FP Live
List of FP Live articles
An Alliance of Autocracies?
Are we witnessing the rise of a new global autocratic bloc? There are growing revelations about North Korea's assistance to Russia in its war in Ukraine, just as there is evidence of cooperation between Iran and Russia. What does it mean for the wars in Europe and the Middle East? How does China fit in? FP’s Ravi Agrawal will get to the heart of this budding alliance with Barbara Slavin and Chung Min Lee.
One Year On: The World After Oct. 7
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel and set in motion a cycle of violence that has rocked the Middle East. Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East advisor, joined FP Live to look back—and ahead.
A New South African Foreign Policy?
The African National Congress party lost its outright majority to govern South Africa. What might that do to the country’s long-standing policy of “nonalignment”? FP’s Ravi Agrawal sat down with Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s foreign minister. They discuss South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, how the country manages its relationship with its BRICS partner Russia, and its leadership role in Africa.
Inside the U.N. General Assembly
As world leaders congregate at the United Nations for annual meetings this week, they will find a global body increasingly paralyzed by disagreements between big powers. Is the U.N. too divided to be effective? Veteran U.N. watcher Richard Gowan joined FP Live to explore the future of decision-making on the Palestinians, Ukraine, and other key issues.
H.R. McMaster on America’s Foreign-Policy Choices
H.R. McMaster served as former President Donald Trump’s national security advisor for all of 13 months. In a new book, At War With Ourselves, he candidly describes his old boss’s foreign-policy foibles. But McMaster is also critical of the Biden administration, particularly how it has handled Afghanistan and Iran. McMaster joined FP Live to describe how he assesses global crises and what the White House needs to do to combat them.
NATO’s Future
After a decade as the secretary-general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg will step down from his job on Oct. 1. How has Russia’s aggression transformed the world’s largest military alliance? How is that alliance assessing challenges in the future, from China or artificial intelligence? Stoltenberg sat down with host Ravi Agrawal for an exit interview.
A Future for Palestinian Statehood?
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Israel and Hamas are reaching the “last opportunity” to come to a cease-fire. But even a plan that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops and considerable humanitarian aid may merely be a return to the status quo. Have long-term peace goals been abandoned? FP’s Ravi Agrawal was joined in conversation by Salam Fayyad, the former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
What We’re Learning About Harris’s Foreign Policy
On Aug. 22 at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris will take the stage to officially accept her party’s nomination. After a week of speeches, will a new Democratic foreign policy take shape? FP’s Ravi Agrawal was joined by Anne-Marie Slaughter, the CEO of New America and a former head of the U.S. State Department’s policy planning team, and Matt Duss, a former foreign-policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Could Civil War Erupt in America?
From Northern Ireland to Syria, Barbara F. Walter has studied the genesis of civil wars around the world. The conditions that foment conflict are predictable, she says—and there are signs that those conditions are growing increasingly visible in the United States. Can citizens and institutions stave off violence? Walter joined FP Live to lay out lessons for the United States in a crucial election year.
The China Challenge
The United States has undergone a dramatic change in its China policy in the last decade. How does that play out in day-to-day diplomacy? Nicholas Burns has served as the U.S. ambassador to China since 2022. He will sit down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal in a rare long-form interview to discuss the state of the U.S.-China relationship, encompassing trade, technology, Taiwan, and more.
How Trump and Harris Compare on Economic Policy
How do the economic policy agendas of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump compare? Economist Adam Posen joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss how the next president of the United States will impact the global economy.
What Iran Might Do Next
Fears of all-out conflict in the Middle East have grown since Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in an Iranian guesthouse on July 31. With a new president only recently inaugurated in Tehran, how will Iran respond? Leading Iran scholar Trita Parsi joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal in conversation to discuss new threats of escalation, as well as the regional implications.
Decoding Trump’s Foreign-Policy Plans
If Republican nominee Donald Trump becomes the next president of the United States, how will he design his foreign policy? Which advisors will he lean on? Elbridge Colby was a Pentagon official under former President Trump. Today, he argues that the Biden administration’s foreign policy isn’t delivering. Instead, he contends, U.S. foreign-policy strategy should put Americans first. Colby joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an in-depth conversation.
Aspen Security Forum: The View From Singapore
Few countries in the world are as adept at interpreting China’s foreign policy as Singapore. At this year’s Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, FP’s Ravi Agrawal sat down with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen. The two discussed the U.S.-China relationship as well as American soft power in Southeast Asia.
Is Canada Free-Riding on Defense?
Amid Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, most NATO members are upping their defense spending to a minimum of 2 percent of their respective GDPs. Canada is increasingly seen as lagging behind. FP’s Ravi Agrawal asked Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair about his nation's spending.
