Foreign Policy Live

The United States and China are constantly looking for a leg up in their rivalry for geopolitical primacy. But what if the real advantage lies in adopting a bit of the other’s culture? A new book makes the case that while China has become an engineering state obsessed with building, the United States has become a lawyerly society focused on procedures and blocking. Can they learn from each other? Author and scholar Dan Wang sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss his new book, Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future. Dan Wang: Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future Ravi Agrawal: Why China’s Tech Dominance Is Not Inevitable Bob Davis: America’s Flailing Industrial Policy Can Take Lessons From China James Palmer: A Guide to Censorship in China Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

The Trump-Putin summit on Friday, followed by Monday’s unprecedented White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and seven other European leaders, has left analysts wondering whether recent diplomacy will result in an end to hostilities—or if it’s all just pageantry. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Sergey Radchenko sit down with Ravi Agrawal to debrief these two high-level meetings. Kendall-Taylor is a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Radchenko is a Johns Hopkins University professor and the author of To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power. Ravi Agrawal: Grading Trump’s Ukraine Diplomacy Ivo H. Daalder: Russia and Ukraine Are as Far Apart as Ever Stephen M. Walt: Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy Rishi Iyengar: Key Takeaways From Trump’s Meeting with Zelensky Keith Johnson: 7 Lingering Questions After the Trump Ukraine Summit Michael Hirsh: Trump’s Putin Gambit Failed—but Maybe It Was Still Worth Trying Sergey Radchenko: Not Unprecedented but Unprincipled Christina Lu: ‘There’s No Deal Until There’s a Deal’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 August 2025

European leaders, having agreed to spending 5 percent of their GDP on defense, now must decide where that money goes. What factors should they consider to make sure the money leads to the continent’s growth and a cutting-edge defense industrial base? Ravi Agrawal sits down with Jared Cohen, the president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs, to discuss. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Ravi’s Recommendations: Amitav Acharya: Pharaohs, Maharajas, and the Making of a Multipolar World Robert Kagan: The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World Additional Reading: Ravi Agrawal: NATO Is Avoiding a Difficult Conversation Jared Cohen: Don’t Bet Against the Dollar Justin Logan: Trump Shouldn’t Settle for European Spending Pledges Kori Schake: Is NATO Dead? Matthew Kroenig: A Division of Labor Between Europe and Asia Won’t Work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2025

Harvard University professor and economist Dani Rodrik first questioned in the late 1990s whether globalization had gone too far. He joins FP Live to share his take on the Trump administration’s tariffs and how to navigate a historically turbulent moment in global trade. Jamieson Greer: Trump’s Trade Representative: Why We Remade the Global Order Dani Rodrik: Where Is the Global Resistance to Trump? Ravi Agrawal: How to Navigate Trump’s Tariffs Cameron Abadi: Are Tariffs the American Brexit? Keith Johnson: Trump’s Long-Promised Tariffs Upend Global Trade Peter Coy: No Need for Hoarding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 August 2025

As images of starvation in Gaza continue to circulate online, unequivocal support for Israel may be waning in the West, with Britain, Canada, and France moving to formally recognize Palestine in recent weeks. How might this shift the status quo in the region? Daniel Levy, former Israeli peace negotiator and co-founder of J Street, sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Stephen A. Cook: Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful Stephen M. Walt: Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East Rob Geist Pinfold: Israel Is Sowing Chaos to Secure Displacement in Gaza Oz Katerji: Britain’s Palestine Action Ban Is a Dangerous Overreach Aaron David Miller and Lauren Morganbesser: Netanyahu’s Hold on Power Is Slipping. Will Trump Help? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 August 2025

From Labubus and Chinese soft power to U.S. President Donald Trump’s flip-flopping on Ukraine, join host Ravi Agrawal for another FP Live Ask-Me-Anything. Ravi Agrawal: Trump is Ushering In a More Transactional World Henry Tugendhat and Janes Palmer: China Isn’t Ready to Replace USAID Howard W. French: The U.S. Can No Longer Stave Off Competition From China Alexandra Sharp: Trump Announces a 25 Percent Tariff on India Rishi Iyengar: The Trump Trade Tracker Graham Allison: Is This the Start of a U.S.-China Friendship? Stephen M. Walt: Trump’s Missed Opportunities Are Piling Up Sushant Singh: Trump Is Pushing India to Submit to China Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 August 2025

Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, joins FP Live to assess the Trump administration’s shifting policies on Ukraine and how that could impact the ongoing war. McFaul is currently a professor at Stanford University and writes the McFaul’s World newsletter. Michael Hirsch: The Enduring Mystery of Trump’s Relationship with Russia Luke Coffey: Trump’s Ukraine Shift Sends the Right Signal to Putin Christian Caryl: Democracy is Ukraine’s Most Powerful Weapon Franz-Stefan Gady: The Air Battle That Could Decide the Russia-Ukraine War Brought to you by: quince.com/FPlive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2025

The U.S. dollar has declined by more than 10 percent this year. Is the fall just a normal fluctuation, or is it a sign of something much more worrying? How seriously should we take threats to the dollar’s dominance as the world’s reserve currency? Economist Kenneth Rogoff shares more. Rogoff is a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund and the author of Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead. Kenneth Rogoff: How Low Can the Dollar Go? Ravi Agrawal: What the Dollar’s Decline Reveals About America Foreign Policy magazine’s Summer 2025 Print Issue Peter Coy: Trump’s Trade Contradictions Come Home to Roost Keith Johnson: America’s Economic Warfare is Sowing Its Own Demise Jared Cohen: Don’t Bet Against the Dollar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2025

U.S. foreign-policy coverage often focuses on the Middle East, China, or Europe. So, what is the view from what is sometimes called the world’s biggest invisible country? Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populated country and third-biggest democracy, gets surprisingly little attention. How is Jakarta navigating a changing world? Former Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal joins FP Live.  Derek Grossman: Why Rubio’s Asia Visit Was a Total Bust Oliver Stuenkel and Margot Treadwell: Will Trump’s Unpredictable Foreign Policy Boost BRICS? Salil Tripathi: How Will Prabowo Lead Indonesia? Christopher S. Chivvis and Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner: How Washington Should Manage Rising Middle Powers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2025

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman sits down with Ravi Agrawal to debrief this week’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Friedman is also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem, among other books.  Thomas L. Friedman: How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again Thomas L. Friedman: If This Mideast War Is Over, Get Ready for Some Interesting Politics Thomas L. Friedman: How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle Adrian Karatnycky: An Emerging Trump Doctrine? Daniel C. Kurtzer and Aaron David Miller: Less Gloating and More Diplomacy Are Needed to Heal the Middle East Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Journalist Edward Luce is the author of a new biography on President Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America’s Great Power Prophet. He joins FP Live to share how this grand strategist’s legacy still shapes foreign policy today. Theodore Bunzel: Where Have All the Geostrategists Gone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2025

How does India view a shifting world order? Former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss New Delhi’s vision in a period defined by geopolitical flux and several global conflicts. Menon is also the author of Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy. Sumit Ganguly: Kashmir Attack Shatters Illusion of Calm Shivshankar Menon: A New Cold War May Call for a Return to Nonalignment C. Raja Mohan: India Sees Opportunities as Trump Jettisons the Western Order Brought to you by: quince.com/fplive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2025

FP Live host Ravi Agrawal is on the ground at the NATO summit in The Hague this week. He shares his take on how European leaders pledged to increase their defense spending in a bid to please U.S. President Donald Trump. But where is that money going to come from? Insider: A Debrief on the NATO Summit Ravi Agrawal: NATO Is Avoiding a Difficult Conversation  NATO Public Forum LIVE Fabian Hoffmann: A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine Edward Lucas: America Will Miss Europe’s Dependence When It’s Gone Philip H. Gordon and Rebecca Lissner: How Trump Can Reset His Failed Ukraine Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2025

Conflict broke out between Israel and Iran on Friday, with Israel launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities and Iran responding in turn. Vali Nasr, a Middle East expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Nasr is the author, most recently, of Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History.  FP Staff: Israel Strikes Iran Iselin Brady and Daniel Byman: How the Israel-Iran War Might End Steven A. Cook: Israel Is Going for the Death Blow on Iran Jeffrey Lewis: Nuclear Claims Are a Smoke Screen for Hopes of Toppling Iran John Haltiwanger: Iran’s Military Just Lost Its ‘Brain Trust’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 June 2025

Chinese exports of rare earths, a critical component in manufacturing high-end tech products, emerged as a key sticking point in this week’s trade talks between Beijing and Washington. Underpinning all of this is the race for artificial intelligence supremacy. Who is winning this competition? Who is best placed to control the supply chains of all the components that go into the top chips and AI models? Jared Cohen and George Lee, the co-heads of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, join FP Live. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Jared Cohen: The AI Economy’s Massive Vulnerability Rishi Iyengar & Lili Pike: Is It Too Late to Slow China’s AI Development? Vivek Chilukuri: How the United States Can Win the Global Tech Race Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2025

Drones are playing an increasingly decisive role in conflicts around the world. Coupled with artificial intelligence and other technological advances, the very nature of warfare is transforming in front of our eyes. Are countries and their policymakers prepared?  Mara Karlin, former assistant secretary of defense under U.S. President Joe Biden, joins FP Live to share her insights. Karlin is also the author of The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War. John Haltiwanger: Drones are Transforming South Asian Warfare Stephen M. Walt: Ukraine’s Drone Attack Doesn’t Matter Christian Caryl: The Ukrainians’ New Way of War Mara Karlin: The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War Stanley McChrystal and Anshu Roy: AI Has Entered the Situation Room Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 June 2025

Gen Z has come of age amid a pandemic, growing polarization, and deep distrust of bureaucratic institutions. How does this shape their political and economic views? Do they still believe in the American Dream? Economic analyst and author Kyla Scanlon joins FP Live to discuss. Suggested reading: Institute of Politics: Spring 2025 Harvard Youth Poll Kyla Scanlon: Gen Z and the End of Predictable Progress Kyla Scanlon: FAFOnomics: How Chaos Became America’s Economic Strategy Kyla Scanlon: Dollar Devaluation and the Antisystem Youth Kyla Scanlon: In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work? Kathleen J. McInnis: How to Sell NATO to Gen Z Joseph E. Stiglitz: Big Tech Is Trying to Prevent Debate About Its Social Harms Jeongmin Kim: Why Young Koreans Love to Splurge Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 June 2025

Earlier this week, thousands of Palestinians stormed an aid distribution site in Gaza, underlining the ongoing humanitarian crisis there and prompting the question: Why isn’t the world doing more? Martin Griffiths served as the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations from 2021 until 2024. He is currently with the Mediation Group International and joins Ravi Agrawal to push for solutions to the multiple crises spanning our globe. Suggested reading: Neha Wadekar: The World’s Refugee Relief Is Utterly Broken David E. Rosenberg: The Old War Is Over in Gaza, and a New One Is Underway Michael Hirsh: A New Authoritarian Era in the Mideast? Robbie Gramer: How the U.S. Fumbled Sudan’s Hopes for Democracy Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2025

**Hello listeners, an earlier version of this episode contained glitches due to an upload error. If you hear breaks in the audio, please download the episode again for the corrected version. Thanks for listening, and we apologize for the mishap!** Is Trump’s Middle East Policy a Break From the Past? Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump visited three countries in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—on the first scheduled foreign trip of his second term. While many of the headlines from the trip focused on the 747 jetliner Qatar donated for use as Air Force One, it’s probably more notable that Trump rejected decades of Western intervention in the region and declared that there would be “no more lectures” from America. Is the Trump administration re-aligning American priorities in the region? F. Gregory Gause, visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute, joins FP Live to discuss why the Gulf monarchies are rising in importance.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Howard W. French: What Trump Got Right in the Middle East Agathe Demarais: The U.S. Economy Is Now Trump Enterprises Michael Hirsh: A New Authoritarian Era in the Mideast? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 May 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump came to office promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, but he hasn’t actually hit the numbers he said he would. Is that because it’s harder than it sounds, or are more plans in the works? And what will Trump’s immigration policy do to America’s standing in the world? Janet Napolitano, a former governor of Arizona and secretary of homeland security under President Barack Obama, joins FP Live to share her experience managing the issue of illegal immigration.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Jonathan M. Katz: Trump’s Deportation Machine Takes Shape Christina Noriega: Trump’s Aid Freeze Is Undermining His Immigration Policy Daniel B. Baer: Trump’s Brain Drain Will Be Europe’s Gain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2025

Two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan, are locked in their most serious conflict in two decades. Early Wednesday morning, after weeks of pledging to retaliate for the deadliest terrorist attack in more than a decade, India launched missiles across its border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan claims it took down Indian fighter jets and has vowed to respond. FP’s Ravi Agrawal asks Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, how far tensions could spiral. They discuss the options for de-escalation and what role external powers can play. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: How India and Pakistan Can Pull Back From the Brink Rishi Iyengar: A Tale of Four Fighter Jets Sumit Ganguly: What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2025

To mark the first 100 days of the second Trump White House, we have a special ask-me-anything episode. Amid a firehose of news, which policies will endure, and which are purely rhetorical? How does Foreign Policy find the signal in the noise? FP Live’s executive producer, Dana Sherne, turns the tables on host Ravi Agrawal as he assesses the implications of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World Stephen M. Walt: Trump Is Not a Revolutionary Daniel Treisman: The Deep Familiarity of Donald Trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

April 29 marks the 100th day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. What do foreign policy experts make of his administration’s performance so far, as it continues to wage a trade war, reshape long-standing diplomatic relationships with allies and alliances, and advance a new world order? FP columnist Emma Ashford sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Emma Ashford: Four Explanatory Models for Trump’s Chaos Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig: Is the World Overreacting to Trump? Nicholas Bequelin: The Key to Understanding Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy John J. Mearsheimer in Foreign Affairs: Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West's Fault Brought to you by: quince.com/fplive nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2025

The rollout of the Trump administration’s tariffs has rattled markets, prompting questions of what these protectionist policies mean for the global economy moving forward. Two top experts on globalization join FP Live to share their thoughts. Elisabeth Braw is an FP columnist and the author of Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World. And Eswar Prasad is a trade scholar and professor at Cornell University. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Contact us anytime at [email protected]. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Is the World Going to Deglobalize? Elisabeth Braw: What’s the Cost of Doing Business Under Trump? Eswar Prasad: The World Will Regret Its Retreat From Globalization Joseph E. Stiglitz: Play by the Rules Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

The U.S.-China trade war has rattled the global economy, and there’s little sign of de-escalation. What does this mean for their respective economies? Where does this end? The Council on Foreign Relations’ Zongyuan Zoe Liu and the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Scott Kennedy join FP Live to discuss. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Scott Kennedy: Why Beijing Thinks It Can Beat Trump Deng Yuwen: Why Beijing Is Standing Up to Trump Howard W. French: Trump’s Tariffs Are a Gift to Xi Lili Pike and Christina Lu: Can Washington and Beijing Walk Back Their Trade War? Lizzi C. Lee: How China Should Handle Trump’s Tariffs James Palmer: China May Have a Revenge List for Tariff Wars Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: How Tariffs on China Brought Back Decoupling With a Vengeance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

The race is on to dominate the artificial intelligence economy, making the need for safeguards ever more pressing. Jared Cohen, the president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs, joins FP Live to discuss the potential risks and benefits of this growing market—and how so-called geopolitical swing states play an increasingly important role. This conversation was taped earlier this week, before the Trump administration's announcement of the 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Jared Cohen: The AI Economy’s Massive Vulnerability Jared Cohen: The Next AI Debate Is About Geopolitics  Becca Wasser and Josh Wallin: Build Allied AI, or Risk Fighting Alone Peter Dombrowski and Bruce Jones: A New Era of Undersea Conflict Is Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Two leading economists debate the potential trade-offs of the Trump administration’s tariffs that are now roiling markets. Oren Cass, the founder of American Compass, joins Kimberly Clausing, a professor at UCLA, to discuss what this all means for the United States and the global economy.  We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Wendy Cutler: How Countries Should Respond to Trump’s Tariffs Bob Davis: Trump Has the Whole Global Trade System in His Sights Michael Hirsh: Tariffs Can Actually Work—if Only Trump Understood How Lili Pike: Trump Threatens China With New 50 Percent Tariffs Joseph Rachman: Trump’s Tariffs Crush the ASEAN Economic Model Transcript: The Case for Trump’s Tariffs Edward Alden: Trump’s Wanton Tariffs Will Shatter the World Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Legal scholars argue that the Trump administration’s push to curtail the power of the U.S. judiciary mirrors moves by several authoritarian governments around the world. What does this mean for the United States’ court system and the rule of law? And what can be learned from global advocacy and civil society defying these trends? Political scientist Andrew O’Donohue joins FP Live to share his findings. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Andrew O’Donohue: The U.S. Judicial Crisis Is Uniquely Dangerous Julian E. Zelizer: Why Republicans Love Strong Presidents David E. Rosenberg: Can Israel’s Highest Court Stop Netanyahu? Halil Karaveli: Erdogan Is Trying to Divide and Conquer Turkey’s Opposition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Several of the world’s wealthiest men stood behind Donald Trump as he was inaugurated for a second term, contradicting his image as a populist president. This prompts the question, how much influence do the wealthy have on U.S. politics? Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joins FP Live to share his take on the state of U.S. democracy, and whether the United States is becoming more corrupt, to mark the launch of Foreign Policy’s latest print issue: “Billionaire Rule.” Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Spring 2025 Print Issue: Billionaire Rule Jodi Vittori: Is America a Kleptocracy? Adam Tooze: Elon Musk’s First Principles James Crabtree: How Modi and Trump Treat Billionaires Differently Priya Satia: The Deep Roots of Oligarchy James Palmer: Did China Get Billionaires Right? Andrew O’Donohue: The U.S. Judicial Crisis Is Uniquely Dangerous Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

The Trump administration has dramatically shifted the United States’ long-standing relationship with Europe, pushing it to shore up its own defense. How is the continent grappling with these changes? And what does it mean for its policies, both foreign and domestic? Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Kishore Mahbubani: It’s Time for Europe to Do the Unthinkable Transcript: The Speech That Stunned Europe Edward Lucas: Comrade Trump Ivo H. Daalder: It’s Time for a New Trans-Atlantic Bargain Michael Hirsh: On Ukraine, Split the Difference Between Trump and Biden Anchal Vohra: Europe’s Economic Decoupling From America Is Underway Brought to you by: https://incogni.com/foreignpolicy. Use promo code "foreignpolicy" to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

Geopolitical risk analyst Ian Bremmer joins FP Live to assess U.S. President Donald Trump’s first 50 days in office and how it is impacting the world. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World Daniel C. Kurtzer and Aaron David Miller: Lessons from the Trump-Zelensky Confrontation Howard W. French: Trump’s Plan for a Greatly Diminished America Daniel W. Drezner: Does the Madman Theory Actually Work? Stephen M. Walt: What I Got Wrong About Trump’s Second Term Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

With so much of the focus in recent weeks on the Trump administration’s policies toward Europe, where does that leave the broader trajectory of the U.S.-China relationship? Expert and former Biden administration official Rush Doshi sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Doshi is currently the C.V. Starr senior fellow for Asia studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Rush Doshi: Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy to Displace American Order Lili Pike: Trump’s Europe Shock Creates an Opening for China Lili Pike: Did Biden Get China Right? James Crabtree: Trump Could Make China Great Again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

“I don’t give up on Trump. I do think that, for the wrong reasons, we can get him to do the right things” says former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth. Roth sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his take on human rights today amid democratic backsliding, ongoing conflict, and a new U.S. administration on the world stage. Roth led Human Rights Watch for nearly 30 years and is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Can the World Do Anything About Conflict in 2025? Pankaj Mishra: How Gaza Shattered the West’s Mythology Matthew M. Kavanagh and Luis Gil Abinader: Abolishing USAID Is Both Unconstitutional and Disastrous Brought to you by: https://incogni.com/foreignpolicy. Use promo code "foreignpolicy" to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

Finnish President Alexander Stubb sits down with Ravi Agrawal on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference to discuss European security in Trump 2.0. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Finland’s President: Trump’s Strategy ‘Is a Bit of a Seesaw’ Transcript: The Speech That Stunned Europe C. Raja Mohan: India Sees Opportunities as Trump Jettisons the Western Order James Crabtree: Trump Could Make China Great Again Kishore Mahbubani: It’s Time for Europe to Do the Unthinkable Kristi Raik: Europe’s 4 Different Ways of Handling Trump Bojan Pancevski and Alexander Ward: Vance Wields Threat of Sanctions, Military Action to Push Putin Into Ukraine Deal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2025

How history will weigh the war in Gaza, with author Pankaj Mishra. Mishra recently previewed his new book on the subject with Foreign Policy, in a piece titled “How Gaza Shattered the West’s Mythology.” He shares more now with Ravi Agrawal. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Pankaj Mishra: The World After Gaza: A History Pankaj Mishra: How Gaza Shattered the West’s Mythology David E. Rosenberg: Why Gaza Is Israel’s Forever War Ran Greenstein: Settler Colonialism Isn’t What You Think It Is Howard W. French: Why Are We Ignoring Human Rights Criticism of Israel? FP Contributors: What Trump’s Gaza Plan Means for the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term with rapid-fire proposals ranging from invading Greenland to imposing tariffs on top trading partners. How are these moves being viewed globally? FP Live host Ravi Agrawal is joined by three experts, spanning three continents, to learn more. Nathalie Tocci serves as the director of the Italian think tank Istituto Affari Internazionali. Former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani is an author and geopolitical analyst. And Ed Luce is a columnist for the Financial Times. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: Trump is Ushering In a More Transactional World Emma Ashford and Jennifer Kavanagh: Europe Isn’t Ready for Trump 2.0 Matthew M. Kavanagh and Luis Gil Abinader: Abolishing USAID Is Both Unconstitutional And Disastrous Stephen M. Walt: What IR Theory Predicts About Trump 2.0 Edward Alden: Trump Will Be His Own Trade Czar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2025

At a White House press briefing on Tuesday, the Trump administration maintained that it would impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada on Feb. 1. This comes after announcing a 10 percent duty on China earlier in the week. Trade and capital expert Brad Setser is skeptical that it will follow through, though, saying that the economic ramifications of tariffs at that scale would be a “ pretty bloody big shock.” Setser sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to share more. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Aaron L. Friedberg: Tariffs Are a Scalpel, Not a Hammer Wendy Cutler: How Trump Could Strike a Trade Deal With China Keith Johnson: How to Read Trump’s Day-One Trade Actions Scott Kennedy: Markets Are Underpricing the Possibility of a U.S.-China Economic War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

FP Live host Ravi Agrawal kicked off a lively discussion on the new frontiers of cybersecurity at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He was joined by panelists Samir Saran, president of the Observer Research Foundation; Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare; Andrius Kubilius, European commissioner for defense and space; Joe Kaeser, chairman of Siemens Energy’s supervisory board; and Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Minxin Pei: China’s Secret to Controlling the Internet Rishi Iyengar: North Korea Does More Cyberspying Than You Think Dmytro Kuleba: The Fight For Ukraine Is Forging a New World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 January 2025

Immigration was a top issue among voters in the 2024 U.S. election, with President-elect Donald Trump calling for the “largest deportation operation in American history.” And with the incoming administration expected to take action as soon as Trump returns to office, what are the possible ramifications of this policy? Edward Alden, author of the recent book When the World Closed its Doors: The COVID-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders, joins host Ravi Agrawal to share his insights. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Will Trump Actually Deport Millions of Undocumented Workers Edward Alden: When the World Closed Its Doors Edward Alden: The Great Deportation of 2025 Howard W. French: The U.S. Can’t Afford to Be a Bad Neighbor Christina Lu: What Trump’s Mass Deportations Would Mean for the U.S. Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

FP Live is joined by Comfort Ero, the president and CEO of the International Crisis Group, as she details the 2025 edition of “10 Conflicts to Watch.” From Sudan to Myanmar, Haiti, Ukraine, Iran, and beyond, why is the world facing so many crises at once, and how can it solve them? Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2025 Aaron David Miller and Lauren Morganbesser: Why the Gulf States Might Feature Prominently in Trump’s Foreign Policy Raphael S. Cohen: China and North Korea Throw U.S. War Plans Out the Window Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2025

Pundits love calling President-elect Trump’s leadership “transactional.” But is that true? FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal shares his take in this audio essay from the upcoming print issue of Foreign Policy’s magazine. Take a listen. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Kori Schake: Why Biden’s Foreign Policy Fell Short Raghuram Rajan: Isolationism Won’t Make Anyone Great Again Adam Tooze: America Is Locked in a New Class War Daniel W. Drezner: Does the Madman Theory Actually Work? Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 January 2025

Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS and the author of Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to look ahead to 2025.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Fareed Zakaria Looks Back at 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 January 2025

National security analyst and former Trump administration official Elbridge Colby joined FP Live earlier this year to share his take on what a second Trump term could mean for foreign policy. He was recently tapped to be the under secretary of defense for policy in the incoming administration. As such, he will be an integral part of Trump’s decision-making—making this episode newly relevant.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Decoding Trump’s Foreign Policy Elbridge Colby, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Roger Zakheim: How to Trim the Defense Budget Without Harming U.S. Security (2020) Elbridge Colby and David Ochmanek: How the United States Could Lose a Great-Power War (2019) Elbridge Colby: How to Win America’s Next War (2019) FP Staff: The Trump Transition Begins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2024

This year closed out with ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, and numerous incumbents forced out after a record year of elections around the world. Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, joins FP Live to reflect on the year and share his insights on what these trends could mean for our liberal global world order. Zakaria is also the host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):  Transcript: The End of Left Versus Right Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 December 2024

Top humanitarian aid official and longtime diplomat Samantha Power discusses lessons learned from her post at USAID and what she’d like to share with the next administration in this bonus episode. This conversation was taped before the passage of last week's Continuing Resolution. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Walter Kerr and Amanda Arch: U.S. Foreign Aid Is Broken but Fixable  Agathe Demarais: Aid Is the Next Battleground Between China and the West Laura Thornton: How a Second Trump Term Will Redefine Foreign Aid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

The incoming Trump administration is expected to gut a key piece of President Biden’s climate legacy: the Inflation Reduction Act. How will rolling this law back shape energy policy in the future? And what does this mean for the Paris Climate Accords? The Biden administration’s top climate diplomat, John Podesta, joins FP Live to discuss.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):       Transcript: Will Trump Dismantle Biden’s Clean Energy Initiative Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: The Complicated Legacy of Biden’s Climate Legislation Tim Hirschel-Burns: On Climate, Paying Now Is Cheaper Than Paying Later Jason Bordoff and David R. Hill: The Key to a Successful Trump Energy Agenda Is Electricity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 December 2024

Inside a nontraditional war: the chip wars. Can Trump’s tariffs stop China’s efforts to catch up on semiconductor production? How will the AI boom change the game? The leading expert on semiconductor competition, Chris Miller, joins FP Live to discuss the state of the tech race and the impact of a second Trump administration.  Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Rishi Iyengar: Everyone Wants a Chip Factory Chris Miller: Biden Opens Sneaky New Front in Trade War Against China Vivek Chilukuri: America Needs Clear Standards for China Tech Decoupling Chris Miller in the Financial Times: The global chip war could turn into a cloud war Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 2024

For most Middle East watchers, the big news last week was that after nearly 14 months of war, Israel and Hezbollah signed a cease-fire agreement. But before the ink on that agreement was dry, another big shift was afoot: Rebel groups in Syria took control of the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo, in less than four days of battle. Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges joins FP Live to discuss the regional and global implications. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Jeremy Hodge and Hussein Nasser: A Weak Assad Benefits Turkey—and Is a Headache for Trump Hamidreza Azizi and Nicole Grajewski: What the Fall of Aleppo Means for Russia The Guardian: One year on from 7 October, our panel considers: what next for the Middle East? Nathan J. Robinson: Biden Didn’t Really Try to End the War in Gaza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

The global target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius looks increasingly unlikely. What approaches to solving the climate crisis can best provide solutions? FP deputy editor Cameron Abadi joins FP Live to debut his new book: Climate Radicals: Why Our Environmental Politics Isn’t Working, which compares the policies of Germany and the United States. He shares what he has learned with Ravi Agrawal. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: Is Climate Activism Working? Christina Lu: COP29 Kicks Off Under Trump’s Shadow Cameron Abadi: Hard Truths Come for Germany’s Climate Prophet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 November 2024

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is the self-proclaimed “tariff man.” On the campaign trail, he talked about tariffs of 20 percent on goods from most countries and 60 percent on those from China. Now, tariffs have trade-offs, especially domestically. To break it down, Ravi Agrawal is joined by a conservative economist who has long made the case for tariffs: Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Matthew Kroenig: Why the World Should Stop Worrying About a Second Trump Term Keith Johnson: Everything You Wanted to Know About Trump’s Tariffs But Were Afraid to Ask Transcript: Economist Adam Posen on How Trump and Harris Differ on Economic Policy Transcript: Biden Advisor Heather Boushey on Whether Bidenomics Is Trying to Do Too Much Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024