Foreign Policy Live

Negotiators failed to reach a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war that would have paused hostilities before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. How does the rest of the Middle East view this breakdown in negotiations? For the United States in particular, how will this shape its standing in the region, and what does it mean for the conflict moving forward? Mina Al-Oraibi, the editor in chief of the Na...

President Biden’s tenure has been marked by numerous foreign-policy flash points: the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, and the conflict in the Middle East. Public perception of how he has handled these challenges could have a direct effect on his chances for reelection—a factor he tried to influence in his annual State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7. Journalist Susa...

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ annual survey of American voters shows that for the first time in nearly 50 years, a majority of Republicans prefer an isolationist approach to foreign policy. Before the Trump presidency, the Republican Party was more likely to support an active U.S. presence in the world. Former U.S. ambassador to NATO and the CEO of the Chicago Council Ivo Daalder joins Ra...

Feb. 24 marks two years since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine. The conflict has changed the face of Europe and set off a protracted war that has had ramifications reaching far beyond its borders.  Could Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy of waiting out the West prove successful, or can Western leaders rally to continue supporting a drawn-out war? What would a future peace deal look lik...

Economics is sometimes called the “dismal science.” But the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a surprisingly positive outlook for the U.S. economy—even if public sentiment hasn’t yet caught up. Host Ravi Agrawal discusses the state of the global economy with Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s first deputy managing director. The two begin with Gopinath’s latest essay in Foreign Policy about trade fragmen...

James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme allied commander and retired four-star admiral, sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his insight on how Washington is navigating conflicts across two continents. Suggested reading: Thomas L. Friedman: A Biden Doctrine for the Middle East Is Forming. And It’s Big. Keith Johnson: The Houthis’ Next Target May Be Underwater Stephen J. Hadley and Richard Fontaine:...

A drone strike by an Iran-backed militant group, which resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members, threatens to push the Middle East into a wider regional conflict. Iran has distanced itself from the attack, while President Biden has said that the U.S. will respond. Middle East experts Vali Nasr and Sanam Vakil join Ravi Agrawal to discuss what Tehran might be thinking at this moment. Na...

Geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer joins Ravi Agrawal to forecast the world ahead in 2024. From expanding conflict in the Middle East and a potentially partitioned Ukraine to a more optimistic take on the rise of artificial intelligence, listen in to hear his predictions. Suggested reading: Jack Detsch: 3 Options for How Biden Could Respond to Iran Jared Cohen and Ian Bremmer: The Global Credibility...

Taiwan’s recent election resulted in the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party retaining power, prompting China-watchers to wonder how Beijing might respond. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, shares his insights with host Ravi Agrawal. Suggested reading: Hal Brands and Michael Beckley: China Is a Declining Power–and...

Host Ravi Agrawal sits down with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a special one-on-one conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  Suggested reading: The Economist’s Country of the Year for 2023 Elisabeth Braw: In the Red Sea, the Royal Navy Is Back Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rise of artificial intelligence, and its potential risk to the democratic process, is top of mind in a year of record elections. From mis- and disinformation to deepfake videos, this emerging technology could dramatically shape election outcomes. How should policymakers and tech companies work together to combat this threat? Host Ravi Agrawal moderated a panel discussion titled “Protecting Dem...

Jan. 15 marks 100 days since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people. Israel then retaliated by launching a ground invasion of Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, and numerous others face a dire humanitarian crisis.  After months of conflict and mounting international pressure, Israel announced on Jan. 1 that it would begin to pull some tro...

With wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the world begins the new year on high alert. Comfort Ero, the president of the International Crisis Group, joins Ravi Agrawal to share her analysis of the state of the world, building on her annual essay in Foreign Policy.  Suggested reading: Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2024 FP Contributors: 8 Simmering Threats You Shou...

We already know that 2024 will be the year that more people vote than in any other time in history. That’s an easy prediction to make. But what other global trends will impact the world this year? FP columnist and Harvard University professor Stephen M. Walt sits down with Ravi Agrawal to look ahead at the next 12 months. Suggested reading: Allison Meakem: Elections to Watch in 2024 Comfort Ero an...

From wars on two continents to U.S. competition with China and the rise of artificial intelligence, 2023 has been yet another impactful year. FP Live looks back on the year with columnist and political scientist Stephen M. Walt.  Suggested reading: Stephen M. Walt: 5 Things in the World to Be Thankful for in 2023 Stephen M. Walt: Universities Shouldn’t Ever Take Sides in a War Stephen M. Walt: The...

FP Live host Ravi Agrawal is joined by Foreign Policy’s executive editor, Amelia Lestor, for another ask-me-anything episode. The two discuss the Biden administration’s foreign policy strategy, the wars in Europe and the Middle East, how FP covers these conflicts, and much more. Suggested reading: FP Contributors: How Will This War End? How Can the Next One Be Prevented? Jared Cohen and Ian Bremme...

Leaders from nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels at this year’s annual U.N. climate summit, known as COP28. But the agreement is nonbinding, and questions on how to finance such a transition remain unanswered. This week’s guest, however, might have those answers—and it all comes down to public-private partnerships, the reform of multilateral lenders, and better politic...

More than 16,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. As Israel resumes ground operations in Gaza, is there an end in sight? Rashid Khalidi is the author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance and a professor at Columbia University. He describes why he thinks decades of failures of dip...

The 28th edition of the international climate summit known as the Conference of the Parties—or COP—convened in Dubai this week, just as scientists announced that 2023 was likely to be the hottest year in human history. Host Ravi Agrawal spoke to Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the Global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist, about what to expect. Suggested reading: Rajiv J. Shah: At COP28, t...

What’s the most effective way to give to people in dire need? Rory Stewart, a former U.K. cabinet official and the head of the charity GiveDirectly, discusses the power of unconditional cash transfers and how that could revolutionize attempts to combat poverty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United States for the first time in six years this week, announcing with U.S. President Joe Biden a range of new collaborations between the world’s two biggest economies. Host Ravi Agrawal convenes a panel to analyze takeaways from this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco and is joined by FP’s James Palmer, the Spectator’s Cindy...

The State Department has a new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, and it’s run by Nathaniel Fick, a former cybersecurity executive and marine. Ambassador Fick joined the Biden administration to make sure that every department’s digital policy is connected up together. And his job is to make sure the White House can combat threats emerging from cyberspace and AI in the best possible way. Fick...

What does the Israel-Hamas war mean for the region and the world? That’s what’s on the minds of policymakers as the conflict enters a new phase with the start of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. Experts Kim Ghattas and Steven A. Cook share their analysis with host Ravi Agrawal. Ghattas is a journalist based in Beirut and the author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry Tha...

Over the weekend, Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza, compounding the humanitarian crisis there and causing record civilian losses. This comes amid growing concerns from experts of a larger regional conflict. How should the United States and the global community respond to prevent further escalation in the region and minimize harm to the Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians? Former Isr...

How is Russian President Vladimir Putin assessing the unfolding conflict in the Middle East? And how will that impact Western support for Ukraine?  Fiona Hill is just the person to ask. She’s advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Russia policy and is currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Suggested reading: Fiona Hill: There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opp...