Chatham House

This week on the podcast we look at the announcement by Vladimir Putin to move Russian nuclear weapons into Belarus and equipping Belarusian forces with dual-use equipment and technology. We discuss what the security implications are of this decision, how it fits into Russia’s wider nuclear doctrine and how concerned we should be. We also dive into the internal dynamics of Belarus. It’s been three...

This week on the show we look at Japan, and the historic changes underway in its foreign and security policy. In March, prime minister Fumio Kishida visited Kyiv, marking the first time a Japanese leader has visited an active war zone since WWII. This comes amid successive changes to how Japan approaches national security concerns. We ask whether Tokyo is moving away from its pacifist constitution...

This week on the podcast we look at the crisis overtaking Sudan. Since fighting broke out in Khartoum twelve days ago, the country appears to be descending into outright civil war, with intense fighting between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces. We discuss how Sudan’s military bifurcated into two opposing camps, who leads and supports the two factions, and what if anything can be...

This week on the podcast we focus on France and the domestic and foreign policy travails of the fifth republic and its president, Emmanuel Macron. At home, President Macron faces a wave of popular discontent, amid his plans to raise France’s pension age. We discuss how Macron’s decision to bypass the French parliament has impacted his ability to govern, as well as look at his wider standing within...

This week on the podcast we look at the latest developments relating to Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO. This week the Hungarian parliament finally ratified Finland’s membership to the alliance, two weeks after President Erdogan in Turkey gave his seal of approval following a meeting with the Finnish president. Sweden however remains trapped in limbo, with both Turkey and Hungary delaying S...

The flow of migrants, from East and West Africa to Libya is on a scale much smaller than before, but is increasingly linked to violence along the conflict supply chain of human smuggling and trafficking. While the conditions for migrants in Libya is better documented, migration flows also play a key role in transit hubs like Agadez, Niger. In this episode of Africa Aware, Peter Tinti outlines the...

The war in northern Ethiopia since November 2020 and subsequent conquest of disputed farmlands in Al-Fashaga by the Sudanese army on the Ethiopia-Sudan border, has brought into focus the importance of agricultural commodities such as sesame as a potential driver of land contestation and conflict.  In this episode of Africa Aware, Ahmed Soliman and Abel Abate Demissie discuss the interrelation...

This week on the podcast we mark twenty years since the start of the invasion of Iraq led by the US. Launched amid fears that Saddam Hussein was acquiring weapons of mass destruction, the war changed the Middle East and inflicted huge damage on Iraq and many civilian casualties, with effects that persist today. We discuss the invasion with those who were in power here in London when the decision w...

This week on the podcast we discuss AUKUS and the UK’s Integrated Review Refresh. The UK and Australia will soon be building nuclear submarines together, but is the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific sustainable? Likewise two years on from the last IR, has the UK finally clarified its foreign policy priorities, on Russia, China and on defence? And importantly does it have the money to do any of it? Als...

Examining the reasons why an International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on Climate Change could accelerate effective climate action solutions. Vanuatu is building a coalition within the United Nations (UN) to request an Advisory Opinion on Climate Change from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An advisory opinion could help provide clarity on how existing international laws can b...

This week on the podcast we celebrate the women of Chatham House for International Women’s Day. Joining Bronwen Maddox in the studio are some of the many researchers who work at the institute, and they discuss their experiences working in global affairs and their advice for those wanting to work in public policy. We also discuss India this week. On Monday, Chatham House hosted Rahul Gandhi, a lead...

This week on the show we look at the outcome of Nigeria’s historic presidential election. On the 24 February, millions of Nigerians went to the polls in an election widely seen as crucial for the direction of the country, with the winner, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declared the president elect. We look at the state of Nigeria’s democracy and ask what lies ahead? We’ll also be looking at events closer to h...

African countries face collective climate and job creation-related challenges. Yet policymaking often remains regionally siloed according to differing political, energy sector and ecological realities. This podcast reflects on the key policy messages from the Africa Programme’s series on Towards just transition: Connecting green financing and sustainable job creation in Africa.  This output i...

This week on the podcast we look at Russia’s war on Ukraine. Friday February 24th marks exactly one year to the day when Vladimir Putin launched his all-out assault on Ukraine. A decision that unleashed the largest war seen in Europe since 1945, and with-it hundreds of thousands of casualties on all sides. Twelve months on we discuss the impact of the invasion, for Ukraine and its people but also...

Listen to the second episode of #NigeriaDecides, a special mini-series focused on upcoming elections in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Electoral Act, enacted in February 2022, has contributed to improved hope around the election process: reflected in the addition of 12.29 million new voters in Nigeria’s voter registration exercise – 9.51 million of which were then validated, bringing the total number of regis...

Listen to the first episode of #NigeriaDecides, a special mini-series focused on upcoming elections in Nigeria. Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, having suffered from two recessions in the past six years, unprecedented levels of physical and food insecurity, persistent fuel scarcity and high levels of crude oil theft. Civic fatigue also remains a critical challenge. We are joined on the episo...

This week on the show we look at the aftermath of the tragic earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 and discuss the far-reaching consequences on the region’s fragile geopolitics. With thousands dead and international aid flooding in, what hopes are there for the many thousands of victims caught between groups and governments at war with each other for over a decade? We also discuss...

In December 2021, governments agreed on a new Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse the alarming rate of biodiversity loss we are currently witnessing. But will the new framework make a difference? To find out, Antony speaks to Professor Andrew Gonzalez of McGill University.

This week on the show, we look at Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union. This week saw President Biden address an unruly joint session of Congress, during which he discussed, Americas place in the world, China, Ukraine, and the state of the US economy. As we enter the start of a new presidential cycle and the mid-point of Biden’s presidency, we look at how Biden is doing and what are challenges lyin...

This week on the show, we look at the crisis in Myanmar. February 1st marks the two-year anniversary of the coup d'état by the armed forces, the Tatmadaw, who in February 2021 overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the country has descended into a brutal and complex civil war. Our panel look at the state of the country and its people two years on. Can Myan...

This week on the show, we look at the deployment of western main battle tanks to Ukraine, specifically the importance placed on the Leopard II and the contentious diplomacy seen this week to pressure Germany into allowing its export. What kind of capabilities will these new weapons give to Ukraine, amid fears of Russian offensive looming in the spring? We also discuss Germany and the intense press...

In the first episode of the season, Anna speaks to Laurence Tubiana about the outcomes of the 2022 UN climate conference in Egypt, COP27, and the issues that will shape the international climate agenda in 2023. Tubiana was a key architect of the Paris Agreement in her previous role as France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, and currently serves as CEO of the Europe...

This week on the show, we look at the role disinformation plays in the United States and Brazil. The storming in Brasilia of federal government institutions by supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro echoed strongly the events seen at the US Capitol Building on January 6th 2021. We discuss the impact on Brazil's democracy, the role played by social media platforms and how conspiracy theories...

In our first episode of 2023, we look at Africa and the complex role China plays on the continent. A recently published Chatham House report highlights twenty-two African countries suffering from debt distress, with Beijing a key creditor to many. This comes as China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang is touring several African this week and next, with visits to Ethiopia, Angola, Gabon, and the headq...

The last episode of Reflections at 100, marking the centenary of International Affairs, looks at women’s contributions to international thought, and how they have been erased from the discipline of International Relations. Isabel and Krisztina speak to Dr Katharina Rietzler about women’s contributions to the journal and international relations, especially in the UK. Then, Krisztina speaks to Profe...