Foreign Policy Live

The election results are in. Democrats have taken back both houses of Congress, and U.S. President Donald Trump is now a lame duck. Having asked the electorate to pretend he was on the ballot, voters did just that, rejecting the White House’s policies in district after district. What will this mean for Trump’s final two years in office, and how will Democrats will use their new power in Congress?...

Israel’s first elections since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas have failed to deliver a clear winner. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to run the country until a coalition emerges to claim a majority. What do the results mean for Israel’s future and its place in the world? Haaretz senior analyst and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin explains. Plus, Ravi shares his read on B...

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have become particularly rocky this month. U.S. President Donald Trump is making political and diplomatic moves that seem to benefit Moscow. But why, and to what end? How should Kyiv adjust its strategy? Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former CIA analyst and deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia, weighs in on the strained relationship between Uk...

What’s the best way to navigate the Trump White House? Some countries employ flattery; others look to keep a low profile. Spain is a rare country that openly disagrees with several U.S. positions. On issue after issue, from the war in Iran to immigration policy, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing government has publicly forged a path that runs counter to a global trend of right-wing policies...

 It is well known that at least part of Washington’s reluctance to regulate artificial intelligence comes from wanting to make sure the United States stays ahead of China. But what exactly are the two countries racing for? Matt Sheehan, a co-director of the China AI Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to explain the countries’ very different d...

How can you tackle poverty and create infrastructure amid an active conflict? Alexander De Croo is the head of the U.N. Development Program, and he joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to make the case for spending development dollars on building long-term resilience. He’s exploring solutions to opium poppies in Afghanistan, electric grids in Ukraine, and sanitation in Gaza, even as major donors such as the Un...

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has become one of the Trump administration’s most visible spokespeople, publicly explaining and defending its policies on everything from Iran to Venezuela and Sudan. But how has Washington’s global role changed as the White House pulls back from multilateral institutions? How does the administration make the case for an unpopular war in Iran? Waltz...

Maria Ressa is one of the most inspiring journalists of our age, a media leader whose bravery against authoritarianism earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. Now, she’s focusing her energy on artificial intelligence and Big Tech and how ordinary citizens can reclaim their attention, their time, and their democracies. She’s also a co-chair of the United Nations Independent International Scientif...

Ajay Banga has a simple north star as he runs the World Bank: jobs, jobs, jobs. And for good reason. The World Bank estimates that developing countries are on track to create only a third of the approximately 1.2 billion jobs they will need to keep up with demand. How can countries and companies bridge this gap? Banga sat down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to detail how the bank is mobilizing private cap...

It’s time for another ask-me-anything edition of FP Live. After a trip to Kyiv, FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal explained why new developments in drone technology have him worried about conflicts around the world. Plus, he takes on the energy market, why both the United States and Iran have overreached in their ongoing conflict, and how Chinese President Xi Jinping sees the world.  Ravi Agraw...

In this bonus episode, host Ravi Agrawal presents his recent essay arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump has peaked. While Trump still has two years left in office and immense potential for global disruption, Ravi makes the case that his coercive powers are in clear decline, as seen through a depleted military and an array of global moves to de-risk from the White House. As companies and countr...

Behind every major decision, whether by a family buying a home or a shipping company deciding to transit the Strait of Hormuz, lies the judgment of the insurance markets. How do insurers evaluate risk, and what can we learn from how they attach a premium to conflict or natural disasters? John Doyle, the president and CEO of Marsh, a conglomerate that includes the world’s largest insurance broker,...

 The global order may be broken, but international relations scholar Charles A. Kupchan has a plan to remake it. In a forthcoming Foreign Policy essay, he argues that because power is becoming more diffuse, regional groupings such as the European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations will become more essential. But to really manage global governance, he proposes the creation of a h...

The United States is burning through some of its most advanced munitions in its war with Iran this year. By some accounts, inventories of high-end Patriot and THAAD interceptors may be depleted by as much as 80 percent. Replacing them could take years, even as military planners worry about needs in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Tom Karako, director of the Center for Strategic and International Stud...

Political outrage is a constant part of modern life, from social media to surges of global protests. But what actually changes? Why do so many structural issues seem deeply entrenched despite high levels of voter turnout? Anton Jäger has a term for this mismatch: hyperpolitics. He joins FP Live to explain the paradox of politicization without institutionalization, why right-wing parties maneuver t...

Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have created entire cities and world-class airlines off the back of energy riches and U.S. security. The Iran war has upended the calculations of the Gulf monarchs. How are they rethinking their strategies? Allison Minor worked on Gulf policy in the Biden administration and joins FP Live to share her analysis.  Plus, Ravi s...

The Strait of Hormuz may be the chokepoint of the moment, but it’s actually not even the one that’s most concerning to Eddie Fishman, the author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. He explains why U.S. dollar dominance, Chinese critical mineral control, and the semiconductor supply chain are more potent in terms of how much they can impact geopolitics—and how countries a...

The ongoing war in Iran has been called the biggest energy crisis in history. How is it changing the plans of countries and companies? Which changes will be permanent? Ravi turns to Daniel Yergin, the world’s foremost expert of the oil industry and its history. Yergin is the vice chairman of S&P Global and the author of The Prize, The Quest and, most recently, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the...

Iran and the United States are locked in a familiar pattern. Conflict has resumed, both sides seem caught in an escalation trap, and oil prices are rising. What would it take for Tehran and Washington to both save face and step back? Ravi Agrawal turns to career diplomat and Iran expert Nate Swanson, who was fired by the Trump administration last year.  Plus, Ravi shares his read on India’s y...

Is the trans-Atlantic relationship over? Nathalie Tocci argues that it cannot be rebuilt as it was: The liberal order that birthed trans-Atlanticism is gone, and a fundamental breach of trust has occurred. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer sees it differently: Trans-Atlanticism was never based only on values but also on security, economic, and technological interests. The relationship has now entered a p...

Ukraine has a new strategy in its full-scale war with Russia: using drones to attack deep into Russian territory and bring the war home to the Russian people for the first time. Has this put Moscow on the backfoot? What will it mean for the chances of a deal? Dmytro Kuleba, a former Ukrainian foreign minister and senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, joins FP Live for a frank and re...

After the United States ousted Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in January and then took out Iran’s senior leadership in the following months, U.S. President Donald Trump set his sights on Cuba, claiming that he would have the “honor of taking” the island. Michael Bustamante, a leading historian of Cuban-American relations, joins FP Live to assess the White House’s strategy and Havana’s options.  Plus,...

SpaceX’s initial public offering broke records as the largest ever and one that (briefly) made Elon Musk the first trillionaire. But just how much power should one person or one company have in space? Quinn Slobodian, a co-author of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, joins FP Live to argue that Musk’s network of integrated companies—from X to Starlink—amplifies not only his economic power but his...

The United States and Iran have struck a memorandum of understanding to end the war that began in February. Will the deal last? And what does it mean for the United States, the Middle East, and the world? Ali Vaez has long been involved in unofficial dialogues with Iran and the United States, and he joins FP Live to analyze the deal. Plus, Ravi shares his read on why the cease-fire deal, despite i...

U.S. public opinion is undergoing a dramatic shift, with more and more Americans calling for less military support to Israel. So, is the “special relationship” between the two countries over? According to an essayist in Foreign Policy’s latest print issue, the partnership has peaked—and the only way to go is down. Why is that, and how did we get here? Joshua Leifer, a columnist for Haaretz and aut...