Independent Thinking

President Trump and President Putin's back-door deal to release hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Russian diesel into international markets has revitalized the Kremlin's war effort and left President Zelenskyy incandescent. Is the US president sacrificing Ukraine in the hope that it will help him in the midterms? Can Europe bridge the gap in support? And can Ukraine survive another winter under Russian attack?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House; General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander of the Joint Forces Command in the UK Armed Forces and a senior consulting fellow with our International Security Programme; and Sharon Hudson-Dean, associate fellow with Chatham House's US and North America Programme.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Comment | After Trump's Russian diesel deal, will Europe give Ukraine the support it needs?

Comment | Why the US midterms are a rare foreign policy election

Research paper | Why a 'whole-of-society' model is essential for Ukraine's recovery

Magazine issue | The World Today autumn issue

Academic Journal | International Affairs

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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The rightward movement in democracies in Europe and beyond shows little sign of slowing. Germany has elected its first far-right regional government in Saxony-Anhalt. In France, voter anger with Emmanuel Macron puts the Rassemblement National's Marine Le Pen in pole position for the presidency. In Spain, Pedro Sánchez called a snap election in an attempt to mobilise the beleaguered left around Spain's housing crisis. And Flávio Bolsonaro's success in the first round of Brazil's presidential elections suggests a second round of anti-woke, pro-Trump bolsonarismo is on the cards. What is driving politics to the populist right? And what does it mean for global security, stability and efforts to preserve what's left of the rules-based order?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Grégoire Roos, director of our Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes; Nic Lawley, special adviser to the director of Chatham House; and Dr Christopher Sabatini, director of our Latin America Programme.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Comment | Sánchez's gamble: This 'all-in' election will have international impact

Comment | Brazil's presidential election is more than just another polarized contest

Comment | Brazil's Amazon rainforest is at risk if Bolsonaro wins – but its low-carbon economy is here to stay

Magazine issue | The World Today autumn issue

Academic Journal | International Affairs

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels' capture of Yemen's port city of Mocha means that Iran now effectively controls two crucial waterways in the region – the Bab al-Mandab Strait to the Red Sea and thus the Suez Canal, as well as the Hormuz Strait. Why has this simmering conflict exploded again? What do Iran and the Houthis want? How serious is this potential blockade for world trade and energy supply? And could the Houthis become a regional power, in economic terms even more powerful than Iran?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by director of Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme, Dr Sanam Vakil; Horn of Africa specialist Ahmed Soliman; and Yemen and Gulf specialist, Farea Al-Muslimi, who joins us from Jordan.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Comment | New energy and trade routes could bypass Hormuz and change the Middle East. But major challenges remain

Magazine article | Farea al-Muslimi: 'I wrote my own death statement 5 times'

Comment | Escaping the Hormuz trap: What should an agreement to reopen the Strait look like?

Magazine issue | The World Today autumn issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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President Donald Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to Washington with the US-China dynamic in a moment of historic flux. China is rising economically and militarily, while the US is mired in the Iran war, alienating allies and pursuing Trump's unpredictable trade and tariff disputes.

What do the two leaders want from this meeting, and will they get it? Can they reconcile their differing economic powers, the competition for critical minerals, and their radically contrasting visions for artificial intelligence.

And in the longer term: who will dominate the 21st century? Does Xi really want to retake Taiwan for China before his time in power ends? Or is the US-Chinese dynamic more complex and perhaps less alarming?

To unpick these threads Bronwen Maddox is joined by three experts from Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme: programme director Ben Bland, senior research fellow Dr Yu Jie and associate fellow Dr Bill Hayton.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Magazine article | What the West fails to grasp about China's strategy to lead the world

Comment | Trump–Xi summit: Why the US and China should not underestimate each other

Comment | China is weathering the Hormuz energy crisis. But copying its model comes with risks

Magazine issue | The World Today autumn issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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A call by leaders of the tech giants on the frontier of Artificial Intelligence to 'slow the pace' of its development has sparked debate over the risks associated with AI.

Does AI represent an existential threat, and if so, how urgent are the warnings? Or can humanity harness this powerful technology to our benefit?

Our experts discuss the implications for international security, from cyber to the increasing use of AI in today's conflict zones, and the dynamics of the race toward the cutting edge – not only among industry competitors, but also in the realm of geopolitics.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Dr Marion Messmer, director of our International Security Programme, and Alex Krasodomski, director of our Digital Society Programme.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Magazine article | UK's armed forces can keep control of their AI kill switch – here's how

Magazine article | 'We are at a moment of peril with AI ... The sooner [it is regulated], the better'

Policy paper | How AI could change the world

Magazine issue | The World Today autumn issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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Twenty five years ago the deadliest terrorist attacks in human history, on 11 September 2001, saw 2,977 people killed in New York, Washington, and aboard the planes hijacked by 19 members of Al-Qaeda.

An immediate response followed with the US-led 'war on terror', which saw Western forces occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, and two decades of military operations across the Middle East and beyond.

We look back over a quarter of a century to examine the longer-term consequences of 9/11.

We examine how US foreign policy and military power changed perceptions of America and its allies. We look at the consequences for a Middle East still riven by conflict. And we discuss how the focus on counterterrorism left the US positioned to deal with a new multipolar era in which it faces challenges from Russia and the rise of China.

This week's episode is hosted by Laurel Rapp, director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme, standing in for Bronwen Maddox.

She is joined by General Sir Richard Barrons, a senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme. Also by Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme. And by Jason Burke, International Security Correspondent of the Guardian.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.

About Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.

More ways to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Explore our other Chatham House podcasts.

The United Nations convenes for its 81st General Assembly next week amid turmoil around the world that it seeks to bring together. The conflicts in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza, and the US, China and Russia's undermining of the rules-based international order cast a shadow over UNGA. Can the organization renew itself for a dangerous multipolar world? Or is it doomed to the same fate as the League of Nations?

Bronwen Maddox discusses the UN's present and future with Heather Hurlburt, associate fellow with our US and North America Programme; Marc Weller, head of our Global Governance and Security Centre; and Zizette Darkazally, associate fellow with our Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Research paper| What Haitians want from the next phase of UN and international support

Comment | Can the UN close the global AI gap?

Policy paper | What the Burnham government should do in its foreign policy

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

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It's been a tumultuous year in the Middle East – and it's far from over. Six months after the US and Israel launched their offensive against Iran, the conflict continues to disrupt trade, energy and food security. President Trump struggles to escape a deadlock that threatens to seriously damage him in the American mid-term elections. Meanwhile, Gaza remains locked in a humanitarian crisis despite a ceasefire, while Israel faces growing political division ahead of an October election that will determine Benjamin Netanyahu's fate. As leaders wrestle with security, alliances and the fallout from multiple conflicts, we discuss the future of a troubled region.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by director of Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme, Dr Sanam Vakil; associate professor in politics and international relations at UCL, Dr Julie Norman; and Israeli politician and journalist, Ksenia Svetlova.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Policy paper| What the Burnham government should do in its foreign policy

Comment | Should Egypt join the Mecca Pact?

Comment | Nigeria will need more than a bigger army to tackle security challenges

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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The climate crisis has seldom been dramatized so vividly as in the summer of 2026. Apocalyptic fires, widespread droughts and drained rivers in Europe made clear a worsening situation that even the most fervent denier can't wave away. But is there the necessary time, commitment and technology to slow or reverse the climate spiral – even in the face of a US administration that is committed to fossil fuels? How do the two approaches of mitigation and adaptation translate into real life on the ground? And is there any good news amid the smoke and gloom?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by water and climate specialist Dr Beatrice Mosello and sustainability expert Dr Patrick Schröder from Chatham House, and special guest Oliver Morton, The Economist's planetary affairs correspondent.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Comment | Wildfires and extreme heat show climate change is now Europe's biggest security threat

Video | Burning questions facing Burnham

Comment | Melting ice and power shifts: Europe and Canada should seize their Arctic moment

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing

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Britain's new prime minister Andy Burnham is not known for his interest in foreign affairs, but foreign affairs are eternally and often unforgivingly interested in Britain.

What should Burnham and his new foreign secretary Ed Miliband prioritise on the global front? How can they balance the urgent demands of defence, climate action, resetting relations with the EU and Britain's place in the wider world? And who is going to pay for it all?

To discuss what should be on Burnham and Miliband's to-do lists, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Olivia O'Sullivan, director of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme, and Owen Jenkins, research director for Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Video | Burning questions facing Burnham

Comment | Why Carney's pipeline gamble is a bad bet for Canadian taxpayers

Comment | Zambia's election: President Hichilema must preserve his country's democratic reputation

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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The $2.6 trillion spent on artificial intelligence, data centres and advanced chipmaking dwarfs the cost of previous infrastructure megaprojects. Yet AI has become a money pit for tech giants like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta, and the tech is failing to hit its stratospheric targets.

Could an AI crash take overinvested economies down with it? In the longer term, whose approach will dominate? Will it be the US's private-led model with tech giants at the top? Or China's tactic of spreading low-cost AI throughout the Global South, with an eye on dominating the future?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Alex Krasodomski, director of Chatham House's Digital Society Programme; James Kynge, a senior research fellow for China and the World with the Asia-Pacific Programme; and Creon Butler, director of the Global Economy and Finance Programme.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | What the UK should learn from Kimi K3, WAICO and the Hugging Face incident

Comment | What the UK government should do on AI and tech policy

Research paper | Breaking the deadlock on AI governance

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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Ukraine's drone strikes deep into Russian territory coincided with one of Kyiv's biggest political and military convulsions of the war: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov only for his decision to spark protests across the country. Why did Zelenskyy do it? Has the power struggle damaged his authority? Is Ukraine really regaining the initiative in the war? And what will it take to force Russia to the negotiating table?

John Lough examines the potential turning point in the war with Vadym Prystaiko, former Ukrainian ambassador to the UK; Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at Kings College London; and Jaroslava Barbieri of Chatham House's Ukraine Forum.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Ukraine's allies should make an offer to Russians before September's 'elections'

Comment | Will Ukraine's Wildberries attacks force Putin to the negotiating table?

Comment | Ukraine needs help against Russian missiles now. What more can allies do?

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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Andy Burnham took over as UK prime minister with a vow to restore hope in British politics – and an early volley of voter-friendly policy promises. But are they quite as significant as billed?

How much room to manoeuvre does Burnham really have? Will new chancellor John Healey release enough funds to the Ministry of Defence, which he quit in frustration? Does Ed Miliband have what it takes to succeed as foreign secretary? And how will Britain's place in the world change?

Olivia O'Sullivan, director of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme, is joined by The Economist's political correspondent Hugo Gye and Chatham House associate fellow Jamie Gaskarth to discuss the first days of Burnham's premiership.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | How Burnham should engage with Africa

Comment | The wishful thinking behind the war with Iran

Comment | 'Structural divergence' in China's economy exposes a growing problem

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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The 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey may represent the pinnacle of soft power for the USA and a moment of global prestige for President Donald Trump.

But at home, concerns are growing over his ever-expanding vision of presidential power. Is America now living with an 'imperial presidency'? Has the Supreme Court given the president powers that future generations might find hard to take back? How might Trump's autocratic style affect the November midterm elections? And why does he like to associate himself so closely with sports?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Heather Hurlburt and Max Yoeli of Chatham House's US and North America Programme to discuss presidential overreach, football red cards and the unitary executive theory of power.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Trump's threats – and U-turn – on Hormuz fees further undermine US credibility in the Gulf

Comment | US refusal to renew USMCA trade deal brings uncertainty for Mexico. But the treaty is far from dead

Upcoming event | US at 250: Separation vs. concentration of power

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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This year's NATO summit brought together the leaders of all 32 member states in Ankara. President Donald Trump's return to the summit brought renewed controversy, with remarks on Greenland and Iran underscoring the geopolitical tensions that continue to test the unity and purpose of the transatlantic alliance. What happened in Ankara and what does it mean for NATO's future? If the Ukraine conflict winds down, will Russia pivot to test Article Five? And is Britain doing enough to prepare for a potential conflict? Bronwen Maddox looks at the summit and NATO's future with special guest General Sir Richard Barrons – former Commander of Joint Forces Command in the UK, now a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House – plus Dr Marion Messmer, director of our International Security Programme, and Galip Dalay who runs Chatham House's Turkey Initiative.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

News release | European NATO has four years to re-establish 'escalation dominance' over Russia, conference hears

Magazine article | Yvette Cooper on Britain's place in the new world order

Comment | Will NATO be convinced by the UK Defence Investment Plan?

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

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The United States marks its 250th birthday at a moment of intense division and international uncertainty. At home, President Donald Trump is aggressively remodelling America's governance around expanded White House power and burning through firewalls intended to prevent presidential overreach and self-enrichment. Internationally, his capricious mix of transactional diplomacy, coercive tariffs and naked hard power has left American allies shell-shocked – and opened the door for China to spread its influence.

Former US ambassador to Qatar Tim Davis joins host Bronwen Maddox and Laurel Rapp, director of our US and North America programme, to discuss the future of the United States in the world – and whether, for ordinary citizens, the American dream still exists.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | On its 250th birthday, the US is still defined by its fault lines

Comment | Europe watches the next American revolution take shape

Comment | The US government's latest U-turn on Anthropic's Mythos sends mixed signals on AI governance

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves No.10 a decade since the Brexit referendum that began the UK's cycle of chaos, and Andy Burnham seems set to take over unopposed. Our experts discuss what the new regime will mean for Britain's future and its role in the world.

Will attempts to bring the UK closer to Europe without actually rejoining the EU continue? Will Burnham want to increase Britain's defence budget, or will his priorities lie elsewhere? And why can't Britain hold on to its prime ministers?

Bronwen Maddox reflects on a historic week with Ben Judah, former adviser to David Lammy and visiting fellow at Chatham House, and Olivia O'Sullivan, director of our UK in the World Programme.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Britain's next prime minister faces deep foreign policy challenges – whether Burnham or another

Comment | Macron's Evian summit shows the limits Trump places on the G7

Research paper | Three foreign policy priorities for the next UK government

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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Can Labour's prized plans to decarbonize power generation by 2050 withstand growing demands for extra defence spending – an acrimonious argument that has already claimed two senior defence ministers? Or pressure to preserve and extend welfare benefits from the party's left and the unions, many of whom see net zero as a job killer? Plus: China's colossal subsidization of green technology has created a surplus of cheap equipment for clean power. Would Britain be wise to take advantage? Bronwen Maddox is joined by Pelin Zorlu and Chris Aylett of Chatham House's Climate and Energy team, plus special guest Archie Hall, acting economics editor of The Economist.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Even Hormuz reopening will not resolve Europe's key energy vulnerability

Comment | The next Strait of Hormuz crisis could be even worse

Research paper | Why renewables and electrification hold the keys to EU energy security

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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A tumultuous week for Britain's faltering rearmament plans sees Defence Secretary John Healey resign from Keir Starmer's cabinet, saying the prime minister and the Treasury lack the will to properly fund the defence of the nation.

Al Carns, the armed forces minister, also resigned saying the government's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was 'not built for the threat we face'.

The departures raise further questions over whether the DIP can address the costs and trade-offs involved in strengthening UK defence.

Meanwhile, European leaders struggle to coordinate their own rearmament amid concerns that America will withdraw from the defence of the continent.

Bronwen Maddox looks at the defence predicament in the UK and Europe, with UK in the World Programme director Olivia O'Sullivan, and International Security Programme director Marion Messmer.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House.

Read Chatham House's latest:

Comment | The FCAS fighter jet looks like it's dead. Could that be a good thing?

Comment | Will the UK's Defence Investment Plan finally be honest about Britain's defence?

Comment | John Healey's resignation highlights profound strategic failure in the UK government's approach to defence

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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Would the world benefit from a new economic alliance to stop China and the US from undermining the global rules we all depend on – a new 'third pole'?

That's the conclusion of a new Chatham House report published this week. How would an economic bloc like this work? Who could build it? And how would China and the US – even post-Trump – react to such a challenge to their power?

Laurel Rapp, director of our US and North America Programme, talks over an audacious plan for a new world order with the report's author and director of our Global Economy and Finance Programme, Creon Butler. They are joined by director of our Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes, Grégoire Roos. Read our report: Saving global economic governance from the 'Trump shock'.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House.

Read Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Global trade imbalances have changed since the 2008 financial crisis. Now they reflect new risks

Comment | Global cooperation on nuclear disarmament looks even further away

Comment | In the face of growing AI cyber threats, do middle powers have agency?

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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The major Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeast is not just a public health emergency in an already impoverished and violence-beset region. Armed rebellion, fragile government and a collapse in public trust are combining to make outbreaks more frequent – and fostering dangerous disinformation that makes the virus harder to fight.

How dangerous is the Ebola virus? Could it spread to the rest of the world? And is America's withdrawal from global health leadership at least partly to blame for its return?

Bronwen Maddox finds out from director of our Africa Programme Tighisti Amare, and director of our Global Health Programme Emma Ross.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House.

Read Chatham House's latest:

Comment | The flow of arms and money feeding the war in Sudan can be cut. What is missing is the will

Upcoming event | Targeting medics on the battlefield: addressing the crisis through law and practice

Comment | Ethiopia needs more than an election to calm internal and regional conflict

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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Almost exactly ten years since Britain's seismic vote to leave the EU, the debate reopens thanks to early skirmishes in the fight for leadership of the Labour Party and thus the prime ministership. Could a credible bid to rejoin make its way onto Britain's political agenda? Are the drastically changed economic and defence environments making the case for re-entry unanswerable? And under what terms would European leaders consider the return of their often-troublesome former partner?

Bronwen Maddox talks over a major potential shift for the entire continent with Chatham House visiting fellow Ben Judah, director of our UK in the World programme Olivia O'Sullivan, and associate fellow and Financial Times international trade specialist Alan Beattie.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House.

Read Chatham House's latest:

Comment | A 2026 'super El Niño' could expose gaps in UK preparedness

Comment | China and Russia's strategic duo endures – but its limits are clear

Research paper | Avoiding a new nuclear arms race

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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President Donald Trump brings a band of senior US business executives seeking trade deals to China for what is possibly the biggest bilateral summit of 2026. But what does the US hope to achieve? More sales of Boeings, beef and soybeans; an off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran; a sense of world pre-eminence; or all three? Our experts discuss whether Taiwan will end up paying the price for Chinese help in ending the Iran war, and whether the success of the summit really boils down to the chemistry between Trump and the world's other most powerful man, Xi Jinping.

Host Bronwen Maddox discusses the visit and what it means with Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow with our Asia-Pacific Programme, and Laurel Rapp, director of our US and North America Programme.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.

Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Trump–Xi summit will be about managing US–China rivalry, not resolving it

Comment | Rare earths are on Trump's agenda in China. But US electronic waste offers an untapped source at home

Comment | Xi and Trump won't discuss China's growing nuclear arsenal

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts.

Is the initiative on the Ukraine war slipping out of Russian president Vladimir Putin's hands? And how has the US-Israel war on Iran affected Moscow?

The economic crisis is tightening, and Moscow and St Petersburg are increasingly subject to lengthy internet and mobile blackouts.

Fearing Ukrainian drone attacks, Russia has vastly scaled down its traditional celebration of military power – the Victory Day parade – while Putin is reported to be increasingly isolated, micromanaging the war from an assortment of bunkers.

Bronwen Maddox talks to Grégoire Roos, director of Chatham House's Europe and Russia and Eurasia programmes, and associate fellow John Lough.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.

Chatham House's latest:

Comment | China will benefit from the Iran war, regardless of any deal between Trump and Tehran

Comment | Germany rearms – but can it lead? Europe's hesitant superpower in waiting

Comment | A naval coalition in the Strait of Hormuz should learn these lessons

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts.

King Charles III's state visit to the US won acclaim as the monarch charmed President Donald Trump. But can it really rescue US-UK relations from their current dire state? The 'special relationship' – a term first voiced by Chatham House before becoming widely popularized by Winston Churchill – now seems not so special.

Our experts discuss what Britain and Europe should do now that the US wants to bear less of the burden of European defence, whether Prime Minister Starmer is right to stand up to President Trump on Iran, and where all of this leaves the NATO alliance.

On this week's panel, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme at Chatham House. And by General Sir Richard Barrons, a former Commander Joint Forces Command who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was one of the leaders of the UK's Strategic Defence Review 2025. He is now a senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.

Read Chatham House's latest:

AI export controls are not the best bargaining chip

Mali attacks show security cannot be delivered by military means alone

Norway can teach the UK about energy security – but the lesson is not more North Sea drilling

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EU expansion, energy shocks, and uneasy alliances: will the conflict in the Gulf – and other crises – force a more unified European strategy? This week's episode comes from the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, where host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Grégoire Roos, director of our Europe, Russia and Eurasia programmes. As the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran ripples through global markets, Europe finds itself under renewed pressure. Recorded on location amid the activity and discussions of the forum, they explore how Europe is responding to an increasingly unpredictable United States, reconsidering its own economic and security priorities, and navigating its relationship with Russia. Is this a moment of fragmentation – or the beginning of a more coherent European stance?

Produced by Stephen Farrell.

Chatham House's latest:

Comment | A Taiwan crisis would cause far more global economic damage than Strait of Hormuz disruption

News release | Lord Robertson: UK's 'naïve belief' the US 'will always be there' has diminished its defence capabilities

Comment | Israel's accelerating de facto annexation of the West Bank has dangerous implications

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts.

From Hormuz to Hungary and the Vatican to the Federal Reserve, it has been an unusually contentious week for the White House, even by the standards of President Trump's second administration.

This week's podcast comes from the US, where our analysts assess the political and economic state of the US as it begins gearing up for the midterm elections. From New York, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Director of the US and North America Programme, Laurel Rapp, are joined by David Lubin, Senior Research Fellow in the Global Economy and Finance Programme, who is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's annual Spring Meetings to discuss the global economy and financial markets. The panel discuss the Iran ceasefire, nuclear negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, the health of the global economy, a setback for one Trump ally in Budapest and domestic criticism for President Trump over tensions between the White House and Pope Leo.

For further reading, see David Lubin's commentary 'Dollar dominance is surviving the Iran war - just about'

Produced by Stephen Farrell.

Chatham House's latest:

Comment | How to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the long term

Comment | Lebanon–Israel talks must be given a chance

Comment | Hungary election: Orbán has been defeated – but will Orbánism survive?

Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today

Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Audio | Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧

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China prepared in advance for a US attack on Iran. But many of its Asian neighbours have been hit hard because their economies were heavily reliant on energy imports from the Gulf. In the short-term, the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered rationing, and shortages of diesel, gas and fertiliser. Does that set a negative precedent for other choke points across the world? In the longer-term the war may force Asian nations into deeper reckonings: to reassess supply chains, economic strategies and whether the US can be trusted as a stable ally. Why hasn't China supported Iran more? Will the standoff over Hormuz tempt Beijing to flex its muscles over the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea? How will Pakistan leverage its status as negotiator? Will the countries of southeast Asia follow through on calls for more regional integration of energy supplies? To discuss these issues, and more, Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme, hosts this week's Independent Thinking podcast, standing in for Bronwen Maddox. He is joined by two of his Chatham House colleagues: Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow for China; and Chietigj Bajpaee, Senior Research Fellow for South Asia.

Read our latest:

News release | Syrian President al-Sharaa on Iran war: 'Syria will remain outside this conflict'

Comment | The Iran war risks triggering a new wave of nuclear proliferation

Comment | Spectator, beneficiary, player: Russia's strategy in the Iran war, from oil to drones

Comment | Iraqi civilians are paying the price of the Iran war

Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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An earlier than usual episode of the Independent Thinking podcast, ahead of the Easter break. In a one-on-one conversation, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox discusses energy with Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford, who has been advising governments and writing on energy, water and the environment for decades.

They examine how energy policies of different governments over decades led to the UK's energy costs being so high. And what the government should do if it wants to guarantee security of supply – and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Are those concerned about climate change right to push for net zero? Are current policies driving industry from the UK? Should there be more nuclear power stations, or more drilling in the North Sea?

Read our latest:

The Iran war risks triggering a new wave of nuclear proliferation

Any Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon will work to Hezbollah's advantage

Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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One month on from the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran, governments worldwide are trying to assess the scale of its long-term impact on the global economy and political system.

Much will depend on how long the conflict continues, and how long Iran blocks fuel exports and other cargo vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House and Iran have sent conflicting signals about whether negotiations are under way, even as thousands of US troops head to the Middle East. And even if President Trump secures a ceasefire with Iran, it is unclear if US and Israel are aligned on their visions for an end game.

Our panel assesses whether the world is headed for a 1973-style shock to the global economic system, pushing up inflation and cutting growth. And how Europe, Russia, China, and other nations will deal with a crisis that has disrupted energy flows and supply chains.

Joining regular host Bronwen Maddox are David Lubin, senior research fellow in Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme, and Grégoire Roos, director of our Europe, Russia, and Eurasia programmes.

Read our latest:

Starmer's handling of Trump and Iran reflects public opinion, but shows the limits of UK power

Any Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon will work to Hezbollah's advantage

Spectator, beneficiary, player: Russia's strategy in the Iran war, from oil to drones

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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The US-Israel war on Iran is straining Trump's alliances, at home and abroad.

Three weeks into exactly the kind of war of choice that he spent years decrying, US President Donald Trump is not getting the amount of international support that he seeks for his campaign of air strikes on Iran.

There is also reluctance among NATO and other allies to be drawn into the political and economic turmoil caused by the US-Israeli campaign, and Tehran's region-wide retaliation.

Our experts discuss the state of US-Gulf relations, the muted European response to Trump's appeals for help in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, and what it could mean elsewhere in the world for ongoing crises in Ukraine, Cuba and Venezuela.

Joining host Bronwen Maddox this week are Dr Neil Quilliam, an associate fellow in our Middle East and North Africa Programme; Dr Christopher Sabatini, senior research fellow for Latin America; and Heather Hurlburt, a consulting fellow in our US and North America Programme.

Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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Chatham House's latest:

The World Today magazine | Spring issue out now

Expert comment | Should the Gulf Arab states join the war against Iran?

Expert comment | The Iran war should boost security cooperation by US Pacific allies like Japan, the Philippines and South Korea

The US military's AI provider Anthropic is feuding with the Pentagon after the company tried to impose 'red lines' over the use of its artificial intelligence products for lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of Americans. President Trump accused the US firm of being 'radical left' and designated it a 'supply chain risk' – usually reserved for Chinese or Russian firms who could compromise US security. Our panel discusses the dispute, the battle to control artificial intelligence systems already being used in Iran, Venezuela and Ukraine, and how a public battle between tech and government throws a much-needed spotlight on the wider global issues of AI governance and who is – or isn't – writing rules for the new era of warfare. They also look at how China is pushing ahead quickly with its plan to integrate 'AI Plus' into all aspects of its economy and military. This week's guest host of the Independent Thinking podcast is Alex Krasodomski, director of Chatham House's Digital Society Programme. He is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme; and James Kynge, a senior research fellow with the Asia-Pacific Programme who has spent years studying China and its high-technology industrial sector.

Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Anthropic's feud with the Pentagon reveals the limits of AI governance

The World Today magazine article | Can the West recover from China's hi-tech knockout blow?

Comment | Do AI summits work?

What does President Trump hope to achieve in Iran – a quick show of force, or long-term regime change?

The US and Israel's long-threatened air strikes on Iran have materialized, and the Middle East is facing widespread disruption and a mounting death toll as the war spills across borders.

In this episode of Chatham House's international affairs podcast, our expert panel analyses the Trump administration's many stated motivations for the attack, whether there can be a clear-cut end game, and who is likely to take over in Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

They also discuss the effect of the war on President Trump's popularity at home as mid-term elections loom, and the criticism levelled at UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer for doing, his detractors say, too little, too late.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme; General Sir Richard Barrons, senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme; and Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme.

Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Trump, the polls, and the war with Iran: What happened to the 'President of Peace'?

Comment | Sánchez's principled stand against Trump matters. So does Merz's silence

Comment | Netanyahu's biggest gamble

The US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump on his first justification for tariffs, but he says he will push them through by other means.

On this week's Independent Thinking podcast, our experts analyse why Trump is wedded to tariffs as an economic and political tool, and what effect they will have on the US and global economies.

They also discuss whether tariffs have ended globalization for good even after the Trump era ends.

Joining regular host Bronwen Maddox are Creon Butler, director of the Global Economy and Finance programme at Chatham House, and down the line from Washington, Heather Hurlburt, a consulting fellow in our US and North America Programme.

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

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Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Trump's tariff strategy is alive and well by Jennifer Lind

Video | Roberta Metsola – A new Westphalia to avoid western failure

Video | Al Carns – Acting on the SDR: Britain's defence in 2026 at Chatham House's Security and Defence conference

Negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war do not appear to have made significant progress. In the meantime, the focus of US President Donald Trump's 'lighthouse diplomacy' appears to have switched to Iran.

Chatham House analysts discuss the state of the talks, and whether Europe will step up to provide the weapons and military support that Ukraine needs. They also examine how the Russia-Ukraine conflict fits into the wider superpower competition between the US, Russia and China.

Joining host Bronwen Maddox are Grégoire Roos, director of Chatham House's Europe, Russia and Eurasia programmes; Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum; and Natalie Sabanadze, Senior Research Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme.

This episode comes as we look ahead to two major upcoming Chatham House events: a conversation with General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, marking four years since Russia's full-scale invasion, and our annual Security and Defence conference.

Both events are now fully booked for in-person attendance, but audiences will be able to watch General Zaluzhnyi's appearance and some of the defence conference events online.

Full details are available on our website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/upcoming

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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In a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking podcast recorded at the Munich Security Conference 2026 over the weekend, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes, unpack the key issues that emerged from this year's forum.

The main speaker, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adopted a different tone from Vice President JD Vance, who shocked many in the audience last year when he delivered a verbal broadside against Europe at the same conference.

But does it signify a shift in the Trump administration's newly assertive stance, or was it the same message in a different wrapping?

In a recording session in a side room amid the hustle and flow of the conference, they also discuss innovations in defence technology and drone development, the resilience of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, what level of support Ukraine can expect from Europe, and whether European companies and policymakers will respond effectively in the face of increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers.

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Read our latest:

Comment | The West vs the West at the Munich Security Conference

Comment | Climate security should be a bigger priority at the Munich Security Conference

Comment | What should a more European NATO look like? The US and Europe disagree

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As Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer ploughs through crisis after crisis, his Labour Party faces multiple threats in upcoming local elections. Our Chatham House analysts examine whether having six prime ministers in a decade is a sign that Britain, like some of its neighbours, has more fundamental underlying problems that make it increasingly hard to govern.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes.

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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Read our latest:

Comment | The AU summit is an opportunity for decisive action to end the war in Sudan

Comment | Why a resurgent Japan is good for Asia

Comment | What recent developments in Syria mean for the Kurds

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After the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, our analysts discuss where in the Western Hemisphere US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio may turn their attention to next.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme, and Dr Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America. They dissect the so-called 'Donroe Doctrine', Marco Rubio's project to reform Cuba's regime, Haiti, and why oil is central to the MAGA playbook.

Read Dr Sabatini's full research paper 'A roadmap for security and governance reform in Haiti'.

Read our latest:

Comment | Haiti's vicious circle: Funding is needed to end the violence. But the violence means funding doesn't come.

Event | The new threat? An imperial America

News release | Chatham House fellow gives evidence on Venezuela to UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee

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Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

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Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Ben Bland, head of our Asia-Pacific Programme, and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China. They discuss the opportunities and risks of closer engagement between the UK and China, and why the opacity of Chinese elite politics makes them an unpredictable security actor.

Read our latest:

EU leaders echo de Gaulle, saying Europe must depend on no-one. But where should autonomy begin?

UK ratification of the Chagos Archipelago treaty will not violate international law

The US and Russia's nuclear weapons treaty is set to expire. Here's what's at stake

Myanmar 'election' shows the military regime is here to stay. How should the world respond?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and Sara Seth.

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Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox joins the Independent Thinking podcast from the World Economic Forum in Davos. In London are guest host David Lubin, a Senior Research Fellow in Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme; and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes.

They examine the implications of President Trump's speech for Greenland, NATO, Europe, China and others after Trump pulled back from using force in Greenland, but left allies with a loss of trust in US intentions. Our analysts also discuss the impact of the address by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former President of Chatham House, who laid out his alternative vision for middle powers to cooperate when faced with what he called 'a rupture' in the world order.

Read our latest:

Trump's Davos speech backed off escalation in Greenland. That will not prevent an EU rush for strategic autonomy

Trump, Diego Garcia and the 'Donroe Doctrine' in the Indian Ocean

Trump's Greenland tariffs show the UK must prepare for a new era of economic coercion

A roadmap for security and governance reform in Haiti

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Host Bronwen Maddox is joined in the studio by Laurel Rapp, Director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme; Marc Weller, Director of the International Law Programme and down the line by Juno Berthelsen, of Greenland's opposition Naleraq party, which favours independence.

Read our latest:

Who owns Greenland?

As Carney visits China to diversify Canada's trade, the 'Donroe Doctrine' further strains US relations

US intentions towards Greenland threaten NATO's future. But European countries are not helpless

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Bronwen Maddox is joined by Marc Weller, Director of Chatham House's International Law Programme; Laurel Rapp, Director of the US and North America Programme; and Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America.

They discuss the failure of regional diplomacy that preceded the 3 January 2026 attack by the US on Venezuela, the tentative response of the international community in its aftermath, the domestic impact on American politics, historic precedents like the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and how it is likely to influence Russia and China's actions in their regions.

Read our latest:

The US capture of President Nicolás Maduro – and attacks on Venezuela – have no justification in international law

President Trump's ambition to rebuild Venezuela's oil sector will be challenging, especially if prices continue to fall

Trump's Venezuela attack should serve as a warning even to US allies

US intentions towards Greenland threaten NATO's future. But European countries are not helpless

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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In the last Independent Thinking podcast of 2025, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by David Lubin, Senior Research Fellow with Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme; Marion Messmer, Director of the International Security Programme; and Yu Jie, a senior research fellow on China in Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme.

For further analysis read 'The economics of the new Monroe Doctrine' by David Lubin, examining how President Trump's actions seem to indicate the emergence of a hemispheric US foreign policy.

Read our latest:

Global security continued to unravel in 2025. Crucial tests are coming in 2026

The 'Trump Corollary' in the US security strategy brings a new focus on Latin America – but it is a disordered plan

Russia is weakened, but its influence in the Middle East should not be underestimated

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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This is a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking international affairs podcast, recorded at the Doha Forum 2025.

Many of the official and backroom discussions at Qatar's annual gathering of more than 5,000 world leaders, policymakers, dialogue, corporate and humanitarian organizations from 162 countries were dominated by discussions of President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy, which was released on the eve of the forum. At one of the first events in the Doha Forum, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox questioned US Ambassador to NATO Mathew Whitaker about it.

The podcast examines the implications for Europe, Asia, the Middle East and US foreign policy generally of the NSS document, which reinforces the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy, and contains stark language about Europe, talking about its 'economic decline' and 'the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure'. It also says: 'The days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over.'

Joining host Bronwen Maddox in Doha were: Leslie Vinjamuri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Yu Jie, a Senior Research Fellow on China in Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme, and Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

How are Europe and Ukraine reacting after the US and Russia sought to strike their own deal, and Putin warned that Moscow – while not planning for war with Europe – is 'ready right now'.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes; Natalie Sabanadze, a Senior Research Fellow and former Georgian Ambassador, and Jaroslava Barbieri, Research Fellow with our Ukraine Forum.

Read Chatham House's report 'Tightening the oil-price cap to increase the pressure on Russia' about how the current international sanctions regime is failing, and how to fix it.

Read our latest:

Zelenskyy's right-hand man has gone. Here's what should happen next

Putin's India visit aims to reaffirm New Delhi–Moscow relations – just as Trump applies pressure to downgrade them

UK's indecision over Chinese 'mega-embassy' highlights need for a more coherent China policy

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves published her – widely leaked – budget this week. How does it leave her ruling Labour Party positioned in Britain? And what do the calculations look like from overseas, where other countries have adopted different solutions to the problems facing them?

For this discussion on Chatham House's international affairs podcast, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of the UK in the World Programme. And, giving an international perspective on UK finances, are Sébastien Maillard, an Associate Fellow in the Europe Programme and James Kynge, a Senior Research Fellow for China and the World in the Asia-Pacific Programme.

Read our latest:

Trump's 28 point 'peace plan' marks Europe's last chance to stand up for Ukraine

China's 'smart authoritarianism' has upended ideas about autocracies' limitations. The West must cooperate to respond

Why an African Credit Rating Agency isn't a good idea for the region's borrowers

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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After the North Darfur capital El Fasher fell to the Rapid Support Forces, aid agencies and survivors talk of civilians being massacred in the streets. The international affairs podcast of Chatham House examines the human toll, and the dynamics of a war fuelled by regional powers and their proxies seeking to control Sudan's territory, gold, natural resources, and access to key waterways.

Host Bronwen Maddox, is joined by Ahmed Soliman, a Senior Research Fellow in Chatham House's Africa Programme; Hubert Kinkoh, a Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellow; Kholood Khair, director of the think tank Confluence Advisory, and Bashair Ahmed, a researcher at the University of Sussex who focuses on migration, human rights, and humanitarian action.

Read the Chatham House report Gold and the war in Sudan. It covers how Sudan's main warring parties – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – were in competition for the country's natural resources, and how the fight to control gold assets has been one of the drivers of the conflict.

Read our latest:

Comment: South Africa's G20 presidency demonstrates the challenge of inclusion in a fractious world

Comment: Low-cost Chinese AI models forge ahead, even in the US, raising the risks of a US AI bubble

Comment: Ukraine's arms deal with France faces major hurdles before it can be realized

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials and analysts look at the prospects for a ceasefire, and at the military, economic and human cost that President Vladimir Putin's campaign has inflicted on the country. They discuss the Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, intended to demoralise the civilian population, and what European allies should do to bolster its defence efforts, and to rebuild the country if there is a ceasefire.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Minister of Defence of Ukraine; Daryna Marchak, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture; Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the Opora Civic Network; Simon Smith, Chair of Chatham House's Ukraine Forum and Dominic Nicholls, Associate Editor of The Telegraph.

The discussion came as Chatham House hosted a conference - 'War in Ukraine: The battleground for the future of Europe'.

Read our latest:

Comment | Ukraine's best defence against Putin's energy war is more attacks on Russia's oil refining sector

Comment | As the US eases sanctions on Belarus, is it time for the EU to rethink its approach?

Comment | Russia and the US put nuclear testing back on the table. Is time running out for arms control?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York's mayoral race this week – and other electoral successes – energized Democrats in the US and left-wing parties worldwide. The new standard-bearer of the American left is hailed by progressives as a generational shift of leadership – at 34 he will be the first Muslim mayor of New York, and one of its youngest ever.

But he faces opposition from many quarters over his plans to raise taxes on the wealthy. Not least from President Donald Trump, who has threatened to hold back federal funds from the city where he was born.

This week's podcast assesses the significance of the first major elections of Trump's second term, and what it means for the Democratic Party's chances of winning back the House of Representatives in midterm elections next November.

In the US, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme, and Bruce Stokes, an associate fellow at Chatham House and a former director of global economic attitudes at the Pew Research Center. Joining from London is Stephen Farrell, head of News and Comment, who covered the 2013 New York City mayoral election for The New York Times. Read our latest: Trump's tariffs face Supreme Court challenge that could have significant consequences for presidential power Has Trump's Asia tour reassured the US's Asian allies? Kenya's conversion of Chinese debt to renminbi reflects economic pragmatism more than strained US ties

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders suffered a setback on Wednesday's elections, with centrists poised to take back power.

Rob Jetten, 38, leader of the centre-progressive Democrats 66 party, is set to become the Netherlands' youngest leader in modern history after running on the upbeat slogan 'Yes we can'. But the hard right remains influential.

To discuss the outcome, and what it tells us about Europe beyond the Netherlands, guest host Grégoire Roos, Director of Chatham House's Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes, is joined by Sébastien Maillard, a Chatham House Associate Fellow and special advisor to the Jacques Delors Institute. And, joining down the line, is Karien van Gennip, a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Read our latest:

China's leaders' meeting confirms Xi's authority and shows technological self-reliance is now the priority

Trump and Xi won't reset the China–US rivalry, so other nations must prepare

China's economic model will continue to alarm its trading partners

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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China's ruling Communist Party leadership met in Beijing to frame the next five-year-plan. Amid a trade war with the United States, they set priorities for economic policy and technology, including how to build artificial intelligence into key sectors of society.

New faces appeared and old ones vanished, with a purge of senior military officials and others as President Xi Jinping sacked some officials he had earlier promoted. As Xi prepares to meet with US President Donald Trump in South Korea, Chatham House senior research fellows Yu Jie and James Kynge join host Bronwen Maddox.

Read our latest:

The UK must prioritize cybersecurity or be left dangerously exposed

Sanae Takaichi sees herself as the successor to Shinzo Abe. But changes in Japan's politics present big challenges

Tanzania election: Erosion of democracy will also come at the cost of economic potential

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Beset by early ceasefire disputes between Israel and Hamas, international backers of President Trump's Mideast project must move quickly to elevate it from vague wish list to viable framework. Rapid delivery of aid, reconstruction - and security for Palestinians and Israelis – are essential. But without a political end game, it will founder.

Sanam Vakil, Marc Weller and Stephen Farrell join host Bronwen Maddox in this week's podcast from Chatham House.

Read our latest:

Comment | The US needs a new Iran strategy if Trump's Gaza plan is to endure

Comment | India is seeking to reset relations with the Taliban. But can this rapprochement last?

Comment | Netanyahu's concepts collapsed, one by one, as Trump piled on pressure: What next for his government?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

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At home the US is mired in domestic dysfunction with a government shutdown now in its second week. But abroad, President Trump has brokered a deal that - although it didn't win a Nobel Peace Prize - could end the two-year Gaza war. Laurel Rapp and Max Yoeli join guest host Christopher Sabatini.

They discuss the effects of the government funding crisis and protracted political deadlock on the US economy, international investment, the military and foreign policy.

Read our latest:

Comment | Egypt is crucial to Trump's Gaza plan – but fears a security vacuum after an Israeli withdrawal

Comment | The rise of Reform, the AfD and RN is more than a blip – so what happens if the E3 goes far right?

Comment | Attacks on 'drug boats' are pushing the US away from the consensus on the rules of international law

Presented by Christopher Sabatini. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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It's party conference season in Britain. Both ruling Labour and opposition Conservatives are nervous about the rise of Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK, successor to the Brexit Party.

Pollster Joe Twyman and Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme, join host Bronwen Maddox for this week's podcast.

Read our latest:

Explainer | Can the Trump peace plan for Gaza succeed?

Comment | A 'Drone Wall' is needed for Europe to defend against a new threat

Comment | Africa must strengthen continental unity to boost its global influence

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

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The United Nations is a guardian of international law, its leader assured member states this week. But President Trump questioned the point of the UN. Marc Weller and Christopher Phillips join Bronwen Maddox to assess challenges to the global order in a world of strongmen and multipolarity.

Read our latest:

Event | Is this a new age of nuclear proliferation?

Comment | Does the US want to weaken the UN or make it 'great again'?

Comment | A new international order is forming. Will China make it 'green'?

Comment | Recognition of Palestine can be more than symbolic if Europe and Gulf states remain aligned

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

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President Donald Trump brought AI and tech CEOs on his second state visit for a deal pledging £31 billion in investment for the UK.

Olivia O'Sullivan and Laurel Rapp join host Bronwen Maddox to discuss the politics and dealmaking behind the pageantry, on Chatham House's weekly international affairs podcast.

Read our latest:

Event | Global Britain meets America First: What next for the 'special relationship'?

Comment | President Trump's second state visit to the UK: What to expect

Comment | The UK must guard against new risks to financial stability coming from the US

Comment | Egypt now sees Israel as an imminent threat

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

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Are we moving into a post-American world and if so will China try to lead and set the rules for it?

In the face of American withdrawal, China senses an opportunity to shape a new world order. This week on Independent Thinking, Samir Puri and James Kynge join Bronwen Maddox to discuss the changing nature of the international order.

Read our latest:

Event | Interview and discussion with Isaac Herzog, President of Israel

Comment | It may take a generation for a stable new world order to emerge

Comment | Syria's parliamentary elections: A turning point or another top-down exercise?

Comment | Why ending the war in Sudan should be a higher priority for the West

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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How much of Donald Trump's sanctions strategy is substance — and how much is performance?

In this episode of Independent Thinking, Chatham House experts unpack whether sanctions work. And at Trump's shifting use of sanctions, tariffs and personal power plays in global economic policy. With Dr Christopher Sabatini, Timothy Ash, and Christopher Vandome from Chatham House.

Read our latest reports:

Understanding and improving sanctions today

Russia's struggle to modernize its military industry

Why the Indo-Pacific should be a higher priority for the UK

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Executive producer - John Pollock. Produced by Jonathan Coates and Warren Nettleford. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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What does President Donald Trump's promise of Patriot missiles for Ukraine — and a 50-day tariff ultimatum to Putin — really mean for Ukraine and Russia?

Chatham House experts Jaroslava Barbieri, John Lough and Samir Puri look at whether it is a significant pivot towards Ukraine, how both sides are faring in the war, and how U.S. credibility is affected by Trump's changing positions. They are joined by guest host Stephen Farrell, standing in for Bronwen Maddox.

Read our latest:

Trump is changing his words about Putin, who only cares about actions

After Brexit: E3. New treaty puts UK, Germany and France back at the heart of European security

New Zealand should rethink its pivot towards the US to retain strategic autonomy in the Indo-Pacific

Presented by Stephen Farrell. Executive producer - John Pollock. Produced by Jonathan Coates and Warren Nettleford. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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What does Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House mean for the likelihood of a Gaza ceasefire? Bronwen Maddox is joined by Stephen Farrell, Yossi Mekelberg, Sanam Vakil and Max Yoeli to examine the state of negotiations, U.S.-Israel and regional dynamics, and competing plans for what comes next.

Read our latest:

Lebanon's moment of truth

The Rio summit showed that BRICS is less anti-Western than Russia would like it to be

Mobilizing 'Team Ukraine' for a successful recovery

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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After a crisis week for Britain's ruling Labour Party, host Bronwen Maddox and Chatham House's Olivia Sullivan are joined by economist Professor Stephen Millard and pollster Joe Twyman to look at the foreign and domestic challenges facing the country just one year after Keir Starmer won a landslide election victory.

Read our latest:

Is China friend or foe to the UK? A government audit says: 'It's complicated'

Brazil's BRICS agenda may be hard to accomplish after the Iran–Israel war

The Middle East still fears Israel – and Iran

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Did US strikes cripple Iran's nuclear programme — or just set the stage for the next crisis? Bronwen Maddox hosts from Jordan, joined by international security expert Marion Messmer and Middle East associate fellow Lina Khatib in London, to examine the claims and counter-claims and what it means for the region's fragile balance of power.

Read our latest:

US strikes on Iran: What next for Iran, Israel and President Trump?

For NATO's collective defence, Europe must lead on data sharing

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Following Israel's strikes on Iran on 13 June, and the subsequent sequence of retaliation and counter retaliation, fears are rising that the conflict could escalate. In this special episode of Independent Thinking (an edited version of a live webinar) Galip Dalay joins a panel of experts to discuss strategic goals, the responses of the key regional and international actors, including the Gulf states and the US, and what if any viable diplomatic or military off-ramps exist to prevent a broader regional war.

Read our latest:

Trump must take control as Israel–Iran war threatens to escalate

Iran–Israel conflict: Iran has run out of good options

It's time to rethink the G7

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Is Britain chasing faded glory or forging a credible future? As the government lays out its latest spending review, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Jeremy Hunt and Samir Puri to ask whether bold talk of growth, defence and science hides a deeper strategic drift – or a real path back to global influence.

Read our latest:

Europe could win the battle for the future of digital money

History suggests Trump's snapped back sanctions won't deliver change in Venezuela

Why peacebuilding fails and what to do about it

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Drones, AI, cyber warfare and nuclear weapons are a key part of the UK's new Strategic Defence Review, along with conventional weapons. Chatham House experts unpack the strategy, spending pledges and how Britain should adapt its military to deal with Putin, China, and Donald Trump.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Chatham House experts Grace Cassy, Marion Messmer and Olivia O'Sullivan to unpack the strategy, spending pledges, and the UK's place in a rapidly shifting global security landscape.

Read our latest:

The SDR presents an opportunity for the UK to become a leader in space – if it is followed by urgent investment

The UK Strategic Defence Review draws the right lessons from Ukraine – but still relies on continued US commitment

I was part of the team behind the UK Strategic Defence Review: Here is what shaped our thinking

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Executive producer - John Pollock. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

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As Gaza reels from staggering humanitarian devastation, Bronwen Maddox speaks with Yossi Mekelberg, Stephen Farrell, and Julie Norman to unpack the political drivers of Israel's war, the role of Donald Trump, and the region's competing visions for Gaza's future. From internal power struggles to shifting U.S. policy and Arab diplomatic proposals, this episode asks: what future is even possible for Gaza now?

Read our latest:

Gaza: War, hunger and politics

The dissolution of the PKK could transform Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy

Escalating conflict in Tripoli exposes the realities of false stability – and international neglect in Libya

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Nine years after the Brexit vote, a new UK–EU deal promises smoother trade and deeper cooperation — but is it the end of the Brexit saga or just another chapter? Bronwen Maddox digs into what the deal really means with Rod Liddle and Nicolai von Ondarza, from political fallout to Britain's shifting role on the world stage.

Read our latest:

The dissolution of the PKK could transform Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy

The Pandemic Agreement may weaken, rather than strengthen multilateralism

Escalating conflict in Tripoli exposes the realities of false stability – and international neglect in Libya

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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As trade tensions, security concerns, and diplomatic crossroads converge, the UK's bid for economic growth faces hard choices on the global stage. In this episode host Bronwen Maddox explores the UK's complex balancing act between the EU, US, and China with guests Janka Oertel and Sir Martin Donnelly.

Read our latest:

The UK–EU summit will bring some progress on defence cooperation. But more could be done on aid and trade

Trump's Gulf tour exposes Netanyahu's increasingly isolated position on Gaza

The UK government should prioritize linking carbon markets at the UK–EU summit

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Tensions between India and Pakistan have surged following a deadly attack in Kashmir and air strikes by India inside Pakistan. With nuclear risks, regional diplomacy, and rising domestic pressures in play, what could prevent this crisis from spiralling further?

In this episode, Bronwen Maddox discusses what this means for South Asia and the world with Marion Messmer, a senior research fellow with our International Security Programme; Chietigj Bajpaee, the senior research fellow for South Asia with our Asia-Pacific Programme; and Stephen Farrell, our head of News and Comment.

Read our latest:

After India's missile strikes on Pakistan, the risk of accidental escalation is high

India–UK free trade agreement signals deepening bilateral relations

Urgent mediation to save the Indus Waters Treaty could be a route to de-escalation between India and Pakistan

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. Executive producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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As Donald Trump floats a controversial peace deal that could leave Ukraine facing territorial losses and NATO exclusion, Kyiv is forced to weigh an impossible choice between sovereignty and survival.

Bronwen Maddox speaks with Orysia Lutsevych from Chatham House and Matthew Savill from RUSI about battlefield fatigue, shifting alliances, and the future of European security.

Find out more:

Trump's 100 days have been like no other

The Kashmir attack will renew hostilities between India and Pakistan

Merz and Macron can restart Europe's Franco–German engine

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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As the IMF Spring Meetings unfold in Washington DC, Bronwen Maddox asks whether we are witnessing the twilight of the US dollar's global dominance. Amid political shocks and shifting financial allegiances, could the world be inching towards a post-dollar era?

Bronwen is joined by Isabelle Mateos y Lago, chief economist at BNP Paribas, and David Lubin from Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme to explore the dollar's uncertain future, the rise of digital and alternative currencies, and what it all means for global power and stability.

Find out more:

The US dollar's role in the international monetary system is now dangerously in flux

President Trump's tariffs increase pressure on allies to reduce security dependence on the US

How China–India relations will shape Asia and the global order

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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In this episode of Independent Thinking, we explore the root causes of corruption in Nigeria, its impact on everyday life, and potential solutions for change.

Bronwen Maddox speaks with Leena Koni Hoffmann about her in-depth report on the issue, as well as insights from speakers at a Chatham House conference focused on Nigeria's ongoing fight against corruption.

Read our work on Nigeria:

Taking action against corruption in Nigeria

Renewing Nigeria's anti-corruption agenda

Tackling judicial bribery and procurement fraud in Nigeria

Democracy in Nigeria

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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This week on Independent Thinking, we explore the growing battle for influence in Latin America between the U.S. and China. In just two decades, China has gone from a minor player in the region to a dominant force—challenging the US.

How is President Trump's government responding and could his policies actually give Beijing more room to expand? Guest host Chris Sabatini is joined by Yu Jie, Robert Evan Ellis, and Bruno Binetti to discuss the shifting power dynamics and what they could mean for the global balance of power.

Read our latest:

South Korea's domestic tumult risks being exploited by China

US ownership of TikTok won't protect democracies from digital threats

Trump's tariffs will push Southeast Asia uncomfortably close to China

Presented by Chris Sabatini. Produced by Amanda Nunn. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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President Trump has unveiled sweeping new trade tariffs—but what happens next? Bronwen Maddox explores the global reaction, the economic fallout, and whether this marks the beginning of the end for globalization.

She's joined by Jason Furman, former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama, alongside Dame DeAnne Julius and David Lubin from Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme.

Read our latest:

Trump's 'liberation day' tariffs are likely just the beginning of a longer-term vision.

Putting the Digital Services Tax on the table in US negotiations sends worrying signal on UK digital sovereignty.

The false economy of DOGE.

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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In this week's episode of Independent Thinking, Bronwen Maddox discusses whether Europe can take up the mantle of the US, and lead the world as an economic and political powerhouse.

Can Europe can fill the vacuum caused by America's shifting foreign policy, and in doing so, become more of an economic force?

Bronwen explores this topic with three Chatham House experts - Creon Butler, Director of the Global Economy and Finance Programme, Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of the UK in the World Programme, and Nicolai von Ondarza, an Associate Fellow in our Europe Programme.

Read our latest:

Europe must forge a new role in the global economy

China's military build-up indicates it is serious about taking Taiwan

Competing visions of international order

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Jonathan Coates. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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This week on Independent Thinking, three Chatham House experts look at the view from China now that Donald Trump is in charge.

Ben Bland speaks to Yu Jie, William Matthews and David Lubin, about how China is repositioning itself on the world stage, viewing its own security and preparing for a potential trade war.

We'll also explore what the Chinese Communist Party is really thinking, what harm tariffs are doing and what the AI battle could mean for the world.

Read our latest:

New US attacks on the Houthis will not bring Iran to the negotiating table – but could provoke worse violence

The US and Iran are on the road to escalation. Europe can and should create an off-ramp

Taking action against corruption in Nigeria

Presented by Ben Bland. Produced by Jonathan Coates. Executive Producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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In this week's episode Haid Haid, Rim Turkmani, and Lina Khatib discuss the recent developments in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

We delve into the country's economic struggles, the rise of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the resurgence of sectarian violence, and the challenges facing Syria's path to democracy. It also explores the roles of regional and international players, including Turkey, Israel, and Iran, in shaping Syria's future.

Read our latest:

Ukraine enters a perilous phase of fighting and talking with no assured end in sight

France should join NATO's nuclear sharing arrangements to strengthen European deterrence

China's 'two sessions': What did we learn about the Chinese economy?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Jonathan Coates. Executive Producer: John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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With the UK pledging to increase defence spending to levels not seen since the Cold War, what does the future of British defence look like?

In this episode, we discuss the evolving nature of warfare, the impact of technology on modern battlefields, and whether Britain is truly prepared for the next conflict. Joining Bronwen Maddox are Sir John Sawers, former head of MI6; James Heappey, former Armed Forces Minister; and Chatham House experts Samir Puri and Olivia O'Sullivan.

Read our latest:

Picking up the pieces after the Trump–Zelenskyy summit: Europe has mobilized, but the road will be bumpy

What Ukraine can teach Europe and the world about innovation in modern warfare

Europe must take the gamble and engage with China on Ukraine

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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As Donald Trump moves to reshape America's foreign policy, we discuss what this means for the allies in Europe. Can the the United Kingdom, France and Germany forge a new path or is transatlantic unity fading fast?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by the Chair of Chatham House Sir Simon Fraser, former Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker, Marion Messmer, a senior research fellow with our International Security programme and Sebastien Maillard, an associate fellow with our Europe programme.

Read our latest:

It's not too late for the US to back Ukraine – for its own benefit

After German election win, can Merz deliver leadership at home and in Europe?

Trump is pushing Europe and China closer together. Europe should tread carefully

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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Ties between the US and Ukraine have soured with Donald Trump calling Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy a 'dictator' in a public war of words. Meanwhile US and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine's future without representatives from Kyiv or Europe. Should the continent be preparing for a future without the US as an ally?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by historian and author Timothy Garton Ash, Georgina Wright, visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund and Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director for Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Programme.

Read our latest:

What the UK should do in defence of Ukraine and Europe

Europe needs to make its own plan for peace in Ukraine – and rouse its people to the threat from Russia

German election: Far-right firewall weakens as immigration concerns take centre stage

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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Sixty countries signed a declaration on 'inclusive' artificial intelligence at a global summit in Paris this week, but the UK and US refused. What was agreed at the summit, why did London and Washington decline to sign and what comes next?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Professor Birgitte Andersen from Birkbeck Business School, Lord Tim Clement-Jones, Co-Chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI and Alex Krasodomski, Programme Director, for Chatham House's Digital Society Programme.

Read our latest:

Events in the DRC show a new realpolitik is emerging in Africa – one that is fraught with danger

Modi's Washington visit highlights India's importance to the US, but will not resolve long-term challenges

The international trading system needs urgent support to survive

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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President Trump has threatened to put tariffs on Mexico and Canada and imposed them on China, fuelling fears of a looming global trade war. With the European Union likely next in his sights – what is the US president trying to achieve with these tactics? And what are the consequences?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Creon Butler, the director of our Global Economy and Finance programme, economist Linda Yueh and ambassador Julian Ventura, both associate fellows with our US and Americas programme.

Read our latest:

Trump's tariffs are delayed but they have already done long-term damage to US–Canada relations

Event | The rewriting of North America: How are Canada and Mexico adapting to Trump?

Warming India–Indonesia rhetoric belies challenges of Global South leadership

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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President Trump wants a peace deal in Ukraine and has signalled he's willing to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to achieve it. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also appears more open to a deal – if there is a guarantee for Ukraine's security.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Mark Landler, London Bureau Chief of the New York Times, The Telegraph's Francis Dearnley who hosts the award-winning podcast Ukraine: The Latest and Orysia Lutsevych, the deputy director of our Russia and Eurasia programme.

Read our latest:

Can the international order survive Trump 2.0?

The world should take the prospect of Chinese tech dominance seriously, and start preparing now

South Africa's G20 presidency is a chance for the West to engage with Global South priorities

The Trump administration's sanctions policy could matter more than its use of tariffs

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock with Indio Media.

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Donald Trump has signed a wave of executive orders in his first days as America's 47th President. The panel discuss the president's changes to US foreign policy and their potential impact on America and the world.

Guest host Mike Higgins, editor of The World Today magazine, is joined by Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of our US and the Americas Programme, Samir Puri, the director of our Centre for Global Governance and Security, and Susan Glasser, a staff writer with The New Yorker.

Read our latest:

Amid soaring US debt, can Trump balance fiscal challenges with campaign promises?

Trump's energy policies ignore the urgent lessons of the California fires

The Trump administration should build on Biden's sanctions to disrupt the networks feeding the war in Sudan

Presented by Mike Higgins. Produced by John Pollock.

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A fragile ceasefire and hostage deal has been agreed between Israel and Hamas to end 15 months of war and suffering. Chatham House experts discuss the timing of the deal, whether it can hold and what comes next.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Sanam Vakil, the director of our Middle East and North Africa (MENA) programme, Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of our US and Americas programme, and Amjad Iraqi and Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellows with our MENA programme.

Read our latest:

The new Trump administration could herald a remaking of the international order. How should the world respond?

Trump's ambiguous stance on China raises the risk of accidental conflict in the Indo-Pacific

The tough dilemma Trump 2.0 poses for Beijing

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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From the devastating wars in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza to Donald Trump's threats over Greenland and the Panama Canal, what are the places to watch this year?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Gideon Rachman, the FT's chief foreign affairs commentator, Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of our US and America's programme and Renad Mansour, a senior fellow for our Middle East and North Africa programme.

Read our latest:

As the UK government seeks greater engagement with China, a clearer strategy is crucial – and long overdue

A rapid ceasefire in Ukraine could lead Donald Trump into a Russian trap

With Trump's inauguration, the EU and Turkey must finally get serious about security cooperation

Russia's economic dilemmas give Trump important leverage in negotiations on Ukraine. But will he use it?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

Cross-border conflict, evidence, policy and trends (XCEPT)

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Does Bashar al-Assad's removal offer a renewed chance for peace in Syria, or is his fall the start of a new phase of conflict in the Middle East?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Gideon Rachman, the FT's chief foreign affairs commentator, former BBC Persia journalist Rana Rahimpour and Haid Haid, a senior consulting fellow for our Middle East and North Africa programme.

Read our latest:

The fall of Assad has exposed the extent of the damage to Iran's axis of resistance

While international support is crucial, Syrians must lead their country's political transition

How South Korea's turmoil will reverberate beyond its borders

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Five months in, has Sir Keir Starmer's foreign policy been a success? The UK-EU relationship remains a major challenge for 2025, as does the prospect of a new US president. How will Starmer respond, and will the recent Chagos Islands deal impact the UK's international standing?

Bronwen Maddox is joined the BBC's diplomatic editor James Landale, Professor Anand Menon, the director of UK in a Changing Europe at King's College London and Olivia O'Sullivan and the director of our UK in the World programme.

Read our latest:

Starmer and his government must make a better case for an active UK foreign policy

Syria's conflict was never going to stay frozen. A new push for a lasting peace is needed

North Korea and Russia's dangerous partnership

State capacity, mining and community relations in Peru

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Europe is contending with a stagnating economy, political dysfunction in Germany and France, and Russia's relentless attacks on Ukraine, all while it looks to the return of Donald Trump. Will the continent's democracies hold together in the face of such challenges?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by journalist and historian Timothy Garton Ash, Mujtaba Rahman, Europe Managing Director at the Eurasia Group and Armida van Rij, senior research fellow and the Head of our Europe programme.

Read our latest:

The break-up of Scholz's coalition government signals the end of Germany's old economic model

The ceasefire in Lebanon has dealt a huge blow to Iran's regional strategy

Why cyber doomsday warnings do more harm than good

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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The panel discuss whether the COP29 climate summit delivered anything meaningful and what Donald Trump's election means for combating climate change.

As the world moves closer to crossing the 1.5 degree threshold, Bronwen Maddox is joined by former BBC journalist Roger Harrabin and Maria Netto, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Society in Brazil. Also with them from COP29 in Baku is Ruth Townend, senior research fellow with our Environment and Society Centre.

More from Roger Harrabin: BBC Radio 4 - The Year We Lost the Climate

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Closing the climate finance gap

Azerbaijan's climate leadership challenge

What is COP29 and why is it important?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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The re-election of Donald Trump has major consequences for America's relations with China. The panel discuss how the US-China relationship might change under the next president.

Guest host Ben Bland is joined by historian and political scientist Professor Rana Mitter, the FT's US-China correspondent, Demetri Sevastopulo and Dr Yu Jie, a senior research fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme.

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Trump's 'America First' foreign policy will accelerate China's push for global leadership

The Gulf will seek to manage Trump through self-reliance and pragmatism

Donald Trump's policies risk making the US dollar a source of global instability

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Donald Trump has decisively defeated Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. What does his return to the White House mean for America and the world?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Luce, the FT's North America editor, Gerald Seib, the former Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal and Leslie Vinjamuri, the head of our US and Americas programme.

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The election shows that Trumpism is here to stay

America chooses a new role in the world

2024 US election results: what we know and what we expect

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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North Korea is sending troops to Russia, but what is Kim Jong Un hoping to get from Vladmir Putin for military assistance against Ukraine? The panel also discuss the role military conscription plays in Israel, South Korea and Ukraine.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Howell, the Korea Foundation fellow at Chatham House, Orysia Lutsevych, the head of our Ukraine Forum and Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with our Middle East and North Africa Programme.

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As the ruling party claims victory in Georgia's disputed election, Western condemnation is no longer enough

Watch: 2024 US election: What will America choose?

Watch: Is the world ready for the next pandemic?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Ahead of a crucial budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the UK's national debt is at almost 100 per cent of GDP - and it's not alone. Many G7 economies face massive debt levels, restricting ambitions when it comes to foreign policy and global engagement. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Patrick Wintour, the Guardian's Diplomatic Editor and Ranil Dissanayake, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Global Development. With them are Olivia O'Sullivan and David Lubin from Chatham House.

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Trust in US democracy is at stake in this election

US election rhetoric on migration undermines Washington's soft power in Latin America

Azerbaijan's climate leadership challenge

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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France is facing political turmoil. The survival of Michel Barnier's new government rests on whether he can pass a controversial budget intended to rescue the country from its huge fiscal deficit. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Sophie Pedder, the Paris Bureau Chief of The Economist, Shahin Vallée, a former advisor to Emmanuel Macron and Armida van Rij, the head of our Europe programme.

Episode includes a clip of Nancy Pelosi at Chatham House.

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Four scenarios for the end of the war in Ukraine

Moldova and Georgia face crucial elections – and diverging paths

How Beijing is closing surveillance gaps in the South China Sea

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Sanctions regimes are intended to be preferable to military force as a tool of foreign policy, but do they work to change behaviour or end up hurting ordinary people? With Bronwen Maddox is Daniel W Drezner, Professor of International Politics at Tufts University, Allie Renison, Associate Director at SEC Newgate, and Chris Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America with our US and Americas Programme.

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How not to sanction | International Affairs journal

Why the US–India relationship needs a healthy dose of realism

What the US election means for trade policy

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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On the first anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks, we discuss the possible pathways for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project. With them are Sanam Vakil, director of our Middle East and North Africa programme (MENAP) and Amjad Iraqi, a MENAP associate fellow.

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Israel needs a strategy for its place in the region that is not just attacks on current threats

Israel's wars have sustained the destructive leadership which brought it to this crisis

Palestinians must be given the space to reorganize their political agency

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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With the Israeli military launching sustained attacks across Lebanon against Hezbollah, we explore why Israel has decided to ramp up strikes on Hezbollah now, even as the war in Gaza rages on and tensions continue to rise in the West Bank. Bronwen Maddox is joined by The Economist's Middle East correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom. With them are Lina Khatib and Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellows with our Middle East and North Africa Programme.

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Could Israel's attacks on Hezbollah open the way to a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities?

Illicit gold is exacerbating Ethiopia's conflicts

The three key priorities new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte must get right

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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As Ukraine waits to hear if it can use Western missiles to strike deep into Russia, we explore the current state of the Kursk offensive and the front lines in Donbas, and ask what if any strategy might change the course of the war into 2025. Guest host James Nixey is joined by the FT's Christopher Miller and military analyst Michael Kofman. With them is Olga Tokariuk, the OSUN academy fellow with our Ukraine Forum.

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Attacks on Hezbollah pagers will not improve Israel's situation on its border with Lebanon

The war in Sudan is intensifying. Coordinated pressure is needed to prevent the country's fragmentation

Austerity measures are on trial in Sri Lanka's first election since its economic collapse

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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