Talking Geopolitics

The return of humans to space with the Artemis II's orbit around the moon has captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world. While exploratory space travel enthralls the public, the geopolitics of space and its implications for war are something much less understood. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics , GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss satellites,...

As we enter the second month of war in the Middle East, bombs continue to fly, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens a global crisis. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics , GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the military pressures facing Washington and Tehran, the expanding scope of the conflict, and what it can tell us about the future of war. Visit h...

With the long-awaited meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping delayed until May, all eyes are on the two giants and the long shadow they cast on the Iran war and the world at large. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics , GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss China's strategic restraint in the Middle East, economic fragility and rapprochement wit...

The US-Israeli war with Iran has no end in sight as strikes on both sides continue. With Iran's capitulation failing to materialize and the IRGC's true strength revealed, the conflict is in a state of evolution. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss shifting US war aims, the rising price of oil as the Strait of Hormuz remains a c...

As war rages in the Middle East, the future of Iran remains an open question. The same can be said for Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been taking place for more than a week. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith is joined by Senior Analyst Hilal Khashan for a ground-level perspective on the escalating conflict in Lebanon, and to explore th...

The ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began over the weekend, come after a protracted period of tension, negotiations and military build-up. Tehran has now said it will attack U.S. assets in the region in response to the U.S. and Israeli strikes, which killed several top Iranian officials and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  So why, in a world where the U.S. is trying to withdraw fr...

Americans are deeply divided, passions are running high, and many fear the Republic is failing. But is any of this actually new? In our recent ClubGPF live discussion, GPF Chairman George Friedman revisited his book The Storm Before the Calm to explain where we are in America's recurring 80-year institutional cycle. Drawing parallels to the Revolution, the Civil War, and the Great Depression, Geor...

Following the 2026 Munich Security Conference, the transatlantic alliance appears to be at a crossroads. With the Russian threat failing to manifest and the U.S. shifting its strategic focus, is the "divorce" between these old allies inevitable, or is it a necessary evolution? In this episode of Talking Geopolitics , host Christian Smith is joined by GPF Chairman George Friedman to examine why the...

At January's World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that the old world order is not coming back. He went on to say that we are now in an era of great power rivalry, and that middle powers, like Canada, should come together to counter the rise of great powers. So what could the new order look like, and just how much influence can middle powers wield compared to th...

This week, leaders from Russia, Ukraine and the United States will meet in Abu Dhabi for another round of peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine; a conflict which has continued for four years this month. After so much fighting, what does Russia still hope to get out of negotiations, and is it willing to concede after not reaching its goals? Russia's economy has suffered immensely as a resu...

Earlier this month, Geopolitical Futures released its annual Forecast, which focuses on the most critical changes to the international order in the year to come. One of the featured predictions in this year's Forecast was on the shifting relationship between the United States and China. It is a relationship that GPF Chairman George Friedman believes will define the next generation of international...

Widespread anti-government protests in Iran have been growing for weeks now in Iran, and the government crackdown has turned deadly. While protests here are not a new phenomenon, many are saying this time things are much different. With the US poised to intervene and the future of the Iranian regime hanging in the balance, this week on the podcast we're taking a look at how the situation is evolvi...

With the new U.S. National Security Strategy published by the White House only a month ago, we're already seeing what America's vision for prioritizing the Western Hemisphere looks like. Following America's seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, the world is now questioning just how far the US might go to achieve its goal. What are its intentions with Cuba, and how far is it w...

America's new National Security Strategy reflects a fundamental change in U.S. policy. It prioritizes America maintaining its preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, while avoiding military competition with China as well as European conflicts. At the same time the White House has taken pen to paper on its new policy, military pressure on Venezuela is ramping up as the Trump administration sanctions...

America's new National Security Strategy reflects a fundamental change in U.S. strategy. The policy, published at the end of last week, prioritizes America maintaining its preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, avoiding military competition with China and asking Europe to stand on its own feet. Many of these policies are not surprising. But the White House's decision to commit them to paper has gi...

In his book, The Storm Before the Calm, Geopolitical Futures chairman and founder George Friedman explained the challenges that low birth rates and longer life expectancy will bring to America. As an aging population causes a shrinking workforce, this deepening demographic crisis could have long-term impacts across the globe. And the solutions come with their own set of challenges. On this episode...

[REUPLOAD] If the peace proposal currently under negotiation to end the war in Ukraine feels like déjà vu, you're not alone. Throughout the year, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough have repeatedly surged and faded. But with the surprising terms of the latest proposal now on the table—and U.S. President Donald Trump hinting that this may be a "now or never" moment—the world is asking whether a rea...

Russia's war with Ukraine is about to enter yet another winter. Meanwhile in the US, Donald Trump is turning his attention to Russia's southern border in an effort to woo the nations of the South Caucasus with diplomacy. What are the US' goals and what does it hope to gain in pulling these nations closer while Russia is distracted in its fight against NATO to the West? Talking Geopolitics host Chr...

The Australian defense minister said this week that China's military defense build up required a response. China's defense spending has increased 13 fold in the past 30 years, while its Navy is projected to grow by nearly 50% by the end of the decade. That last statistic would be of particular concern to Australia's defense minister, Richard Marles, who said that open sea lanes, including around C...

The United States, China and Russia are the three main powers of the current era that are vying for dominance on the global stage, all with their own sets of imperatives and challenges. In our recent ClubGPF live discussion, GPF Chairman George Friedman examined the three nations and the main issues they currently face: culture wars and political division in the US, a declining economy in China, a...

"Twelve out of ten." That's how President Trump described this week's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping—a bold rating for one of the most consequential diplomatic encounters in years. But what really came out of it? Was this the start of a new trade understanding or just another pause in a brewing confrontation between two global powers? In this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christi...

In recent weeks, tensions between the US and Venezuela have been growing. Several US military strikes have targeted boats in the Caribbean allegedly carrying illicit drugs, and US President Donald Trump has said that he has authorized the CIA to use lethal force in Venezuela. And the issue doesn't end there, now there is wider involvement from Europe and elsewhere. GPF Chairman George Friedman joi...

As GPF Chairman George Friedman has written about in recent months, the United States is trying to reduce its exposure in foreign conflicts. With the US now entering its third week of a government shutdown, the nation has its own set of crises to work through, while Trump is also working to broker peace in Gaza and a trade agreement with China. How does the current situation fit within the framewo...

Two years ago this week, Hamas' October 7 attacks stunned Israel and the world. And now for the first time there is palpable excitement that the war in Gaza may be on the path to an end. The first part of Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan seems to have been agreed by Israel and Hamas, though the plan still faces many hurdles. Geopolitical Futures Chairman and Founder George Friedman has joined host C...

In his 2009 book, The Next 100 Years, GPF Chairman George Friedman forecasted that Turkey would become the major power in the Middle East. As Trump draws down on US involvement abroad, Putin gets bogged down in Russia, and Israel is distracted in Gaza, Turkey is spying opportunities. While Turkey's dominance has been on the rise despite its own internal instability, Saudi Arabia on the other side...