The World Unpacked is a monthly foreign policy podcast that breaks down the hottest global issues of today with experts, journalists, and policymakers who can explain what is happening, why it matters, and where we go from here. Tune in to get smart on foreign policy.
Sophia Besch sits down with Chris Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim to discuss why meaningful change in U.S. foreign policy is so difficult to achieve—and what it would take for the next American president to make such a change happen.
Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow in Carnegie's Middle East Program, joins Sophia to discuss the recent re-election of President Kais Saied and what it means for Tunisia's democracy.
Sophia sits down with Cynthia Scharf, a senior fellow at the International Center for Future Generations, to discuss the geopolitics of solar geoengineering.
The Middle East and North Africa region is witnessing a fierce competition among the world’s current “great powers”—the U.S., Russia, and China. Director of the Carnegie Middle East Program Amr Hamzawy joins Sophia to discuss the current state and future of great power competition in the region.
Did Macron's political gamble pay off or backfire? Tara Varma from the Brookings Institution joins Sophia to discuss the outcome of France's recent snap elections and how they might shape the future of Europe.
Eric Ciaramella joins Sophia to discuss the upcoming 75th anniversary NATO summit—and what it might mean for Ukraine. They explore how NATO allies are thinking about their support to Ukraine, what Kiev hopes for from its partners, and what deliverables the summit can provide.
Rosa Balfour joins Sophia to discuss the recent 2024 European Parliamentary elections—the outcomes, what they mean for future EU policy, and why the US should care.
Jon Bateman joins Sophia to explore what President Biden's latest tariffs on China mean for the US, the climate, and allies.
Isaac Kardon joins Sophia to dive into the rising tensions in the South China Sea and the geopolitics of China's maritime disputes.
Dara Massicot sits down with Sophia to unpack the war effort in Ukraine.
In her first episode as host of The World Unpacked, Sophia Besch welcomes Karim Sadjadpour to unpack Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and what comes next.
CARE USA President and CEO Michelle Nunn joins Stewart for a timely conversation on the global hunger crisis.
Jodi Vittori sits down with Stewart to unpack Russia’s efforts to escape Western sanctions and the effectiveness of sanctions more broadly.
Philip Remler joins Stewart to unpack the situation in Moldova and its relationship to the war in Ukraine.
Alper Coşkun joins Stewart to dive into the implications of Türkiye’s upcoming presidential election.
Kelly Wanser joins Stewart to unpack the idea of solar climate intervention and the research efforts happening both in the United States and internationally.
Aaron David Miller sits down with Stewart for a conversation on political unrest in Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently attempted judicial overhaul.
Sophia Besch sits down with Stewart to unpack the recent announcement of Germany supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and the future of European defense strategy.
Kosovo and Serbia are trying to negotiate the end of their old and frequently bloody conflict. A solution could pave the way for both countries to join the EU.
Jen Psaki sat down with Stanford professor Francis Fukuyama to talk about his new book, Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment. They discussed Fukuyama’s views on the current trajectory of identity politics in the United States and around the world, and what he sees as a new essential American identity.
Jen Psaki talks with Marwan Muasher about the fading prospects for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the problematic prospect of a one-state option, and the impact of the Trump administration’s move to sideline Palestinian interests.
The Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Iran this week, following U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Sanctions expert and Carnegie Senior Fellow Jarrett Blanc joined Jen Psaki to talk about the consequences of reimposing sanctions and what Trump is trying to accomplish with his Iran policy. (Runtime - 21:53)
Jen Psaki sat down with Carnegie scholar and Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour to discuss the impact of this week’s Twitter war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials, the future of Iran’s leaders, and President Trump’s approach to Iran policy. (Runtime - 12:52)
The Helsinki meeting between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Putin concluded with jaw-dropping statements on both sides. Carnegie experts joined Jen Psaki to dissect the summit and what it means for U.S.-Russia relations going forward. (Runtime - 19:20)
Julia Gurganus discusses the upcoming presidential election in Mexico, countries’ responses to external influence in the region, and the impact on U.S. policy in the region with Mark Feierstein, senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs on the National Security Council. (Runtime - 22:46)
McFaul sat down in the DiploPod studio with Lauren Dueck to discuss his new book, U.S.-Russian relations, and where Putin’s foreign policy is headed. (Runtime - 12:08)
Daniel Ellsberg joined Jen Psaki in the DiploPod studio to talk about the threat of nuclear war today, the importance of leaks, and the escalation of tensions with North Korea.? (Runtime - 8:00)
Jen Psaki discussed with Frederic Wehrey what broke down in Libya post Qaddafi, the role of the United States and other international partners, and the future of Libya. (Runtime - 16:39)
With the possibility of historic talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong Un on the horizon, Toby Dalton and James Acton joined Jen Psaki in the DiploPod studio to talk about what technical issues should be on the table in the talks and what success would look like if diplomacy does move forward. (Runtime - 28:23)
For the latest episode of DiploPod, Jen Psaki spoke with Ulrich Kühn and James Acton about nuclear threats from Russia and the path forward for eastern Europe and the international community. (Runtime - 17:34)
For the latest episode of DipoPod, Jen Psaki interviewed Carnegie senior fellow Karim Sadjadpour and former BBC reporter and Carnegie senior visiting fellow Kim Ghattas to talk about the long standing rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. (Runtime - 22:14)
In the latest episode of DiploPod, Jen Psaki sits down with Julia Gurganus to discuss the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Runtime - 17:06)
Paal discusses the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. (Runtime - 20:18)
Jen Psaki sat down with Andrei Kolesnikov and Andrew Weiss to discuss what to expect from the upcoming Russian elections, how President Putin has changed, and the surprising results from a new poll about the desire for reform within Russia. (Runtime - 14:00)
Jeffrey Feltman, the United Nations under-secretary-general for political affairs, discusses his December 2017 trip to North Korea as the highest level official from the United Nations to meet with officials in North Korea since 2010. (Runtime - 15:13)
Jen Psaki sat down with Carnegie’s Jake Sullivan and Jarrett Blanc to discuss the status of the Iran deal, including what U.S. President Trump may do next year, what is happening in Congress, and how U.S. global partners are reacting to the uncertainty over the future of the deal. (Runtime - 21:05)
Jen Psaki and outgoing Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Nicholas Rasmussen discuss how the threats facing the United States have changed since September 11th and whether the U.S. government is the most effective voice for combating extremism online. (Runtime - 14:56)
Jen Psaki sat down with the former acting director of the CIA, Michael Morell, for a conversation about North Korea and the nuclear threat. (Runtime - 21:34)
Jen Psaki spoke with Paul Haenle on the heels of President Trump’s trip to Asia. Haenle described the view from Beijing of the North Korean nuclear threat, what would be a red line for the China, and how the current North Korean leadership has changed from the past leaders. (Total runtime - 16:41)
Dmitri Trenin joins Jen Psaki on the fallout from Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, why North Korea may prefer Russia over China as an interlocutor, and how Russia may benefit from the end of U.S. rapprochement with Iran. (Runtime - 16:26)
Carnegie Visiting Senior Fellow and former White House chief of staff Denis McDonough joined Tom Carver for a wide-ranging conversation, including reflections on his time as White House chief of staff during U.S. President Barack Obama. (Runtime - 25:50)
Sarah Chayes, Steve Coll, and Olarenwaju Suraju discussed how corruption can become an inextricable part of an economy and how civil society and the U.S. government can work to prevent it. (Runtime - 22:21)
Lots of cross-trends are buffeting the global scene at the moment: populism, nationalism, anti-globalization. But beneath these issues are other longer term shifts: in technology, demographics, and economy inequality. Moisés Naím spoke to Tom Carver about these global challenges and why Trump ultimately makes him feel optimistic about America. (Runtime - 28:04)
Perry Cammack and Nathan Brown discuss the findings in their report, Revitalizing Palestinian Nationalism: Options Versus Realities, with Husam Zomlot, the chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to the United States. (Runtime - 28:23)
Cyberattacks can be as debilitating and dangerous as conventional warfare — particularly in the financial sector. Tom Carver discussed the threat with Michael Chertoff, former U.S. Secretary of homeland security, and Tim Maurer, co-director of Carnegie’s Cyber Policy Initiative. (Runtime - 21:22)
Carnegie Senior Fellow Jake Sullivan discusses the G20 summit in Hamburg and the future of U.S. global leadership. (Runtime - 21:46)
Carnegie Fellow David Livingston joins Tom, along with Lisa Hagerman and Jigar Shah, to discuss the transition to a low-carbon economy. (Runtime - 29:19)
Former Economist editor Bill Emmott joins Ashley J. Tellis and Tom Carver to discuss the challenges facing Western states and potential strategies for the revitalization of liberal democracy. (Runtime - 26:59)
Last month president Erdogan narrowly won a referendum to give his presidency sweeping new powers. What does this portend for Turkey’s relationship with the region and the rest of the world? Tom Carver discussed Turkey’s trajectory with Carnegie Europe’s Sinan Ülgen and the director of Carnegie’s Europe Program, Erik Brattberg. (Runtime - 26:26)
Carnegie Senior Fellow Sarah Chayes argues that in corrupt countries, kleptocratic networks involve not only government officials, but private industries and established criminal networks. Sarah joins Tom Carver and Zephyr Teachout for a discussion on corruption and power. (Runtime - 29:23)