Each week here at Foreign Policy, we interview one person for an intimate, narrative-driven conversation about something timely and important in the world. Our guests are people who have participated directly in events, either as protagonists or eyewitnesses. We get them to tell a story about their experience, not just offer their analysis. That approach is driven by the feeling here at Foreign Policy that to understand our world—to grasp the complexities and nuances of our time—we need to get as close to the source as possible. Hence the name First Person.
What Is Tehran Thinking?
A drone strike by an Iran-backed militant group, which resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members, threatens to push the Middle East into a wider regional conflict. Iran has distanced itself from the attack, while President Biden has said that the U.S. will respond.
Middle East experts Vali Nasr and Sanam Vakil join Ravi Agrawal to discuss what Tehran might be thinking at this moment. Nasr is a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Vakil is the director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa program.
Suggested reading:
Jack Detsch: 3 Options for How Biden Could Respond to Iran
Adam Weinstein and Steven Simon: U.S. Troops Are Dangerously Vulnerable in the Middle East
Ravi Agrawal: Ian Bremmer: Attack on U.S. Troops a ‘Red Line’ for Biden
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2/1/2024 • 47 minutes, 57 seconds
A ‘Red Line’ for Biden?
Geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer joins Ravi Agrawal to forecast the world ahead in 2024. From expanding conflict in the Middle East and a potentially partitioned Ukraine to a more optimistic take on the rise of artificial intelligence, listen in to hear his predictions.
Suggested reading:
Jack Detsch: 3 Options for How Biden Could Respond to Iran
Jared Cohen and Ian Bremmer: The Global Credibility Gap
Adam Weinstein and Steven Simon: U.S. Troops Are Dangerously Vulnerable in the Middle East
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1/30/2024 • 47 minutes, 56 seconds
How America is Viewing Taiwan’s Election
Taiwan’s recent election resulted in the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party retaining power, prompting China-watchers to wonder how Beijing might respond. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, shares his insights with host Ravi Agrawal.
Suggested reading:
Hal Brands and Michael Beckley: China Is a Declining Power–and That’s the Problem
James Palmer: Taiwan’s New President Won’t Placate China
Howard W. French: The Reason China Can’t Stop Its Decline
The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party: Reset, Prevent, Build: A Strategy to Win America’s Economic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party
The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party: Ten for Taiwan: Policy Recommendations to Preserve Peace and Stability in the Taiwan Strait
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1/26/2024 • 37 minutes, 52 seconds
FP at Davos: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Host Ravi Agrawal sits down with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a special one-on-one conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Suggested reading:
The Economist’s Country of the Year for 2023
Elisabeth Braw: In the Red Sea, the Royal Navy Is Back
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1/19/2024 • 37 minutes, 17 seconds
FP at Davos: The Year the World Votes
The rise of artificial intelligence, and its potential risk to the democratic process, is top of mind in a year of record elections. From mis- and disinformation to deepfake videos, this emerging technology could dramatically shape election outcomes. How should policymakers and tech companies work together to combat this threat? Host Ravi Agrawal moderated a panel discussion titled “Protecting Democracy Against Bots and Plots” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Panelists:
Jan Lipavský is the foreign minister for the Czech Republic.
Smriti Zubin Irani is India’s minister of women and child development.
André Kudelski is the CEO of the Kudelski Group.
Alexandra Reeve Givens is the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Matthew Prince is the co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare.
Suggested reading:
Ravi Agrawal: The Year the World Votes
Rishi Iyengar: What AI Will Do to Elections
Pratap Bhanu Mehta: The Specter of Nationalism
Jan-Werner Müller: The Myth of Social Media and Populism
Leslie Vinjamuri: What Another Trump-Biden Showdown Means for the World
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1/18/2024 • 48 minutes, 37 seconds
Israel-Hamas War: 100 Days Later
Jan. 15 marks 100 days since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people. Israel then retaliated by launching a ground invasion of Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, and numerous others face a dire humanitarian crisis.
After months of conflict and mounting international pressure, Israel announced on Jan. 1 that it would begin to pull some troops back from Gaza. But the war’s reverberations continue to threaten the stability of the larger region as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon rise and the United States responds to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Hezbollah and the Houthis are both backed by Iran.
Host Ravi Agrawal revisits conversations with experts on all sides of this conflict as we enter a new phase of the war.
Suggested reading:
Jon Hoffman: U.S. Middle East Policy Has Failed
Elisabeth Braw: In the Red Sea, the Royal Navy Is Back
Amy Mackinnon: How the Gaza War Could Shape Global Politics in 2024
Raphael S. Cohen: The Trouble With a Cease-Fire
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1/15/2024 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 2 seconds
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2024
With wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the world begins the new year on high alert. Comfort Ero, the president of the International Crisis Group, joins Ravi Agrawal to share her analysis of the state of the world, building on her annual essay in Foreign Policy.
Suggested reading:
Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2024
FP Contributors: 8 Simmering Threats You Shouldn’t Ignore in 2024
FP Contributors: 5 Issues to Watch in 2024
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1/12/2024 • 46 minutes, 52 seconds
The World in 2024
We already know that 2024 will be the year that more people vote than in any other time in history. That’s an easy prediction to make. But what other global trends will impact the world this year? FP columnist and Harvard University professor Stephen M. Walt sits down with Ravi Agrawal to look ahead at the next 12 months.
Suggested reading:
Allison Meakem: Elections to Watch in 2024
Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2024
FP Contributors: 5 Issues to Watch in 2024
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1/5/2024 • 39 minutes, 32 seconds
Looking Back at 2023
From wars on two continents to U.S. competition with China and the rise of artificial intelligence, 2023 has been yet another impactful year. FP Live looks back on the year with columnist and political scientist Stephen M. Walt.
Suggested reading:
Stephen M. Walt: 5 Things in the World to Be Thankful for in 2023
Stephen M. Walt: Universities Shouldn’t Ever Take Sides in a War
Stephen M. Walt: The World Won’t Be the Same After the Israel-Hamas War
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12/29/2023 • 39 minutes, 32 seconds
The Ask-Me-Anything Episode
FP Live host Ravi Agrawal is joined by Foreign Policy’s executive editor, Amelia Lestor, for another ask-me-anything episode. The two discuss the Biden administration’s foreign policy strategy, the wars in Europe and the Middle East, how FP covers these conflicts, and much more.
Suggested reading:
FP Contributors: How Will This War End? How Can the Next One Be Prevented?
Jared Cohen and Ian Bremmer: The Global Credibility Gap
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12/22/2023 • 37 minutes, 52 seconds
Good COP, Bad COP?
Leaders from nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels at this year’s annual U.N. climate summit, known as COP28. But the agreement is nonbinding, and questions on how to finance such a transition remain unanswered. This week’s guest, however, might have those answers—and it all comes down to public-private partnerships, the reform of multilateral lenders, and better political will.
Rajiv Shah served as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development under President Barack Obama. He is now president of the Rockefeller Foundation and the author of Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens.
Suggested reading:
Rajiv Shah: Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens
Christina Lu: Good COP or Bad COP?
Lili Pike: The Climate Envoys Who Could
Shayak Sengupta and Abhinav Jindal: Are Global Climate Partnerships Fit for Purpose?
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12/15/2023 • 37 minutes, 25 seconds
Grading Biden’s Middle East policy
More than 16,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. As Israel resumes ground operations in Gaza, is there an end in sight?
Rashid Khalidi is the author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance and a professor at Columbia University. He describes why he thinks decades of failures of diplomacy have led to this moment and why the Biden administration’s Middle East policy gets an “F” in his report card.
Suggested reading:
FP Contributors: How Will This War End? How Can the Next One Be Prevented?
Tareq Baconi: What Was Hamas Thinking?
Steven A. Cook: Israel May End Up Reoccupying Gaza
Steven Simon and Aaron David Miller: Grading Biden on the Israel-Hamas War
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12/8/2023 • 49 minutes, 26 seconds
A Primer for the International Climate Summit
The 28th edition of the international climate summit known as the Conference of the Parties—or COP—convened in Dubai this week, just as scientists announced that 2023 was likely to be the hottest year in human history. Host Ravi Agrawal spoke to Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the Global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist, about what to expect.
Suggested reading:
Rajiv J. Shah: At COP28, the World Needs to Prioritize Financial Reform
Catherine Osborn: Will COP28 Jump-Start Latin America’s Green Energy Ambitions?
Shayak Sengupta: India Isn’t Interested in the West’s Climate Money
Vijay Vaitheeswarran: The Dark Side of Climate Finance
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12/1/2023 • 46 minutes, 10 seconds
How to Reboot Charity
What’s the most effective way to give to people in dire need?
Rory Stewart, a former U.K. cabinet official and the head of the charity GiveDirectly, discusses the power of unconditional cash transfers and how that could revolutionize attempts to combat poverty.
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11/24/2023 • 32 minutes, 5 seconds
Takeaways From the Biden-Xi Meeting
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United States for the first time in six years this week, announcing with U.S. President Joe Biden a range of new collaborations between the world’s two biggest economies. Host Ravi Agrawal convenes a panel to analyze takeaways from this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco and is joined by FP’s James Palmer, the Spectator’s Cindy Yu, and former Obama administration advisor Evan Medeiros.
Suggested reading:
Robbie Gramer: Biden and Xi Try the Personal Touch
James Palmer: Can Xi and Biden Repair U.S.-China Ties?
Agathe Demarais: Don’t Expect Much From Biden and Xi
Christina Lu: Beijing Tightens Its Grip on the Critical Minerals Sector
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11/17/2023 • 39 minutes, 56 seconds
Why America Has a New Tech Ambassador
The State Department has a new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, and it’s run by Nathaniel Fick, a former cybersecurity executive and marine. Ambassador Fick joined the Biden administration to make sure that every department’s digital policy is connected up together. And his job is to make sure the White House can combat threats emerging from cyberspace and AI in the best possible way. Fick joins Ravi Agrawal to share his vision for this new department.
Suggested reading:
Ravi Agrawal: Why America Has a New Tech Ambassador
Rishi Iyengar: Biden Turns a Few More Screws on China’s Chip Industry
Rishi Iyengar: Inside the White House-Backed Effort to Hack AI
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11/10/2023 • 46 minutes, 42 seconds
Regional Reverberations from Israel’s War on Hamas
What does the Israel-Hamas war mean for the region and the world? That’s what’s on the minds of policymakers as the conflict enters a new phase with the start of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. Experts Kim Ghattas and Steven A. Cook share their analysis with host Ravi Agrawal.
Ghattas is a journalist based in Beirut and the author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East. Cook is a regular FP columnist and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Suggested reading:
Kim Ghattas: Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-year Rivalry that Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East
Steven A. Cook: Saudi Arabia is Mysteriously Absent in the Israel-Hamas War
Steven A. Cook: Why the U.S. Tolerates Qatar’s Hamas Ties
Oliver Stuenkel: Why the Global South is Accusing America of Hypocrisy
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11/3/2023 • 46 minutes, 23 seconds
Ehud Barak on What Happens Next
Over the weekend, Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza, compounding the humanitarian crisis there and causing record civilian losses. This comes amid growing concerns from experts of a larger regional conflict. How should the United States and the global community respond to prevent further escalation in the region and minimize harm to the Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians?
Former Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak joins host Ravi Agrawal on this week’s episode of Foreign Policy Live.
Suggested reading:
Daniel Byman: The Israel-Hamas War Has Entered a ‘New Phase.’ Here’s What to Expect.
Tal Alroy: ‘We Will Never Forgive Netanyahu for What He Did to Us’
Stephen M. Walt: Universities Shouldn’t Ever Take Sides in a War
Franz-Stefan Gady: Israel’s Military Tech Fetish Is a Failed Strategy
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11/1/2023 • 46 minutes, 50 seconds
Fiona Hill on the War in Ukraine
How is Russian President Vladimir Putin assessing the unfolding conflict in the Middle East? And how will that impact Western support for Ukraine?
Fiona Hill is just the person to ask. She’s advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Russia policy and is currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Suggested reading:
Fiona Hill: There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century
Amy Mackinnon: What Putin Stands to Gain From Israel-Hamas War
Ian S. Lustick: Vengeance Is Not a Policy
Kenneth M. Pollack: The 1973 War Analogy Is Deeper Than You Think
Howard W. French: Biden’s Unquestioning Support for Israel Could Be a Costly Error
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10/27/2023 • 53 minutes, 51 seconds
David Petraeus on a World at War
Renewed conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine have left policymakers scrambling. Retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus joins FP Live to discuss America’s role and what he expects to happen next.
In a 37-year career in the military, Petraeus led missions in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming CIA director from 2011 to 2012. He is also a co-author of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare From 1945 to Ukraine.
Suggested reading:
David Petraeus: Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare From 1945 to Ukraine
David Petraeus and Frederick W. Kagan: Ukraine’s counteroffensive might yet surprise critics
Robbie Gramer: How Congressional Chaos Hampers U.S. Aid to Israel, Ukraine
Ian S. Lustick: Vengeance Is Not a Policy
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10/17/2023 • 42 minutes, 56 seconds
War in the Middle East—and Congress Is Dysfunctional
Israel has demanded that 1.1 million Gazans relocate from the north into the south, as a siege of the strip intensifies. What is Washington’s role? Democratic Rep. Andy Kim joined Ravi Agrawal amid a continued failure to elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives.
Part of this conversation, focused on China, will also be featured in Foreign Policy’s podcast Global Reboot, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
Suggested reading:
Daniel Byman: Hamas’s Strategy of Failure
Howard W. French: The Peril in Declaring ‘I Stand with Israel’
Alexandra Sharp: Blinken Visits Israel to Pledge U.S. Military Aid
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10/13/2023 • 30 minutes, 50 seconds
Israel Orders Complete Siege on Gaza
An extra episode this week: Aaron David Miller joins Ravi Agrawal to share his insights as Israel orders a complete siege of Gaza and declares war on Hamas. The declaration comes after a deadly Hamas attack last weekend that killed hundreds of Israelis.
Miller has advised six Republican and Democratic secretaries of state on Middle East policy. He is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Suggested reading:
FP Contributors: Israel-Hamas War
Steven A. Cook: The Hamas Attack Has Changed Everything
Daniel Byman: Will Hezbollah Join the War Against Israel?
Michael Hirsh: Netanyahu’s Road to War
Elisabeth Braw: How the Israel-Hamas War Could Spike Oil Prices
Yousef Munayyer: Laying Siege to Gaza Is No Solution
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10/10/2023 • 46 minutes, 2 seconds
What China’s Slowdown Means for the World
The world’s second-largest economy is slowing down. But are concerns overblown? What’s at risk for the global economy? How should policymakers react?
The Wall Street Journal’s chief China correspondent, Lingling Wei; economist Adam Posen; and FP’s James Palmer join Ravi Agrawal to decipher the economic data and news from China.
Suggested reading:
James Palmer: As China’s Property Sector Crumbles, Who Takes the Fall?
Zongyuan Zoe Liu: Xi’s Policies Have Shortened the Fuse on China’s Economic Time Bomb
Hal Brands: The Dangers of China’s Decline
Tony Chan, Ben Harburg, and Kishore Mahbubani: America Can’t Stop China’s Rise
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10/6/2023 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
Global Dispatches Podcast
BONUS EPISODE: The Global Dispatches podcast—“How Interpol Works, with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock”
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10/3/2023 • 38 minutes, 9 seconds
Heather Cox Richardson on American Democracy
Political polarization and disinformation may seem to be on the rise in the United States, but these tactics are not new. As historian Heather Cox Richardson notes, political candidates in early U.S. history would game elections by saying that their opponent was dead.
Are there reasons to be hopeful about democracy? Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson joins Ravi Agrawal to discuss her new book, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.
Suggested reading:
Heather Cox Richardson: How the U.S. Created Its Own Reality
Heather Cox Richardson: Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
Hélène Landemore: More Power to More People
FP Contributors: 10 Ideas to Fix Democracy
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9/29/2023 • 44 minutes, 40 seconds
Samantha Power on Development Diplomacy
Samantha Power is a powerful voice in the Biden administration. She not only is the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the country’s primary arm for international aid, but also sits on U.S. President Joe Biden’s National Security Council. How does Power think through which countries need U.S. aid the most, and how do decisions get made? Power joins Ravi Agrawal to discuss how this week’s United Nations General Assembly might move the needle on key initiatives.
Suggested reading:
Gordon Brown: A New Multilateralism
Stefan Theil: The Alliances That Matter Now
Darren Walker: Can the G-20 Be a Champion for the Global South?
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9/19/2023 • 31 minutes, 39 seconds
What Washington Wants From the U.N. This Week
The United Nations today is often criticized for being ineffective, even paralyzed, a far cry from what Winston Churchill once referred to as the “only hope of the world.” Is that true? Can it still serve as an effective tool for solving today’s global challenges?
Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She joins Ravi Agrawal ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this week to discuss the Biden administration's priorities.
Suggested reading:
Amy Mackinnon, Robbie Gramer, and Avian Muñoz: What to Expect When You’re Expecting the U.N. General Assembly
Mark Malloch-Brown: The United Nations is Convening—and Sputtering
Gordon Brown: A New Multilateralism
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9/18/2023 • 30 minutes, 27 seconds
How Taiwan Is Learning From Ukraine
Taiwan has long lived under the shadow of China’s desire to take over its territory. And as China’s economy and military have grown, so too has the threat of a potential invasion. What is Taipei’s strategy for defense and security, and how is it marshaling support from other countries? Ravi Agrawal is joined by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
Suggested reading:
Hal Brands: Deterrence in Taiwan Is Failing
Joseph Wu: Why Taiwan Has a Lock on the World’s Chip Market
Raymond Kuo: ‘Strategic Ambiguity’ Has the U.S. and Taiwan Trapped
Gabriel Scheinmann: 4 Ways U.S. Support for Ukraine Helps Defend Taiwan
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9/15/2023 • 45 minutes, 26 seconds
The World’s Most Important Alliances
People often describe the United Nations as paralyzed. If that’s the case, where do countries turn to if they want to advance global issues that require cooperation? Is it the G-20? The G-7? Smaller groups? Foreign Policy’s Fall 2023 print issue, “The Alliances That Matter Now,” explores the state of global policymaking. Princeton University’s G. John Ikenberry joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss his essay on the G-7 and its role in the new world order.
Suggested reading:
G. John Ikenberry: The G-7 Becomes a Power Player
Michael Kugelman: Will India’s G-20 Summit Succeed?
James Palmer: Xi Jinping Will Be a G-20 No-Show
Michael J. Green: Never Say Never to an Asian NATO
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9/8/2023 • 38 minutes, 23 seconds
Irregular Warfare Podcast
BONUS EPISODE: The Irregular Warfare podcast—“Deterrence through Asymmetry: Preparing for Conflict in the Taiwan Strait.”
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9/6/2023 • 49 minutes, 23 seconds
The Democracy Dilemma
Democracies are in decline around the world. What can be done to strengthen democratic institutions? At the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, host Ravi Agrawal sat down with Nobel laureate Maria Ressa; Freedom House President Mike Abramowitz; and Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Suggested reading and listening:
Hélène Landemore: More Power to More People
Shadi Hamid: Lessons for the Next Arab Spring
Michael Hirsh: Trump’s Trials Are America’s Stress Test
Disinformation, Intimidation, and Other Threats to Press Freedom
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9/1/2023 • 38 minutes, 22 seconds
The Ask-Me-Anything Edition
As a special summer edition of Foreign Policy Live, Ravi Agrawal shares the mic with his colleague Amelia Lester and answers audience questions on China’s economic slowdown, the state of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, and more.
This episode was recorded before the Wagner group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Russia.
And while you're here, listeners, we're offering a rare 50 percent discount on a subscription to Foreign Policy for a short time. Go to foreignpolicy.com/subscribe and enter promo code FPLIVE. If you sign up for the annual subscription, you’ll get 50 percent off the entire year. Our usual discounts are much much smaller, so if you've been thinking about subscribing, now is the time.
Suggested reading:
Howard W. French: Niger’s Coup Is a Turning Point for Africans
FP Live Debate: Has China Peaked?
Paul Scharre: AI’s Gatekeepers Aren’t Prepared for What’s Coming
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8/26/2023 • 55 minutes, 59 seconds
Inside Manipur’s Ethnic Violence
Home to just over 3 million people, the Indian state of Manipur is the site of intense conflict between its two largest ethnic groups. The violence, which broke out in May, has largely gone uncovered in the West. Why is it happening? What can be done to stop it? And how will it impact the broader region? Journalist Barkha Dutt and defense analyst Sushant Singh join Ravi Agrawal to discuss.
Suggested reading:
Sushant Singh: Manipur Crisis Tests Modi’s India
Michael Kugelman: India Steps Up Diplomacy With Myanmar
Sushant Singh: Modi Can’t Look Away From Manipur
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8/18/2023 • 44 minutes, 30 seconds
Is Bidenomics Working?
Inflation is slowing, unemployment remains low, and a recession is now considered unlikely. And the Biden administration is taking credit, citing its economic policies—Bidenomics—as the reason. But is that true? And have these policies followed through on their promise?
White House economist Heather Boushey debates Ravi Agrawal on the merits of Bidenomics and how to strengthen the American middle class.
Suggested reading:
Adam Posen: America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up
James C. Capretta: The New Washington Consensus on Trade is Wrong
Ravi Agrawal: The White House’s Case for Industrial Policy
Adam Tooze: The Mixed Bag of Bidenomics
Ravi Agrawal: ‘De-Risking is Consulting Gibberish’
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8/11/2023 • 44 minutes, 18 seconds
Ro Khanna’s Plan to Reset the U.S.-China Relationship
The White House’s China policy needs a reset. So says Rep. Ro Khanna, who has a plan to rebalance trade ties with Beijing and reduce tensions. Host Ravi Agrawal quizzes Khanna on China, the war in Ukraine, India, and more.
Foreign Policy Live will be holding an ask-me-anything later this summer. Send in your questions to podcasts@foreignpolicy.com or by visiting foreignpolicy.com/live.
Suggested reading:
Melissa Morgan: Congressman Ro Khanna Addresses Intersection of America’s Economy and U.S.-China Geopolitical Challenges
Gregory W. Meeks: Anti-China Rhetoric Distracts Washington—and Boosts Beijings
A. Wess Mitchell: Why Biden’s China Reset Is a Bad Idea
Reid Smith: Why the U.S.-China ‘Cold War’ Framing Is So Dangerous
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8/4/2023 • 49 minutes, 44 seconds
Has China Peaked?
Will China keep on rising? Or has it reached a peak? The answer to this question is crucial because it determines how countries should deal with Beijing. But there’s no clear consensus. Scholars Michael Beckley and Keyu Jin join FP’s Ravi Agrawal to debate opposite perspectives on China’s trajectory.
Foreign Policy Live will be holding an ask-me-anything later this summer. Send in your questions to podcasts@foreignpolicy.com.
Suggested reading:
Hal Brands: The Dangers of China’s Decline
Hal Brands: China Is a Declining Power—and That’s the Problem
Robert A. Manning: The U.S. Doesn’t Need China’s Collapse to Win
Howard W. French: A Shrinking China Can’t Overtake America
Ravi Agrawal: Has China Peaked?
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7/28/2023 • 51 minutes, 44 seconds
Assessing Kyiv’s Counteroffensive
It’s been a mixed summer for Ukraine. Kyiv’s counteroffensive is progressing slowly, and the country was stymied in its bid to join NATO. But Russia has suffered military setbacks, and the West continues to offer Ukraine important security guarantees. Andrea Kendall-Taylor joins FP Live host Ravi Agrawal to discuss the latest in the war and assess where things might head next. Kendall-Taylor is the director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for New American Security.
Suggested reading:
Simon Sebag Montefiore: Putin’s Fear of Strong Generals Is as Old as Russia Itself
Anastasia Edel: Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire
Jack Detsch: Wagner Mutiny Rattles the Kremlin’s War in Ukraine
Stephen M. Walt: Cluster Bombs and the Contradictions of Liberalism
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7/21/2023 • 44 minutes, 4 seconds
The Scramble for AI
The world’s most powerful countries are racing to dominate artificial intelligence. Who will win? The answer might lie in who controls high-end chips—and the critical metals behind them. Paul Scharre, the author of Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, describes this competition in FP’s new Summer 2023 print issue and joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss how AI will shape geopolitics for years to come.
Suggested reading:
Paul Scharre: AI’s Gatekeepers Aren’t Prepared for What’s Coming
Stanley McChrystal: AI Has Entered the Situation Room
Sasha Polakow-Suransky: Can ChatGPT Explain Geopolitics?
Alondra Nelson: How to Regulate AI
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7/14/2023 • 47 minutes, 46 seconds
NATO and the War in Ukraine
World leaders will gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week for NATO’s annual summit. Will Sweden be accepted into the security alliance? Will member states offer security guarantees for Ukraine? Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen joins host Ravi Agrawal for insights.
Suggested reading:
FP Contributors: NATO’s Next Decade
Elisabeth Braw: Sweden Is Doing Fine in NATO’s Waiting Room
Poll: U.S. Elites Agree on NATO Enlargement
Sinan Ciddi: Will Erdogan Finally Ratify Sweden’s NATO Accession? No One Knows.
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7/7/2023 • 44 minutes, 16 seconds
Inside the U.S.-China Tech War
Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing chips. In response, China has accelerated its own efforts to develop its technological industry and reduce its dependence on external imports.
Where is U.S.-China tech competition headed? How are other countries being impacted as a result? Technology expert Dan Wang, who was known for his yearly reflections on China when living in Shanghai, joins FP Live host Ravi Agrawal.
Suggested reading:
Dan Wang: 2022 Letter
Dan Wang: 2021 Letter
Jon Bateman: Biden Is Now All-In on Taking Out China
Agathe Demarais: How the U.S.-Chinese Technology War Is Changing the World
Rishi Iyengar and Liam Scott: What the ChatGPT Moment Means for U.S.-China Tech Competition
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6/30/2023 • 43 minutes, 10 seconds
Is India Taking Advantage of America?
In its geopolitical struggle with China, the thinking goes, the United States can rely on India as a key partner. Longtime U.S. policymaker and India analyst Ashley Tellis disagrees: He argues that New Delhi is likely to do only what serves its interests, and that Washington should beware. Is he right? Tellis debates FP Live host Ravi Agrawal.
Suggested reading:
Ashley Tellis: America’s Bad Bet on India
C. Raja Mohan: For Biden and Modi, Interests Prevail Over Ideology
Rishi Iyengar: Why India and the U.S. Are Closer Than Ever
Sushant Singh: Modi Can’t Look Away From Manipur
Ramachandra Guha: The Cult of Modi
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6/23/2023 • 49 minutes, 42 seconds
Why Taiwan Has a Lock on the World’s Chip Market
Nearly 90 percent of the advanced semiconductor chips that power the modern world, from high-end smartphones to weapons systems, are made by one company in Taiwan. This monopoly has a profound impact on geopolitics and the global economy. How did we get to this point? And does any other country or company stand a chance at breaking in? To discuss this and much more, FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined by Chris Miller, the author of Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology.
Suggested reading:
Rishi Iyengar: Who Will Make the Chips?
Howard W. French: The Risks of the CHIPS Act No One’s Talking About
Elisabeth Braw: Taiwan Needs Business Help to Harden Its Economy Against China
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6/16/2023 • 27 minutes, 1 second
Are Europe and the United States Aligned on China?
A shaky U.S.-China relationship was on display at last weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue security conference. What does it mean for Europe? Ravi Agrawal is joined by James Palmer, author of Foreign Policy’s China Brief, and Cindy Yu, host of the Chinese Whispers podcast and assistant editor at the Spectator, to discuss how Brussels and Washington differ in their approaches to China—and how Beijing could exploit that dynamic.
Suggested reading:
James Palmer: Why Beijing Won’t Engage With Washington
Reid Smith: Why the U.S.-China ‘Cold War’ Framing Is So Dangerous
Rishi Iyengar and Robbie Gramer: The U.S. and China Are Caught in a Technology Trap
Hal Brands: The Battle for Eurasia
Ravi Agrawal: How Europe is Navigating a Fraught U.S.-China Relationship
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6/9/2023 • 42 minutes, 39 seconds
Is AI Out of Control?
The rise of artificial intelligence presents both challenges and opportunities for policymakers, prompting questions of how it should be regulated by governments. FP’s editor in chief Ravi Agrawal is joined by Alondra Nelson, a former White House official and the mind behind the Biden administration’s “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.”
Suggested reading:
Bhaskar Chakravorti: Big Tech’s Stranglehold on Artificial Intelligence Must Be Regulated
Howard French: Only Humility Can Save Us From AI
Rishi Iyengar: The Global Race to Regulate AI
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6/2/2023 • 42 minutes, 11 seconds
Why Ukraine Is Wooing the Global South
It’s well known that the West has rallied to support Kyiv and punish Moscow right from the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But large parts of the developing world—the so-called global south—have chosen to stay neutral. In fact, China has reaffirmed its friendship with Russia, and New Delhi has dramatically ramped up oil imports from Moscow. What should Kyiv do in response? Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova recently visited India to make a case for why the world should care about the conflict in her country. She joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss her global diplomatic push and how she views offers of mediation from countries like Brazil and China.
Suggested reading:
Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer: Ukraine’s Next Big Diplomatic Offensive Is in the Global South
Angela Stent: The West vs. The Rest
C. Raja Mohan: Why Non-Alignment Is Dead and Won’t Return
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5/26/2023 • 32 minutes, 57 seconds
Has Ukraine’s Spring Offensive Already Begun?
Is the next phase of the war in Ukraine upon us? Rand Corp. expert Dara Massicot joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss Kyiv’s much-anticipated spring offensive and how Moscow might respond.
Suggested reading:
Dmytro Kuleba: 5 Reasons Ukraine Should Get F-16 Jets
Robbie Gramer: Ukraine Is Knock, Knock, Knocking on NATO’s Door
Russia’s Boom Business Goes Bust
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5/19/2023 • 42 minutes, 25 seconds
Is America’s China Policy Shifting?
Recent statements by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have dominated discussions in political circles in Washington. Is America’s China policy shifting? Is the White House adapting its approach based on feedback from Europe? FP executive editor Amelia Lester is joined by reporters Christina Lu, Jack Detsch, and Robbie Gramer for a wide-ranging discussion on U.S.-China relations.
Suggested reading:
Robbie Gramer and Christina Lu: Washington’s China Hawks Take Flight
Christina Lu: Washington Doesn’t Want You to Call It Decoupling
Adam Tooze: America Has Dictated Its Economic Peace Terms to China
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5/12/2023 • 37 minutes, 18 seconds
The Most Important Election in 2023?
After 20 years in power, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a tough reelection on May 14. High inflation and an earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people have created a political opening for opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. What are the dynamics shaping this election? And what would a change of leadership in Ankara mean for the world?
Host Ravi Agrawal is joined by FP columnist Steven Cook and Gonul Tol, author of Erdogan’s War.
Suggested reading:
Reuben Silverman: What Happens When a Turkish President Loses an Election? No One Knows.
Steven A. Cook: What if Kemal Kilicdaroglu Wins Turkey’s Election?
Halil Karaveli: Turkey’s Opposition Can’t Win Without the Working Class
Gonul Tol: Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria
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5/5/2023 • 45 minutes, 3 seconds
John Kerry on the Climate Crisis
A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sounded the alarm once again that the time to act is now if the global community hopes to limit the effects of climate change. But is there sufficient political will across countries to implement the necessary policies? And how should top polluters—such as the United States and China—be held to account?
FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry to discuss this and much more.
Suggested reading:
Thom Woodroofe: A Partnership to Save the Planet
Scott Moore: The U.S. Can Steal China’s Climate Leadership Crown
Adam Tooze: Should the World Adjust Its Climate Targets
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4/28/2023 • 43 minutes, 12 seconds
Inside the White House’s Defense Strategy
In early April, the U.S. government became aware that classified documents had been shared widely online, in what is considered to be the most damaging national security leak since Edward Snowden. How will the Biden administration respond?
This week, FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined by Colin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, to discuss the recent leaks, U.S. strategy in Ukraine, China, and beyond.
Suggested reading:
Rishi Iyengar: Biden Wants to Reboot America’s Cyber Defenses
Colin Kahl: ‘We’re All In’ on Supporting Ukraine
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4/21/2023 • 55 minutes, 27 seconds
Larry Summers on China, Russia, and the Global Economy
Could the United States enter a recession this year? Renowned economist Larry Summers thinks such a scenario is more likely than not. He also thinks the United States’ increasingly hawkish China policy is dangerous for the world. Summers discusses all that and more with host Ravi Agrawal.
FP subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
Suggested reading:
Jessica Chen Weiss: Is America’s China Policy Too Hawkish?
Adam Tooze: Why a Soft Landing Is Possible Even if It Defies Economic Theory
Agathe Demarais: Don’t Trust Russia’s Numbers
Adam Posen: America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up
Eswar Prasad: The World Will Regret Its Retreat From Globalization
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4/14/2023 • 36 minutes, 47 seconds
Ukraine’s Spring Offensive
Russia’s winter offensive in Ukraine was largely a bust. Now, it’s Kyiv’s turn to strike back. What can its army achieve, and what help does it need from the West? Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to game out what happens next, plus how Beijing is viewing the conflict.
FP subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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4/7/2023 • 35 minutes, 58 seconds
What Made in America Means for the World
In a Foreign Policy essay that is being much discussed by policymakers this week, Adam Posen argues that U.S. industrial policy is needlessly protectionist—and is likely to backfire. Why does he think Washington has it wrong? And how did we get here? Posen discusses and debates his ideas with host Ravi Agrawal.
FP subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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3/31/2023 • 42 minutes, 3 seconds
Ehud Barak, Israel’s former Prime Minister
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent move to overhaul the judiciary branch has prompted weeks of protests. Critics are calling this moment a constitutional crisis, one that could jeopardize the future of what many consider to be the Middle East’s only democracy. FP’s editor in chief Ravi Agrawal is joined by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, one of the top voices protesting this move, to hear more.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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3/24/2023 • 31 minutes, 11 seconds
The Catch
Every now and then, we’ll introduce you to some of our other podcasts in this feed. If you like them, you can subscribe directly; if not, we’ll have a fresh FP Live episode for you soon. This week, try out a sample of season two of The Catch, a Foreign Policy podcast in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation. Host Ruxandra Guidi travels to the upper gulf of California to hear from shrimp fishers and local experts on how conservation efforts to save an endangered porpoise is shaping their local economy.
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3/21/2023 • 23 minutes
America’s Role in Helping Ukraine
With the help of Western allies, Ukraine has been able to hold off Russian forces for over a year. And with winter coming to an end, experts are now looking at potential outcomes to what could become a prolonged conflict. This week, Ravi Agrawal is joined by Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, to gauge options that Western policymakers are currently weighing.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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3/17/2023 • 39 minutes, 8 seconds
Is America’s China Policy Too Hawkish?
It’s rare in Washington for Democrats and Republicans to agree on anything. And yet, when it comes to countering China’s rise, both parties are gravitating towards a more aggressive stance. Anyone who diverges from this is accused of being too sympathetic to China.
FP Live’s guest this week is a prominent voice arguing for a more measured approach. China expert and former State Department staffer Jessica Chen Weiss joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to share her concerns.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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3/10/2023 • 37 minutes, 35 seconds
Is the World De-Globalizing?
With international trade still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries are turning inward by prioritizing domestic investments over global trade. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act and U.S. President Joe Biden’s calls to “Buy American” have prompted accusations of “protectionism” from leaders in Asia and Europe.
FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to discuss the Biden administration’s economic policies and whether these initiatives create unfair competition.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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3/3/2023 • 31 minutes, 54 seconds
Russia’s War in Ukraine, One Year On
This week marks exactly one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. There is now little doubt that Putin failed in his initial goals. But can the West stay united in helping Ukraine? Host and FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal is joined by top Russia experts Angela Stent and Michael Kofman to analyze the state of the two countries’ militaries and where the course of war may go from here.
Angela Stent is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Michael Kofman is the program director at the Center for Naval Analyseis.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
And as you know, this feed includes episodes from previous FP shows. You can clean your feed and see just FP Live episodes in two quick steps. On Apple Podcasts, click on the button with the three dots at the top of the FP Live page and select “Remove downloads.”
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2/24/2023 • 43 minutes, 55 seconds
Israel’s Constitutional Crisis
Protests erupted in Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. Experts warn that this move could lead to a constitutional crisis. To better understand how this could impact U.S.-Israel relations, regional stability, peace with the Palestinians, and much more, FP’s Dan Ephron is joined by Amir Tibon, senior editor at Haaretz. Ephron is FP’s executive editor for podcasts and former Jerusalem Bureau Chief for Newsweek.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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2/17/2023 • 40 minutes, 33 seconds
Are US Sanctions on Russia Working?
FP’s Ravi Agrawal spoke with two experts on sanctions to find out if they have worked: Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit and author of Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests; and Nicholas Mulder, an assistant professor of history at Cornell University and author of The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War.
FP subscribers can watch or read a condensed version of the interview.
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2/10/2023 • 39 minutes, 22 seconds
Grading Biden's Foreign Policy
Biden Foreign Policy : Two years into his first term, how has U.S. President Joe Biden fared on foreign policy? FP’s Ravi Agrawal discusses the Biden administration’s foreign-policy successes and failures, with Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Nadia Schadlow, a former U.S. deputy national security advisor for strategy.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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2/3/2023 • 31 minutes, 13 seconds
Introducing FP Live
Join FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal each week for insightful conversations with leading experts in world affairs.
Foreign Policy subscribers can watch these interviews live and submit questions and suggestions by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/live/.
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