Ukraine is left looking on as America brings Russia back into the fold and Trump tests constitutional limits at home. New York Times columnist Masha Gessen joins Christiane to discuss the threats of rising authoritarianism in the US and abroad. Also on today's show: Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas; Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi; Democratic congresswoman Jahana Hayes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Ukraine has been fighting for its freedom for 1,093 days and must now contend not only with Russia but a reversal in US foreign policy, as the new administration welcomes Vladimir Putin back into the fold. Boris Bondarev was a diplomat who quit his post and denounced the Putin regime after the invasion of Ukraine. He joined the show from Geneva to give us the Russian view of things. Also on today's show: US Senate Democrat Elissa Slotkin; author Bernadette Atuahene Learn more about your ad choic...
We are seeing a shift in US and Russia's relations as high-level talks take place in Saudi Arabia, with both countries agreeing to "work through the conflict in Ukraine." Wendy Sherman was Deputy Secretary of State in the Biden administration and was among the last American diplomats to negotiate with Russian officials on the eve of their 2022 invasion. She joins Christiane from DC. Also on today's show: Ruth Margalit, Contributing writer, The New York Times Magazine; Brendan Ballou, Former Fede...
For the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ssenior Russian and American officials are meeting to discuss what comes next. The exclusion of Kyiv and European allies at this early stage is causing concern in the continent most impacted by this war, and fears are growing that President Trump, eager for a quick deal, will give away too much. Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins the show from Kyiv to discuss, followed by Andrea Kendall Taylor, Senior Fellow and Director of the ...
Europe, Ukraine and much of the world is reeling after senior American officials sent a clear message at the Munich Security Conference: European security is no longer an American priority. The United States' new direction is already underway, as high-level Russian and American teams arrive in Saudi Arabia this week for bilateral talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Notably absent is Ukraine itself. President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Saudi Arabia this week but he is not part of the negotiati...
As NATO allies and Ukraine wait anxiously to know exactly how President Trump plans to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, Christiane sits down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference, where the stakes this year couldn't be higher. With vital USAID activities on the Trump-Musk chopping block, Christiane speaks with James Kunder, former deputy administrator of USAID under George W. Bush about the global fallout of the gutting of America's largest foreign aid organ...
Last week, President Donald Trump signed a directive "restoring maximum pressure" on Iran while signaling he's open to reaching a new deal with Tehran. Vali Nasr and Elliot Abram are two former state department officials who have served Democrat and Republican Presidents, and they join Christiane to discuss this issue. Also on today's show: actor Fernanda Torres and director Walter Salles discuss the Oscar-nominated Brazilian film "I'm Still Here"; physician and contributing writer for The New Y...
More than six million people could die from HIV and AIDS in the next four years if the US pulls its global funding for programs, according to the UN AIDS agency. Thandiwe Mhlambi is part of a program that reduces the risk of HIV among girls and empowers them economically. She joins Christiane from Johannesburg, South Africa. Also on today's show: James Kunder, Former Deputy Administrator, USAID; Robert Lighthizer, Former US Trade Representative; Joe Wright, Director, "Mussolini: Son of the Centu...
Today President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a 90-minute phone call, making him the first American leader to speak with his Russian counterpart Putin's invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Meanwhile at NATO headquarters, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear the US no longer wants to take the lead protecting Ukraine and poured cold water on some of Kyiv's bottom lines for peace negotiations. Richard Haass served for years in senior positions at the State Department before h...
President Trump met with Jordan's King Abdullah today as the region faces yet another moment of crisis over the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, the US president is doubling down on his controversial proposal to permanently relocate the majority of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. Correspondent Jeremy Diamond has the latest from Tel Aviv. Also on today's show: veteran Egyptian diplomat Hossam Zaki; former White House health policy adviser Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel; Harvard Law...
Just one week after President Trump reached an agreement to delay a trade spat with neighbors Canada and Mexico, he announced 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. As America’s largest supplier of steel, Canada could be hit particularly hard. It's something we see firsthand in a special report from the manufacturing heart of Ontario. Also on today's show: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear; director Shiori Ito ("Black Box Diaries"); author Marietje Schaake ("The Tech Coup") Learn more about...
Trump and Musk are all but razing the U.S. federal government. This week, USAID, a critical arm of U.S. soft power around the world was effectively dismantled and a purge of the FBI and CIA appear well underway. Christiane speaks with Matthew Bartlett, former Trump appointee to the State Department about the President's latest shake-up in Washington. Then, as the White House walks back some of Trump's comments about Gaza's future, while regional powers outright reject his proposal, Mustafa Bargh...
At midnight tonight, USAID puts almost all of its staff on administrative leave. Elon Musk says the agency, which is crucial to the survival of millions of people around the world, is being fed "into the woodchipper." This action would transform the US and its traditional role on the global stage. Matthew Bartlett was appointed to the State Department by President Trump during his first term, and he joins the show from DC. Also on today's show: Oscar-nominated actor Mikey Madison ("Anora"); Jona...
Israel is all in on President Trump's proposal to clear out and take over Gaza. But many Palestinians in Gaza are saying very clearly that they're not going anywhere. Tom Fletcher is the United Nations' top humanitarian official and joins from inside Gaza. Jennifer Mittelstadt, Professor of History, Rutgers University; Gillian Metzger, Professor of Constitutional Law, Columbia Law School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
It was the proposal heard, and roundly rejected, around the world: Hours after President Trump, with Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, said the United States should not only take control of Gaza, but with the Israeli Prime Minister at his side and called for the permanent removal of the Palestinian population. Mustafa Barghouti, President of the Palestinian National Initiative Party, joins Christiane from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Also on today's show: Prince Turki Al Faisal, Former Saud...
The future of the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets President Donald Trump at the White House today. The US president is eager to see the war over, while Netanyahu, for various reasons, might be intent on continuing the fight. Amos Harel is a military analyst for Ha'aretz and he joins the program from Tel Aviv. Also on today's show: Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, Medecins Sans Frontieres; Director RaMell Ross ("Nickel Boys"); Karoun Demirjian, reporter, Th...
President Trump is putting America's economy front and center, threatening sweeping tariffs on goods from America's three biggest trade partners. Trump has since reached a temporary agreement with Mexico to pause tariffs for one month in exchange for ten thousand Mexican troops being sent to the border. Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Trump today and is expected to keep negotiating. Canada's former Foreign Minister John Baird joins the show from Toronto. Also on toda...
Less than two weeks into Donald Trump's second term, the president is flooding the zone with executive orders, testing the very institutions that uphold democracy. The question now is how far can Trump bend these democratic institutions before they break? To find out, Christiane spoke to Princeton Professor and autocracy expert Kim Lane Scheppele and Norm Eisen, a former counsel to the House Judiciary Committee and U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Then, as hundreds of thousands of Palestin...
Donald Trump's unprecedented power grab since regaining the presidency challenges the strength of democratic institutions to act as checks and balances. It's the kind of struggle that Norm Eisen and Kim Lane Scheppele have observed closely outside America. Eisen was US Ambassador to the Czech Republic and served as a counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, and Princeton professor Scheppele worked as a researcher at the Hungarian constitutional court. They join the show to discuss their recent ...
A massive recovery is underway in Washington's Potomac river after a passenger aircraft carrying 64 people collided midair with an army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board. Authorities say there are no survivors. Aviation expert Miles O'Brien joins Christiane to discuss what happened and the rescue efforts. Also on today's show: Gina McCarthy, Former EPA Administrator/ Fmr White National Climate Advisor; actors Jessica Hecht & Bill Irwin ("Eureka Day"); Anne Neuberger, Fmr. De...
Donald Trump's attempt earlier this week to freeze all federal aid triggered chaos and confusion. As with many of the president's actions so far, it's unclear whether he even had the executive authority to make such an order. Today, the order was abruptly rescinded. But what does this tell us about Trump's strategy? Democratic Senator from Maryland Chris Van Hollen sits on the Appropriations Committee, and joins Christiane from Washington to discuss. Also on today's show: Oliver McTernan, Co-Fou...
"Drill, baby, drill" is not just a slogan that Donald Trump ran on, but a clear policy goal his first week in office. With a flurry of executive orders, his administration is trying to yank the US out of the Paris Climate Accords again, undo Biden-era green investment, and undermine efforts to pursue environmental justice. Benji Backer is a conservative environmental activist who believes that climate should be a non-partisan issue, and Lisa Friedman reports on climate policy and politics for th...
80 years ago today, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi death camps, marking the beginning of the end of the Holocaust. Some of those who survived the Holocaust later survived the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, including Zvi Solow, who fled Poland, Italy, and Greece during World War II. He speaks to Paula Newton from southern Israel. Also on today's show: Zahra Joya, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Rukhshana Media; Jonathan Blitzer, Staff Writer, The New Yorker Learn more...
In his first week back in office, President Trump's strong arm is already making itself felt around the world — with the United States pulling out of the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Accords, imposing tariffs on China and the Americas, and pledging to end wars while threatening territorial annexations. Christiane talked to Sir John Sawers, former MI6 chief and UK ambassador to the UN, about what this shift means for where the world is headed. Then, as the State Department experien...
As week one of Trump 2.0 wraps up, a new era of American diplomacy begins. Inside the State Department, one former ambassador reportedly describes "deep despair" over Trump loyalists being promoted regardless of age or experience, with a wave of long-serving senior diplomats either quitting or retiring. Former State Department official Josh Paul joins the program to discuss what this seismic shift means for America's standing in the world. Also on today's show: Director Mike Leigh and actor Mari...
The Trump administration is moving with lightning speed to crack down on immigration in the US, effectively closing the country to asylum seekers while laying the groundwork to deport migrants already in the country. David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, which assists people fleeing conflict and disaster, joins the show from Davos to discuss. Also on today's show: Columbia School of Journalism Dean Jelani Cobb; Harvard Law School Professor Noah Feldman Learn more about your ...
With a sweep of his pen, President Trump is issuing executive orders, changing the federal government, fulfilling campaign promises and settling scores. It's only been two days, and Trump has already withdrawn, again, from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. He's also ordered all government maps and documents to rename the Gulf of Mexico, and has threatened tariffs on Mexico, China, and now Russia. John Sawers, who formerly led Britain's spy agency MI6 and served as th...
We're just two days into Donald Trump's second term, and the 47th President has already signed dozens of sweeping executive orders, targeting everything from climate regulations to TikTok, diversity equality and inclusion programs, to refugee admission. Trump has also issues pardons for more than a thousand people charged or convicted in the 2021 riots, including those who assaulted police and destroyed property. Correspondent Kevin Liptak is following all of this from Washington DC and joins th...
Donald Trump is president once again, completing a remarkable political comeback. David Frum, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and now staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the show from Washington DC to dissect President Trump’s inaugural address. Also on today's show: Imani Perry, Professor of African & African American Studies, Harvard University; Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Just before a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas, Christiane sat down with Biden’s top diplomat, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his final television interview. She asked him about the details of the deal, calls from Israeli ministers to resettle Gaza, criticism of IDF conduct, and America’s role in Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. Blinken also shares his concerns about passing the baton to Trump and Marco Rubio, just days before Donald Trump takes the oat...
