World Review with Ivo Daalder

The center barely held in Germany, as Germany moved sharply to the extremes, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubling its support in just four years. Can Germany retake the lead in Europe, which is now more urgent than ever? Meanwhile, President Trump continued to walk away from Ukraine, siding with Russia at the UN and forcing Kyiv into signing a mineral agreement for little in r...

US and Russian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia this week and, in a stunning reset, agreed to re-establish normal relations and work together to end the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, from Mar-a-Lago President Trump blamed Ukraine for the war and called President Volodymyr Zelensky “a dictator.” What does this shift mean for Ukraine, NATO, and US security commitments? Then, we examine Arab states’ alterna...

As world leaders gather in Munich this week for their annual security conference, Ukraine will once again take center stage – though mainly because of the two people who won’t be there. Presidents Trump and Putin discussed the war and committed to work towards peace in a phone call, but didn’t commit to involving Ukraine in the talks. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told his counterparts...

President Trump’s proposal for US control of Gaza and relocating its population sparked global backlash this week and was deemed unrealistic and illegal. Top administration officials are now walking back elements of the proposal, insisting US troops won’t be used to clear the territory and relocation would be temporary. Is this just another Trump negotiation tactic as some have suggested? Meanwhil...

Donald Trump’s first week in office has ushered in a new era in America’s relationship with the world. Pax Americana out; Great Power Competition is in. Whether it is buying Greenland, controlling Panama, threatening tariffs on Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and China, Trump wields American power to get what he wants. That creates both new opportunities. And new dangers. James Lindsay of the Council on...

On Monday, European leaders watched the inauguration of President Trump from Davos and fretted about his threats to impose sweeping tariffs, his demands for significant increases in European defense spending, and the possibility he may shift America’s stance toward Ukraine. He already has followed through on withdrawing from the Paris climate agreements and the World Health Organization. Soon afte...

President Biden entered office with ambitious foreign policy goals and is leaving a complicated legacy. Though he navigated the global COVID-19 pandemic, rallied allies to support Ukraine, and implemented policies to address climate change, challenges such as the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, record illegal border crossings, the war in Gaza, and high inflation marred his term. The Gaza cease-fir...

In this episode, we unpack the first major global stories of 2025. Donald Trump’s expansionist rhetoric this week toward Greenland and Panama reflects his “America First” doctrine and risks violating international law, alienating allies, and deepening global tensions. How serious is he? Meanwhile, tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg stir misinformation controversies. What does Musk hope to g...

In our final episode of 2024, we’ll dig into the stories that are not only dominating the headlines this week but also will command attention well into 2025. First, how is the Syrian revolution already reshaping the Middle East and how will it affect the balance of power in the region? Then, European leaders, including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte, gathered in...

This week we saw the end of one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships with the swift and unexpected fall of the Assad Regime in Syria. The Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former Al Qaeda affiliate that broke with the group years ago, has formed a transitional government that is pledging inclusivity while emphasizing accountability for former regime abuses. Meanwhile, Israel launched...

Political chaos reigned this week as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared and then lifted martial law within hours amid public outrage, parliamentary backlash, and mounting calls for his impeachment. Meanwhile, France’s political upheaval came with the passing of a no-confidence measure against Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his cabinet on Wednesday, leaving the government in caretaker...

This week marked the 1,000 day of the Ukraine War. We'll unpack recent developments, including Ukraine's use of US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time, intensified Russian attacks near Kurakhove, the pause in operations at the US embassy in Kyiv, and Russia's updated nuclear deterrence doctrine. Then world leaders met this week in Azerbaijan for the UN Climate S...

This week, we’ll analyze what Donald Trump’s early picks for key positions reveal about his approaches to foreign policy, national security, and international economic policy. We’ll explore who may benefit from his return to office—including potential gains for Russia, Israel, Gulf states, and the Global South—as well as those who may face setbacks, such as Ukraine and US allies in Europe and Asia...

This week, Americans overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump to become the 47th president of the United States. While the polls predicted a tight race, they underestimated Trump's support, and he soared back to the White House along with large Republican gains in the House and Senate. Susan Glasser, James Harding, and Peter Speigel join World Review with Ivo Daalder to discuss the implications of Tr...

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party faced a major setback in Sunday's snap elections after failing to obtain a majority of seats in the Lower House for the first time in 15 years. How will this shocking parliamentary loss affect the long-standing party, and what will it mean for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s future? Then, aid entering Gaza is at its lowest since the start of the war, exacerbating t...

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7 attack, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza earlier this week. How will Hamas respond, and how will this affect the war and its eventual end? Then, President Joe Biden is expected to visit Germany this week and Angola later this year (his first visit to Africa as president). In what are seen as farewell trips, President Biden will discus...

In the year since October 7, the war that began with Hamas attacking Israel has spread from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon. Now at the center of global attention, the Middle East faces its biggest crisis yet with no end in sight. Matt Kaminski, David Luhnow, and Catherine Philp join World Review with Ivo Daalder to look back at lessons learned and not learned from the Israel-Hamas war. Plus, th...

In the year since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the conflict between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah has gradually escalated, leading the region to the brink of war. Israel ramped up its attacks across the Middle East in recent weeks, bombing Yemen and Lebanon and killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In retaliation, Iran launched 200 missiles towards Israel this week. Fears of a wider war...

Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange attacks as their conflict escalates, killing hundreds and causing thousands to flee southern Lebanon. As world leaders attempt to halt the escalation, Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion in Lebanon. Then, Ukraine’s President Zelensky is preparing to present a “victory plan” to President Biden to defeat Russia. Plus, who will win the race to be J...

A second wave explosion went off in Lebanon on Wednesday, just one day after Hezbollah pagers exploded across the country and injured thousands. Though Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, the Israeli defense minister said a ‘new phase’ of war has begun as Israeli troops move to the north. Then, with far-right parties in control of seven different European governments, can the Eur...

Following the killing of 6 hostages held by Hamas, protests pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu to bring the hostages' home continued this week in Israel. As the Israel-Hamas conflict approaches the one-year mark, talks to return the hostages have stalled, as has progress on a cease-fire deal. Then, Russian forces began a counter-offensive against Ukraine in the southern region of Kursk, while Ukr...

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Beijing this week for high-level talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, laying the groundwork for another Xi-Biden summit. Meanwhile, clashes between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea have sparked fears of a wider conflict. Then, the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France has ignited controversy over free speech, encrypt...

Matt Kaminski, Ken Moriyasu, and Macarena Vidal join the Council’s Ivo Daalder to look at the key takeaways from the Democratic National Convention and views from abroad on the euphoria overwhelming Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Then, what would foreign policy look like in a Harris administration? Plus, Blinken leaves the Middle East with a ceasefire deal still unresolved, leaving the par...

Two weeks into their most significant incursion since the war began, Ukrainian forces continue to advance further into Russia’s Kursk region. What does this offensive mean for Putin’s image, and how far will it go? Then, a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks resumes this week without participation from Hamas, raising fears for an Iranian attack on Israel. Will this last-ditch effort end the war? Plu...

Following misinformation about a deadly knife attack on a children's dance class, anti-immigrant riots fueled by far-right groups continue in Britain. Then, a mass uprising forced Bangladesh's’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country. Plus, tension and fears of a wider regional war have increased following Israel’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehra...