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. These three countries are all seeking to extend their influence in this region. But the ways they're engaging—with varying degrees of success—are as complex as the region itself.
This week on the show, Sophia digs into the data with Amr Hamzawy, a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. Trade and foreign direct investment, arms exports and military deployments – they all tell a story of shifting alliances, economic competition, and strategic maneuvering, and they raise important questions about how the US, China and Russia are shaping the future of the region.
Is American dominance in the region fading? What do Chinese and Russian spheres of influence look like? And how are the countries of the Middle East and North Africa navigating the complex web of great power competition?
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.
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.