sullivan and Alex Krasodomski from our UK in the World and Digital Society initiatives. Don't miss our expertise: Keir Starmer's speech at Chatham House The UK AI summit can succeed by generating momentum for effective governance Balancing China’s role in the UK’s AI agenda Presented by Roxanne Es...
Is Argentina about to elect a far-right President?
October 26, 2023 14:50 - 28 minutes - 38.8 MBRoxanne Escobales speaks with experts from our US and Americas programme, Dr Christopher Sabatini and Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, about Argentina's on-going election. Joining them from Buenos Aires are journalist Natalia Gherardi who is covering Argentina's election up-close. Don't miss our expertise: If Milei meets Massa in a second round, all bets are off for Argentina’s election Latin America’s anti-femicide crusades need help Mexico: The election race to succeed AMLO has started...
Is Gaza on the brink of disaster?
October 20, 2023 08:28 - 32 minutes - 44.7 MBBronwen Maddox speaks with New York Times journalist Steven Erlanger about President Biden's trip to Israel and the prospects of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. Joining them are Sam Rose from UNRWA and Dr Elham Fakhor from our Middle East and North Africa programme. Don't miss our expertise: President Biden’s Middle East visit reveals the challenges for US diplomacy Israel has the capacity to significantly damage Hamas with a ground offensive MENA countries should lead t...
Will the war between Israel and Hamas escalate?
October 13, 2023 07:37 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBBronwen Maddox speaks with Reuters journalist Steve Farrell about the attacks by Hamas on Israel and the Israeli military response now underway in Gaza. Joining them also are Professor Yossi Mekelberg and Dr Elham Fakhor from our Middle East and North Africa programme. Don't miss our expertise: Why has Hamas taken hostages? MENA countries should lead the way de-escalating the Israel–Hamas war The Israel–Hamas war and its fallout Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John P...
Is Rory Stewart right about Britain?
October 05, 2023 14:35 - 37 minutes - 51 MBBronwen Maddox speaks with Rory Stewart about the state of British politics in a world of populist leaders. Journalist Robert Peston meanwhile joins us from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Later in the show, Roxanne Escobales and Olivia O'Sullivan discuss whether Rory Stewart is right about the state of Britain, and whether his time in government was a success or failure. Don't miss our expertise: In conversation with The Rt Hon Rory Stewart President Biden should ...
Should we talk to the Taliban?
September 29, 2023 09:54 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBBronwen Maddox speaks with Ambassador Roya Rahmani, Shaharzad Akbar and Tobias Ellwood MP about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and whether the West should engage with the Taliban. Read our expertise: Seizing MENA’s moment Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler.
Is the United Nations now irrelevant?
September 22, 2023 08:47 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBWorld leaders met in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). All the P5 leaders bar America's Joe Biden stayed away however. Is the UN losing its relevance in international affairs? Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Mark Malloch-Brown, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Roger Boyes, Diplomatic Editor for The Times, and Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and Americas programme. Read our expertise: Rishi Sunak’s spe...
Was the G20 India's 'coming out' party?
September 15, 2023 07:46 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBG20 leaders met in New Delhi this week to discuss economic cooperation. Underlying the summit however were wider international tensions and a sense of India on the rise. Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Samir Puri, a visiting lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London, Chietigj Bajpaee, the new South Asia fellow at Chatham House, and Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the US and Americas programme. Read our expertise: US–India ties deepened at the G20. But dom...
How has Iran changed after Mahsa Amini’s death?
September 08, 2023 08:22 - 31 minutes - 43.2 MBSeptember 16 marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman killed in police custody. Since her death Iran has been rocked by a year of protests in which over 500 people, many of them women, have been killed. Joining Bronwen Maddox in the studio this week are former BBC journalist Rana Rahimpour, Dr Sanam Vakil, the Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme and journalist Michael Goldfarb. Read our expertise: Making climate an electi...
Has Ukraine's counter-offensive failed?
August 31, 2023 14:25 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBIndependent Thinking is back after a short summer break for the start of Season 2 of the podcast. This week, for our first episode, we’re returning to the much-discussed topic of Ukraine’s counter-offensive. Since June, the Ukrainian armed forces have been fighting hard to breach the defensive lines established by the Russian army in the east and south, the so-called ‘Surovkin Line’. Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the FT...
How China views Ukraine
July 28, 2023 08:14 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBIn the final episode of our first season, we return to the topic we started Season 1 of the podcast with: China and how Beijing sees the world post-February 2022. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Western capitals, especially Washington and London, have been watching ties between Russia and China closely, attempting to decipher any signs of disagreement or even disapproval between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. We discuss how China views the invasion of Ukraine, the ties between...
Artificial intelligence – A threat to democracy?
July 21, 2023 08:10 - 36 minutes - 39.3 MBOn the show this week we discuss artificial intelligence, the hopes, and opportunities the technology may bring, as well as the challenges and even the risks it presents to governments and above all democracy. This week the United Nations Security Council, operating under the UK presidency, met for the first time to discuss the issue of AI, with UN officials and diplomats alike urging the world to take the emergence of this new technology seriously. Meanwhile in the UK, Prime Minister Rish...
NATO membership for Ukraine delayed
July 14, 2023 09:30 - 27 minutes - 38 MBOn the podcast this week we discuss the fallout from the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Turkey cleared the way for Sweden to join the alliance this week, and across Vilnius there were signs aplenty calling for F-16s for Ukraine, and of course, NATO membership. We discuss what was agreed at the summit, what was deferred and what the NATO joint communique means for President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Also, on the show this week we discuss the European Union and its relations with countrie...
Can Vladimir Putin survive?
July 07, 2023 10:17 - 31 minutes - 42.6 MBOn the show this week, we ask how long Russia’s Vladimir Putin can survive. Two weeks on from the mutiny by the Wagner Group and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s challenge to his rule, we’ve seen a flurry of activity by the Russian leader to reassert his authority in Moscow. Russian history however is replete with leaders who appear unassailable, right up until the point they’re not. We discuss whether Putin’s grip is weakening, and how might Western governments react if he falls. Also, on the show thi...
London Conference special with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
June 30, 2023 08:27 - 37 minutes - 39.8 MBWe are live this week from our London Conference, where we discuss the war in Ukraine, the recent events in Russia with the mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group and the weakening of Vladimir Putin’s grip on power. And then later in the show, we look at the increasing tensions within the international system and discuss how the UK as a ‘middle power’ can manage these tensions with an increasingly fragile economy and Brexit. And finally on the podcast, we announce this year’s Chatham...
Securing NATO's northern flank
June 23, 2023 09:40 - 27 minutes - 38 MBOn the podcast this week we look at the UK’s role in the defence of the Nordic region. Since the annexation of Crimea, the UK has taken a keen interest in the Nordic and Baltic regions, with the formation of the Joint Expeditionary Force. With Kyiv’s counter-offensive now underway, we look at how Europe’s security is being reshaped by events in Ukraine, what London and the JEF states are looking to achieve by operating more closely in the north, and the balance of forces between NATO and Rus...
China’s challenge to India
June 16, 2023 08:48 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBOn the podcast this week, we look at the growing tensions between India and China. This week marks three years since Indian and Chinese troops were killed fighting each other in the Himalayas along the contested border. Since then, ties between Beijing and New Delhi have gone from bad to worse. This week, India's last remaining journalist in China was asked to leave. A stark sign of the increasingly cold ties between the two countries. We discuss the current state of India’s relations with C...
Wagner’s war inside Ukraine
June 08, 2023 12:18 - 26 minutes - 23 MBOn the podcast this week, we look at the Wagner Group, the shadowy paramilitary organisation, and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has been active on the ground and involved in some of the conflict’s fiercest battles, notably around Bakhmut. We discuss the group’s relationship with the Russian armed forces, its ties with the Kremlin and the increasingly tense relationship Prigozhin seems to have with senior Russian leaders. Also on the s...
Turkey election special: Where next for Turkish foreign policy?
June 02, 2023 16:31 - 34 minutes - 33.2 MBOn the podcast this week we look at the outcome of the final round of Turkey’s presidential election. Despite the polls showing him behind, and amid a devastating earthquake and an economy in crisis, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been re-elected as Turkey’s president, winning by 52 per cent of the vote. In the last episode we covered what Erdoğan’s re-election might mean for Turkey’s fragile democracy and economy, this week we discuss what five more years of Erdoğan’s foreign policy means for A...
Bashar al-Assad comes in from the cold
May 26, 2023 09:43 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBThis week on the podcast we discuss Syria and the regime of Bashar al-Assad. For over a decade, the regime in Damascus has been an international pariah, amid a brutal campaign of terror by the Syrian armed forces against its people. The geopolitical sands however are shifting, with signs that regimes across the Middle East are prepared to talk with Assad once more. We look at what this means for the region, the implications for the alliance between Iran and Syria, and whether justice for the...
Turkey election special: Where next for Turkish democracy?
May 19, 2023 09:55 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBThis week on podcast we look at the fallout from the first round of Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections. President Erdogan is just a hair's breadth away from securing the 50% of the vote needed to become president. With Turkey set to enter a presidential run-off on 28 May we ask what this means for Turkey’s fragile democracy? Has the opposition under Kilicdaroglu lost momentum? And what impact did issues such as identity politics, the economy, foreign policy, and the devastatin...
Will Russia put nuclear weapons in Belarus?
May 12, 2023 10:24 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBThis week on the podcast we look at the announcement by Vladimir Putin to move Russian nuclear weapons into Belarus and equip Belarusian forces with dual-use equipment and technology. We discuss what the security implications are of this decision, how it fits into Russia’s wider nuclear doctrine and how concerned we should be? We also dive into the internal dynamics of Belarus. It’s been three years since the 2020 presidential election. An election Aliaksandr Lukashenka was widely seen to ...
Japan's new security era
May 04, 2023 11:01 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBThis week on the show we look at Japan, and the historic changes underway in its foreign and security policy. In March, prime minister Fumio Kishida visited Kyiv, marking the first time a Japanese leader has visited an active war zone since WWII. This comes amid successive changes to how Japan approaches national security concerns. We ask whether Tokyo is moving away from its pacifist constitution? What role has the rise of China and the invasion of Ukraine played? And is this the culminatio...
Sudan on the brink
April 28, 2023 07:17 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBThis week on the podcast we look at the crisis overtaking Sudan. Since fighting broke out in Khartoum twelve days ago, the country appears to be descending into outright civil war, with intense fighting between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces. We discuss how Sudan’s military bifurcated into two opposing camps, who leads and supports the two factions, and what if anything can be done to stem the fighting now underway. We also look more widely to the Horn of Africa and wh...
Trouble for Emmanuel Macron at home and abroad
April 21, 2023 09:36 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBThis week on the podcast we focus on France and the domestic and foreign policy travails of the fifth republic and its president, Emmanuel Macron. At home, President Macron faces a wave of popular discontent, amid his plans to raise France’s pension age. We discuss how Macron’s decision to bypass the French parliament has impacted his ability to govern, as well as look at his wider standing within the country. Has this opened the door for the far-right in the next presidential election, and ...
Will Finland join NATO without Sweden?
March 31, 2023 09:49 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThis week on the podcast we look at the latest developments relating to Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO. This week the Hungarian parliament finally ratified Finland’s membership to the alliance, two weeks after President Erdogan in Turkey gave his seal of approval following a meeting with the Finnish president. Sweden however remains trapped in limbo, with both Turkey and Hungary delaying Stockholm’s membership and Erdogan in particular asking for more concessions. We discuss why Turk...