Deep Dish on Global Affairs

The US has spent decades using economic sanctions and export controls to pressure its adversaries. Now China , I ran, and even the European Union are a dopting similar tactics. Georgetown University professor Abraham Newman joins Deep Dish host Leslie Vinjamuri to explain why countries are in an "arms race to collect the chokepoints" of the global economy, how America's economic weapons could back...

Could the war in Iran help Democrats take back Congress? The National Interest 's editor-at-large Steve Clemons predicts they'll do "very well despite themselves." He joins Deep Dish host Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss whether a Democratic victory could constrain President Trump, why it could lead to constitutional crises, and what the results could mean for America's role in the world.

Three years after the October 7 attacks, RAND's Shira Efron says Israel is "still in the trauma phase." With the country now heading into its first national election since the attacks, what could the outcome mean for Gaza and the West Bank? Efron explains what's at stake, why Israel is facing growing pressure at home and abroad, and whether a new government could put the country on a different pat...

As Brazil heads into an essentially tied presidential election, award-winning journalist Patrícia Campos Mello explains what's driving voters, how President Lula and Senator  Bolsonaro offer very different visions for the country's place in the world, and what the outcome could mean for its relationships with the United States and China. Plus, why even a Trump-aligned government may find it diffic...

As Trump and Xi meet in Washington, Apple in China author Patrick McGee explains why he's "a little more hopeful" about what could come out of the summit, where the United States and China could find common ground on AI , and what could still get in the way. Plus, how Apple's bet on China helped build the manufacturing powerhouse the US is now competing against.

What happens when countries can no longer take the old international order for granted? Ishaan Tharoor of the Council on Foreign Relations and The New Yorker joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss how US allies and middle powers are adapting, what Canada's changing relationship with the US could signal, and whether there's any going back to the way things were.

The US and China have plenty of reasons to avoid a war , but international relations historian Odd Arne Westad says the years before World War I show how quickly tensions between great powers can escalate. Westad joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what could trigger a wider conflict, why economic ties may not be enough to prevent it, and what today's leaders can learn from the mistakes of the past.

More than 300 million people need emergency humanitarian support as some of the world's biggest donors scale back their aid. Mercy Corps CEO Tjada McKenna joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss who steps in when governments pull back, whether new donors, private capital, or advancing technology can help fill the gap, and why ending conflicts may be just as important as funding the response. With the ol...

Nearly five years after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, former US Ambassador Ryan Crocker joins Leslie Vinjamuri to reflect on America's longest war and what its ending revealed about American power . Crocker argues that the withdrawal emboldened America's adversaries and sent a dangerous message about its willingness to stay the course. "We went into Afghanistan for the right reasons...

Five months after the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began , Council on Foreign Relations'  Edward Fishman joins Leslie Vinjamuri to explain how strategic "chokepoints" — from the Strait of Hormuz to the US dollar — have become powerful tools of geopolitical competition. They discuss what makes a true chokepoint, why tariffs  aren't  always effective, and  how the United Stat...

Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, takes office amid sluggish growth, political uncertainty, and intensifying global competition. Financial Times columnist and King's College Cambridge Provost Gillian Tett joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what's holding Britain back and what it will take to restore growth, compete in AI, attract global talent, strengthen ties with Europe, and navigate an...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity, military strategy, and the competition between the United States and China. Former Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what it will take for the US to lead in AI and why staying ahead means more than building the most advanced models.

As America marks its 250th anniversary,  The Economist 's John Prideaux retraces Alexis de Tocqueville's famous journey across the United States to see what has changed over the past two centuries.  Starting from the  East Coast then across and down the entire country , he joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what those conversations reveal about the state of American democracy today.

Turkey  is playing an increasingly  important role  inside NATO, but its relationships with Russia, Europe, and the United States are more complicated than ever. Brookings  Institution ' s  Aslı  Aydıntaşbaş  joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss President Trump's relationship with President Erdoğan,  Turkey's balancing act between Russia and the West, and what Ankara's growing influence means for NAT...

As the United States marks 250 years of independence, its allies are reassessing America's role in the world. Journalist and military historian Mark Urban joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss US foreign policy, NATO, Europe's security, growing competition with China, and what America's changing role could mean for the international order in the years ahead.

In this special   Deep Dish LIVE episode, Leslie Vinjamuri sits down with New York Times White House and National Security Correspondent ,  David Sanger, who recently spoke with President Trump about the Iran deal. Together, they unpack how the United States got to this moment with Iran, what the dea l does  a nd   doesn' t   accomplis h , and what to watch next for the Middle East, US foreign pol...

China's annual Summer Davos meeting comes at a complicated moment: consumer demand is weak, manufacturing is booming, and tensions with the United States and Europe are rising. Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief at The Economist, discusses how China sees the global economy, why businesses continue to engage with China, and what Beijing  ultimately wants .

Economic security has become a major focus ahead of next week's G7 summit in France. A rare call between G7 leaders and China,  convened  by President Macron, underscores just how central the issue  is .  G overnments are looking for ways to strengthen supply chains, secure access to critical minerals, and reduce economic risks. But at a time of growing geopolitical tensions, can they make meaning...

The world's  great  powers still dominate the headlines, but they may not be the only countries shaping what comes next  within the international order . Anne-Marie Slaughter joins Deep Dish to discuss the rise of middle powers, the future of global cooperation, and why she believes   a new order may already be taking shape.z

Can America's allies still count on the United States? As the Trump administration pulls troops from Europe and reshapes America's defense strategy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy explains  what's  changing and  what's  at stake. From China and Taiwan to NATO, AI warfare, and the  ongoing  Iran conflict,  she  breaks down how America's shifting priorities could resha...

President Trump brought some of America's biggest tech leaders — including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and  Nvidia CEO  Jensen Huang — to Beijing for a high-stakes summit with  Chinese leader  Xi Jinping. Council on Foreign  Relations'  Chris McGuire explains what the talks revealed about AI, export controls, and why the fight over advanced AI chips is becoming one of the most important national security...

As Trump and Xi meet for a high-stakes summit  amid rising tensions over trade, technology, and Taiwan , the US-China relationship is entering another uncertain phase. Stanford  University's  Oriana Skylar Mastro explains what China  ultimately wants , why Beijing may  view  the United States as  increasingly  distracted, and  what the summit could mean for the future balance of power.

The Quad was meant to anchor stability in the Indo-Pacific—a way for the United States, India, Japan, and Australia to stay aligned in a rapidly changing region. But shifting US priorities  under the second Trump  administratio n  ar e putting it to the test. Derek Grossman of the Center for a New American Security explains how countries across Asia are adapting, what it means for the Quad, and wh...

There seems to be  no shortage  of global challenges, from aging populations to political gridlocks to immigration. But solutions are  emerging  in unexpected places. John Kampfner, author of  Braver New World , shares what he discovered traveling to 10 countries ,  including Japan, Estonia, and India ,  in search of ideas that are  actually working .  A self-described former "professional pessimi...

The war with Iran  isn't  just a Middle East story anymore.    As  a ttacks on  s hip s   in the Strait of Hormuz   disrup t   global energy  market s ,   t he   economic impacts are being felt by  Europe, the United States, and especially the Indo-Pacific.    Does the ongoing conflict provide a strategic opening for China ?  And h ow is  India navigating  this  new era of   complicate d  alliance...