Foreign Affairs invites you to join its editor, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, as he talks to influential thinkers and policymakers about the forces shaping the world. Whether the topic is the war in Ukraine, the United States’ competition with China, or the future of globalization, Foreign Affairs’ weekly podcast offers the kind of authoritative commentary and analysis that you can find in the magazine and on the website.
The United Nations faces a crisis of relevance as global conflict surges, yet the institution’s decline stems less from its structure than from a loss of the foundational commitment to preventing total war. Historically, the UN served as a vital mediator, exemplified by U Thant’s role during the Cuban Missile Crisis, w...
American foreign policy requires a "Grand Strategy of Consolidation" to address structural overstretch and restore national strength amidst intensifying great power competition. Rather than pursuing maximalist objectives like regime change, the United States must prioritize internal reindustrialization, fiscal discipli...
The recent summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping represents a transactional attempt to stabilize U.S.-China relations, though it fails to address the underlying structural conflicts defining the current era. Orville Schell, a veteran observer of U.S.-China relations, notes that both leaders share a desire for mutu...
The upcoming U.S.-China summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping signals a shift toward an economically focused, competitive relationship. Former U.S. Ambassador to China Nick Burns notes that while Beijing seeks stability and a commercial truce regarding tariffs and supply chains, Taiwan remains a non-negotiable "re...
Donald Trump’s second term marks a departure from traditional foreign policy, defined by an unconstrained, imperial mindset that views American power as an extension of his own persona. This shift has triggered global instability, most notably through the ongoing war in Ukraine and a high-stakes standoff with Iran that...
Technological supremacy serves as the vital input for modern geopolitical power, forcing the United States to move beyond laissez-faire economic policies toward a targeted industrial strategy. By prioritizing production capacity and critical inputs, the U.S. can maintain its competitive edge against China, which increa...
The receding influence of American power and the emergence of a multipolar international order define the current geopolitical landscape. The war in Iran serves as a focal point for this shift, revealing the limitations of U.S. interventionism and the growing strategic autonomy of Global South nations. Rather than alig...
The Foreign Affairs Interview features Suzanne Maloney, vice president of the Brookings Institution, discussing the recent cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran. Maloney analyzes the miscalculations of the Trump administration regarding Iran's resilience, highlighting Iran's strategic advantage in controlling the Strait...
The global geopolitical landscape has shifted from the post-Cold War era of uncontested American primacy to a period defined by intense major power competition with China and Russia, coupled with a transformative technological revolution. Bill Burns, former CIA Director and veteran diplomat, characterizes the current i...
The conversation explores authoritarian regimes, dissecting their strengths, vulnerabilities, and how the international system can influence them. It identifies five dimensions of authoritarianism: repressive apparatus, cash flow, control over life chances, narratives, and the international order. The discussion moves ...
The Foreign Affairs Interview explores the implications of the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the potential paths forward. Nate Swanson, former Iran policy advisor, suggests Khamenei was prepared to be a martyr and Iran has escalated by targetin...
The conversation centers on Stephen Walt's concept of "predatory hegemony" as a critique of Trump's foreign policy, contrasting it with traditional realism and the liberal international order. Walt argues that Trump's approach, characterized by extracting concessions from allies and adversaries alike, ultimately weaken...
The conversation centers on the Russia-Ukraine war as it enters its fifth year, assessing the battlefield dynamics, diplomatic efforts, and future prospects for both sides. Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that Russia's battlefield advantages have not been decisi...
The podcast explores the shifting dynamics of the international world order, particularly the transatlantic relationship, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Stubb addresses the American perspective on the current global order, marked by a sense of exploitation, and contrasts it with the benefits the U.S. has deriv...
The podcast explores the complexities of U.S.-China relations under Trump's second term, focusing on China's strategic responses and long-term goals. It examines how China perceives a shift in U.S. policy, viewing it as potentially ephemeral and an opportunity to strengthen its position. Jon Czin, a China analyst, sugg...
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