Sep 10, 2026

The US and China have plenty of reasons to avoid a war, but international relations historian Odd Arne Westad says the years before World War I show how quickly tensions between great powers can escalate. Westad joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what could trigger a wider conflict, why economic ties may not be enough...

Aug 20, 2026

More than 300 million people need emergency humanitarian support as some of the world’s biggest donors scale back their aid. Mercy Corps CEO Tjada McKenna joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss who steps in when governments pull back, whether new donors, private capital, or advancing technology can help fill the gap, and...

Aug 13, 2026

Nearly five years after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, former US Ambassador Ryan Crocker joins Leslie Vinjamuri to reflect on America’s longest war and what its ending revealed about American power. Crocker argues that the withdrawal emboldened America’s adversaries and sent a dangerous message about...

Aug 6, 2026

Five months after the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began, Council on Foreign Relations’ Edward Fishman joins Leslie Vinjamuri to explain how strategic "chokepoints" — from the Strait of Hormuz to the US dollar — have become powerful tools of geopolitical competition. They discuss what makes...

Jul 30, 2026

Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, takes office amid sluggish growth, political uncertainty, and intensifying global competition. Financial Times columnist and King's College Cambridge Provost Gillian Tett joins Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss what's holding Britain back and what it will take to restore...