Deep Dish on Global Affairs

India's choice to remain neutral on the Ukraine war aligns with their historic foreign policy choices and current security interests, Tanvi Mandan and Srinath Raghavan argue. They join Deep Dish host Brian Hanson to explain the long-term relationship between Delhi and Moscow, why the United States shouldn't pressure India to choose sides, and where China fits in India's calculations.  Don't forget...

New technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and social media have transformed the intelligence community and given the United States' adversaries new tools to observe and influence global politics. The Hoover Institution's Amy Zegart joins  Deep Dish  to discuss her new book  Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence  and why she warns that,...

For the last three weeks, people around the world have been watching the war in Ukraine unfold on their phones, intimately observing live footage of the conflict's devastation alongside rampant fake news from Russia claiming the war isn't real. Disinformation experts Bret Stephens and Julia Davis join Deep Dish to examine why Putin's narrative isn't working outside Russia, how long it can dupe the...

Around the world, authoritarianism is rising and women's rights are declining—and it's not a coincidence that's happening at the same time. Valerie Hudson and Zoe Marks join Deep Dish to explain how sexism undermines national security, why autocrats are afraid of women, and why progress on gender equality is essential for democracy, prosperity, and stability.   LIke the show? Leave us a review!

The United States, the European Union, and a host of other countries (even Switzerland!) are hoping to stop Putin's war on Ukraine by placing Russia under the most extreme sanctions package ever enacted on a single country. But will it make a difference? The New York Times ' Matina Stevis-Gridneff and sanctions expert Nicholas Mulder join  Deep Dish  to explain how sanctions work, what they mean f...

In a fiery speech on Monday, Russia's President Putin laid out a stark, politically motivated, and false account of Ukraine's history to justify his full-scale invasion. His main argument? Ukraine is historically not a sovereign nation, but a long-lost part of Russia. A part Russia wants—and will take—back. Historian Kathryn David joins host Brian Hanson on  Deep Dish  to explain the real history...

A sharp rise in attempted coups in the last year—more than in the last five years combined—emphasizes democracy's global decline. Coup d'état experts Jonathan Powell and Erica De Bruin join the Council's Elizabeth Shackelford on Deep Dish to explore the issues driving coups around the world and how to stop them.  Don't forget to give the show a rating and leave a review wherever you get your podca...

Looking for quick, smart takes on top global affairs news stories each week? This week we're introducing you to a new podcast from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, World Review with Ivo Daalder. In this episode, Karen DeYoung, Peter Spiegel, and Giles Whittell join Ivo to dive into the latest on Ukraine, from war prep to efforts at diplomacy. Then, they unpack the death of ISIS leader Abu Ib...

North Korea's long-range missile launch this week—already the seventh test in 2022—has the potential to reach the US territory of Guam and destabilize regional alliances. Former National Security Council leaders Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry join Deep Dish to explain why North Korea appears to be acting with impunity and why the United States can't afford to ignore the situation. Reading The Last Ch...

Afghanistan is in on the brink of the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory: the economy is in a tailspin, famine is looming, food prices are skyrocketing, formal sector jobs have disappeared, and cash is scarce. The International Crisis Group's Laurel Miller and former US Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley join Deep Dish to explain what led us here after the abrupt US exit five mo...

At least 164 people are dead and thousands are imprisoned after mysterious instigators overtook Kazakhstan's peaceful protests and Russian troops brutally cracked down on demonstrators. Journalist Joanna Lillis and researcher Nargis Kassenova join  Deep Dish  to unpack the domestic politics driving civil society action and whether Kremlin interference is the new norm in a critically important coun...

One year after the attack on the United States Capitol, 64 percent of Americans believe US democracy is "in crisis and at risk of failing," an NPR/Ipsos poll revealed this week. Democracy expert Larry Diamond joins Deep Dish to explain why democracy has been declining around the world for the last 15 years and offer urgent solutions to stop its retreat.   If you're a Deep Dish subscriber, don't fo...

A major Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border has the international community concerned about the possibility of an invasion. The Atlantic Council's Melinda Haring and George Washington University's Maria Snegovaya join Deep Dish to explain the factors driving Russia's threats against Ukraine, what's going on in Putin's mind, and why this conflict matters for the world. Share your feedback...

Russia's aggression towards Ukraine is dominating headlines, but another crisis looms in Eastern Europe: the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina experts Jasmin Mujanović and Patrice McMahon join Deep Dish to explain why the risk of conflict is so high and how Europe and the United States can help ensure more than a decade of peace continues.  

This holiday season we're all seeing the impact of shifts in the global trade system firsthand  while shopping :  shortages, high prices, and long shipping delays.  The Economist's  Soumaya Keynes joins  Deep Dish  to explain why this situation is about more than just supply chains or COVID-19—it's about politics and the way our world is disma ntling the rules-based trade system.   

Deep Dish is taking this week off for the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, but we'll be back next week with a new episode! In the meantime, here's a quick note about Giving Tuesday. We're able to make this show because of the support from our community of listeners —people like you!   Would you consider making a tax-deductible gift this upcoming Giving Tuesday so that we can keep bringing you Deep...

At least 2,000 Middle Eastern migrants spent weeks trapped at checkpoints between Belarus and Poland—unable to legally enter the European Union and, until today, unable to return to Belarus or go home. Former US Ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried joins host Brian Hanson on Deep Dish to explain how Belarus' strongman President Lukashenka weaponized these migrants as a tool of "hybrid war ," and  why...

As countries finalize their commitments at the UN Climate Conference, COP26, soaring global energy prices and shortages around the world emphasize our world's current dependence on fossil fuels. The Economist's Vijay Vaitheeswaran and the Just Transition Initiative's Sandeep Pai join Deep Dish to explain what the energy crisis tell us about the costs of a green energy transition and how to manage...

Recent US intelligence and defense agency reports warn that a warming climate is a fundamental threat to US national security by raising geopolitical tensions, increasing instability, and driving mass migration. The Center for Climate and Security's Erin Sikorsky and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's Anatol Lieven join Deep Dish  to examine what a climate-focused US national securi...

China's rapid recent nuclear expansion—from a hypersonic missile test to hundreds of new nuclear missile silos—is a stark contrast to years of a minimum deterrence approach. To explain the shift, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Tong Zhao joins host Brian Hanson on  Deep Dish  to unpack China's nuclear strategy, the need for nuclear stability, and how to avoid an arms race or worse.

2020 marked the most significant increase in US domestic terrorism in a quarter-century, data  from the Center for Strategic and International Studies reveals. The University of Chicago's Kathleen Belew and Robert Pape join  Deep Dish  to explain the trends they believe are driving the uptick and the role war and conflict play in shaping these groups. Further Reading The Capitol Rioters Aren't Lik...

For decades, American foreign policy on Taiwan has been rooted in strategic ambiguity, but after China's President Xi Jinping's call for "reunification" with Taiwan and record military presence near the island, is it time to rethink this approach? Rand Corporation's Michael Mazarr and the Commander Michele Lowe join Deep Dish to explore the options in a constructive debate on the benefits—and cost...

The 2021 Chicago Council Survey shows Americans are on board with the majority of the Biden administration's foreign policy agenda, which is focused on decisions that benefit everyday Americans. But when it comes to trade, there are important differences between public opinion and this approach to foreign policy. Council President Ivo Daalder and the American Enterprise Institute's Kori Schake joi...

German voters prioritized stability in the first post-Merkel election—voting for the party who most emulated the former chancellor's approach to government, the Social Democrats (SPD), instead of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU). What does the narrow SPD victory tell us about the German political landscape and important Western trends like populism? Ulrike Franke and Sheri Berman join  De...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gambled on a snap election that left him in power, but without a majority in Parliament. With an election behind him, can he make progress on the critical foreign policy issues his government must tackle—from COVID-19 to multilateral engagement—during his third term? Canadian political scientists Roland Paris and Jennifer Welsh join Deep Dish to explain why i...