One Decision

French President Emanuelle Macron is in a pretty tough spot. Recent legislative elections seriously undermined his standing at a dangerous point, as he starts his second term in office. In a country where strikes and protests are common, the next one might have far reaching political consequences. Meanwhile, Europe finds itself grappling with a war on its eastern border and an increasingly aggress...

The United States' longest foreign war came to an end as the last American troops departed Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base on August 15, 2021. On the same day, Taliban forces breached the walls of Kabul, taking full control of the country as President Ashraf Ghani fled. One Decision sits down with the former Vice President of the National Assembly, Fawzia Koofi, and former U.S. Marine and investor i...

Bill Browder was the largest foreign investor in Russia until 2005, when he was denied entry to the country for exposing corruption in Russian state-owned companies. Browder's colleague Sergei Magnitsky uncovered a massive tax scam totalling hundreds of billions of dollars, and the officials he accused of stealing the funds threw him into jail, where he was beaten, tortured, and then died in custo...

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taiwan has leaders worldwide concerned that it will provoke China and lead to a potential military conflict with the United States. One Decision's Julia Macfarlane and former Head of British Intelligence Sir Richard Dearlove sit down to analyze the motives and possible dangers of the visit. Sir Richard reveals why he thinks the trip is more than just...

Amid a wave of European support for Ukraine, Hungary has emerged an outlier; refusing to send weapons to Kyiv or cut off Russian oil supply. Newly re-elected Prime Minister Viktor Orban has openly spoken of his admiration for Russia’s President Putin, and described himself as the leader of “an illiberal democracy.” So does that leave Budapest more closely aligned with Brussels or Moscow? Guest co-...

NATO's former Director General of Military Staff, General Hans-Werner Wiermann sits down on this bonus episode for a look back on the tumultuous times he and the Alliance have endured over the last several years. From the American withdrawal from Afghanistan to China's increasingly aggressive posture, the General shares some of the lessons he learned and the threats the West will likely face over...

While foreign correspondent Laura Haim is on assignment in Paris reporting on the effects of the war in Europe, she's also been following the story of a small coastal village in the South of France that's drawn Russians for years - and not just wealthy Russians, but some of the world's most notorious Russian oligarchs. However, with the war in Ukraine, the town is in a state of flux. With sanction...

US President Joe Biden promised to make a “pariah” out of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is widely held responsible overseas for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the brutal war in Yemen, a rise in mass executions and other human rights abuses in the Kingdom. But at a time when inflation is soaring, global oil prices are surging and China is courting the Gulf - c...

This month, China has been marking the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, from British rule back to China. For many Hong Kongers, this was not a day of celebration - including for Samuel Chu, a Hong-Kong born American activist, founder and President of the non-profit group Campaign for Hong Kong. His father, a retired pastor, was one of the leading figures behind the Occupy Central mov...

Ten years ago, Charlene Chu, dubbed the 'rockstar of Chinese debt analysis' sent shockwaves across the world by sounding a warning over China's escalating debt problem and the risk it presented to the global financial system. Today, two years after the outbreak of the covid pandemic, in the midst of a war in Europe, and a worldwide supply-chain and energy crisis, President Xi is grappling with his...

Better late than never? As Nato members scramble to organize support and aid for Ukraine, Nato command has pledged to beef up the Eastern Flank - the Alliance's frontier against Russia. With the potential addition of Sweden and Finland - which may yet be stymied by Turkey - Nato's border with Russia looks set to double. For the countries on the edge, of what's known as the 'Eastern Flank', Nato ne...

Latvia, along with its fellow Baltic nations Estonia and Lithuania, has long raised the alarm on Russia’s expansionism. This week in Madrid, NATO heard its call. One Decision gets an exclusive interview with the President of Latvia Egils Levits, who tells us that Russia tends to respond to weakness - not strength.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia Macfarlane is in Madrid for the historic NATO summit as it’s considered to be the most important gathering of the alliance in a generation. One Decision secured exclusive interviews with world leaders, foreign ministers, ambassadors to discuss NATO’s new strategic concept, the reclassification of Russia as the greatest threat to the Euro-Atlantic area, and also the need for member...

Vladimir Putin's efforts to prevent NATO’s expansion suffered a dramatic setback this week as Finland and Sweden were formally invited to join the seventy-three-year-old alliance. Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, joins host Julia MacFarlane on this special edition of One Decision recorded at this week's historic NATO Summit to discuss why the Nordic country decided to abandon...

At the start of what’s being billed as the most important Nato gathering in a generation, One Decision hosts a panel with former Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Director of Chatham House Robin Niblett, and The Times Defense Editor Larisa Brown.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode before the NATO Summit Julia Macfarlane & Sir Richard Dearlove consider Bob Gates’s opinion that America is the biggest national security threat to itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Defense Secretary and Director of the CIA, Dr. Robert Gates, sits down exclusively with One Decision and shares his prediction on how Beijing is likely to apply the lessons Russia learned in Ukraine. Gates began his years as an expert on the Soviet Union, and led the Agency after the fall of the USSR. With host Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of MI6 and host Julia Macfarlane, Gates weigh...

India is finding itself pulled in different directions - by Russia, one of its major trading partners. By the west, working to isolate Russia. All while navigating a tricky relationship with China, which has competing interests in the region.  Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, discusses India’s options with One Decision's Julia Macfarlane who later gets the unfiltered anal...

The blockading of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa is having disastrous consequences, not just on Ukraine. Millions of people around the world live in countries that are overwhelmingly reliant on Ukrainian exports. The country, known as the breadbasket of Europe, ships cereals, grain and fertilizer around the world - as does Russia. The disruption of these goods flowing out of the region is impac...

Ukraine's under an unprecedented assault, on the ground, but also online. We spoke to the man in charge of protecting Ukraine's digital infrastructure, Victor Zhora, about how the country continues to fight Russian troops on the battlefield, and Russian hackers in cyberspace. Guest host Helena Humphrey speaks with Sir Richard Dearlove, who himself revealed on One Decision that he has been the subj...

Admiral James Stavridis faced formidable threats from Russia while commanding NATO's forces in Europe. The former Supreme Allied Commander shares his insight into the critical decision facing the alliance's leaders as they prepare to meet in Madrid. He looks at how Putin is likely to respond to their latest moves and co-host Sir Richard Dearlove, who led the British intelligence service MI6 makes...

Sanctions have made it increasingly hard for Western firms to do business in Putin's Russia. But the Kremlin has warned companies from so-called “unfriendly states” may see their assets expropriated and nationalized, if they chose to cease operations. McDonalds, Shell, Mercedes, Koch Industries are among those grappling with their Russian operations. The former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove wei...

CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward speaks to One Decision after getting back from deployment in Ukraine, witnessing first hand how civilians have taken up arms and risen to the threat of Russian invasion with remarkable unity and grit. Putin's invasion so far is not going to plan - so where does she think he will be headed next? With analysis from co-host Sir Richard Dearlove Lear...

The UK and US governments have declassified unprecedented intelligence on Moscow’s bloody campaign in Ukraine. Lifting the veil on Putin’s strategy and how it is playing out is having an impact on events on the ground - and has taken the Kremlin by surprise. Two perspectives from two veterans of Western intelligence. John Sipher served three decades in the CIA’s Clandestine Service, and during his...

Lithuanian MP Matas Maldeikis speaks to One Decision about how the small Baltic country has triggered fury in Beijing with the decision to open a de facto embassy to Taiwan. Plus he gives us the view from Vilnius as the war next door between Ukraine and Russia rages on.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices