Diplomatic Immunity

Kelly and Tristen wrap up 2025's foreign policy: the highlights (and lowlights), what went under the radar, and what they'll be watching for in 2026. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplom...

This week, Kelly talks with Professor Michael Kimmage about Russia's war in Ukraine and current efforts towards a ceasefire. Michael Kimmage is a Professor of History at Catholic University, specializing in U.S.-Russia relations and cold war history, and is director of the Kennan Institute in Washington D.C. He worked on U.S.-Russia relations from 2014 to 2016 on the Secretary of State's Policy Pl...

This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through recent COP and G20 summits, and what US absence meant for the world's biggest international fora. They also provide updates on US allies' reactions to boat strikes in the Caribbean, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meetings with Trump at the White House. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do n...

Interview with Decland Walsh on Sudan: 31:30 This week, Kelly and Truisten talk through Hungary's new attempt to start up an anti-Ukraine bloc in the EU as well as Victor Orban's meeting with President Trump. They then turn to recent elections in the Netherlands and to President Trum's trip to Asia and the APEC summit. Chief NYT Africa Correspondent Declan Walsh then joins Kelly for a deep-dive in...

This week, Kelly talks with Johns Hopkins Professor Francis J. Gavin about his new book, Thinking Historically: A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy (Yale University Press, 2025). The book looks at how history could be utilized to improve policy and enable better decision-making. It argues for a "historical sensibility" as a practical discipline—one that captures the real constraints decision-makers...

This week, Kelly talks with Carolina Jiménez Sandoval about the state of play between the United States and Venezuela amid increasing tensions, military strikes, and continued economic upheavel in the country. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval is the President of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). She holds over 20 years of experience in research and advocacy for human rights in the Americas a...

Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Gaza: 28:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels and the Trump–Zelenskyy visit to the White House—what it means for Ukraine aid, European drone-defense plans, and the Tomahawk debate. They then turn to political turbulence in Cameroon and Peru, give a quick update on Madagascar's military-led transition, and close with wi...

This week, Kelly talks with Stanford University professor and author Dan Edelstein about his new book, The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin , (Princeton University Press, 2025). The book looks at how political thinkers from Plato to John Adams saw revolutions as a grave threat to society and advocated for a constitution that prevented them by balancing social inter...

Interview with Ambassador Kent Logsdon on Moldova: 33:25 This week, Kelly and Tristen break down President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu's 20-point Gaza peace plan and what it signals for U.S.-Israel relations, as well as the ongoing ceasefire negotiations. They then look at the Gen-Z-led protests spreading across Morocco and Madagascar — echoing Nepal's youth uprising weeks ago — and close w...

This week, Kelly talks with Reuters reporter and author Ernest Scheyder about critical minerals and his new book: "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives." Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent with Reuters covering critical minerals and the global energy transition. "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power our Lives," was published in e...

Interview with Pranaya Rana on Nepal: 26:50 This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through Trump's speech at the UN General Assembly, his visit last week to the UK, and the administration's recent strikes on suspected Venezuelan cartels. They also provide some brief updates since the last episode: on Jair Bolsonaro's conviction in Brazil and the new Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement.  Kelly then talks w...

Kelly talks with Emma Ashford about her new book,  First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World (Yale University Press, 2025), where she proposes a return to a more pragmatic, realist set of strategic principles, ones better suited for the emerging multipolar world, that would pursue narrower U.S. interests, cultivate the capabilities of friendly states, and emphasize room for man...

Interview with Sameer Lalwani — 27:32 This week, Kelly and Tristan cover Israel's unprecedented strike on Hamas leaders in Doha and the diplomatic fallout for Qatar and the Gaza ceasefire talks, the historic trial of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro and what it means for democratic resilience, and Beijing's memory-politics summit—complete with a military parade and a guest list signaling C...

This week, Kelly talks with former assistant administrator of USAID, Erin McKee, in light of the department's gutting in recent months. She is now serving as the CEO of Nova Ukraina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States and throughout the world. Erin McKee is a career US diplomat who serve...

Interview with Liam Karr — 28:50 This week, Kelly and Tristan cover the recent rounds of summit diplomacy between Presidents Trump and Putin and subsequent meetings with European leaders, the recent moves in Somaliland's quest for recognition, and the new settlements in the West Bank approved by Israel's finance minister. Kelly is then joined by Liam Karr of the Critical Threats Project for an upd...

Interview with Dr. Sophal Ear: 25:30 This week, Kelly and Tristan examine the backsliding of democracy in El Salvador and analyze the regional implications for President Bukele's political crackdown. They then explore Trump's escalating tariff war with India, which threatens to undermine the partnership between the world's two largest democracies. Next, they explore Japan's landmark $6.5 billion n...

This week, Kelly talks with Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Ebenezer Obadare about Nigeria's growing security and economic challenges under President Bola Tinubu. Ebenezer discusses how the country is facing escalating violence from Boko Haram, growing political instability, and widespread economic hardship. Obadare also highlights Nigeria's tremendous diplomatic potential and why it co...

This week, Kelly talks with International Crisis Group Analyst Elizabeth Dickinson about the surge in cartel-driven violence in Colombia and how USAID cuts have impacted the country. Elizabeth discusses how criminal groups have filled the vacuum left by FARC's demobilization in 2016, leading to the highest coca cultivation levels in Colombia's history and a surge in political instability that is t...

This week, Kelly and Tristan look back on the United Nations as it marks its 80th anniversary, reflecting on its evolution from the failed League of Nations and assessing its future challenges, including Security Council reform. They also analyze the recent NATO summit, exploring how European allies have managed the alliance's relationship with President Trump around defense spending commitments a...

Kelly talks with Andrew Preston about his new book, Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security . Preston explores how FDR revolutionized national security policy by connecting domestic New Deal programs to global defense strategies. Andrew Preston is a Professor of American History based at Clare College, Cambridge, where he focuses on the ideas and concepts that shape Amer...

Kelly talks with Yvonnick Denoël about his new book,  Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis, exploring the Vatican's little-known intelligence operations. Yvonnick is a French historian, publisher and intelligence specialist who has written on the CIA, Mossad, and espionage in the twentieth century. His new book uncovers a little-known side of Vatican history that saw the Holy S...

Interview with David Mora on Mexico's Judicial Elections: 27:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack key elections in Poland and South Korea, and examine the growing reach of an Al-Qaeda affiliate in West Africa. Kelly then sits down with David Mora to explore Mexico's recent judicial elections and their implications for Mexican democracy and U.S.-Mexico relations. David Mora is the Senior Analyst...

Kelly talks with Amitav Acharya about his new book The Once and Future World Order and the deep roots of global civilization beyond the West. They explore why the recent decline of American dominance doesn't mean collapse, but a chance to build a more just, inclusive global system. Amitav Acharya is the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at the Scho...

Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit: 25:55 This week, Kelly and Tristen discuss President Trump's meeting with the President of South Africa, give an update on the war in Ukraine, and unpack the UK's new trade agreement with the European Union. Kelly then talks with Mona Yacoubian for a breakdown on Trump's recent trip to the Middle East, and what the visit means for America...

Next up this Summer, Kelly talks with bestselling author Moisés Naím about the rise of authoritarianism around the world.  Moisés Naím is an internationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author of several books, including most recently "The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century," published in 2023. In the early 1990s, Dr. Naím served as Venezuela's M...