The Bosnian War in the early 1990s was at the time the bloodiest conflict on European soil since World War II. Some 100,000 people were killed and more than 2 million displaced amid widespread ethnic cleansing and massacres. In 1995, the warring parties struck a power-sharing deal in negotiations just outside Dayton, Ohio, in what came to be known as the Dayton Accords. But the deal didn’t really resolve the underlying problems. Bosnia continues to be plagued by ethnic division, and the country’...
May 21, 2025•39 min
The United States and China took a step back this week from their trade war, announcing that tariffs imposed just a few weeks ago would be slashed significantly—at least for now. But even as the tension seems to be ebbing, some people in the United States are questioning whether it’s beneficial for the two economies to be intertwined at all. Welcome to Counterpoint . On each episode, we look at one pressing question facing world leaders—from two opposing points of view. Today, we’re tackling the...
May 14, 2025•38 min
The Trump administration has moved quickly to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversees U.S. aid around the world, with major repercussions for food supplies, child poverty, pandemic prevention, and much more. The decision has hit Africa particularly hard. African countries were getting about about 30 percent of U.S. foreign aid annually. While many people in Africa are deeply worried about the cuts, some are wondering if the end of USAID might present a...
May 07, 2025•37 min
South Korea has long relied on the United States for deterrence against its nuclear-armed neighbor, North Korea. But since his reelection, U.S. President Donald Trump has raised questions about Washington’s core commitments around the world. He and members of his cabinet have suggested Washington might withdraw from the Korean Peninsula altogether, or make Seoul pay billions for the defense the U.S. provides, including a nuclear umbrella against Pyongyang. As a result, a majority of Koreans now ...
Apr 30, 2025•43 min
Late last year, Syrian opposition forces captured Damascus and put an end to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian dictator, whose family had ruled the country for more than 50 years, fled to Moscow. Across the country, Syrians celebrated. Assad’s fall exposed the brutality of his regime, including gruesome discoveries in government prisons, tens of thousands of disappeared people, and mass displacement. But the group that replaced it also has a record of violence—and a former affiliation wi...
Apr 23, 2025•35 min•Season 2Ep. 3
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have roiled markets around the world and triggered a full-blown trade war with China. Even after he suspended his so-called reciprocal tariffs, the measures he kept in place are still more dramatic than anything the world has seen in decades. Most economists believe free trade—not tariffs—is the best way to increase global prosperity. But Trump says other countries are taking advantage of the United States. On this episode of Counterpoint , we’ll hear from ...
Apr 16, 2025•45 min
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a cease-fire last month in its war with Turkey, opening the door to a possible peace agreement between the two sides. Some 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has gone on for decades. A deal would be a major win for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—but it’s not at all clear he can pull it off. In fact, he seems to have undermined his own chances by imprisoning the leader of Turkey’s political opposition, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Ima...
Apr 09, 2025•37 min
The Trump administration has upended the U.S. approach to the war in Ukraine, largely siding with Russia as it tries to broker an end to the fighting. With Washington no longer interested in acting as Ukraine’s chief protector, the burden is shifting to Europe. But can it bear the load? To launch Season 2 of Counterpoint , we put that question to Nathalie Tocci and Stephen M. Walt. Tocci is the director of Italy’s Istituto Affari Internazionali and has worked as an advisor to the government of I...
Apr 02, 2025•45 min•Season 2Ep. 1
The world has changed dramatically since we released the first season of Counterpoint just a few months ago. Old alliances are collapsing and core assumptions are being questioned. On this second season of the show, FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is back with eight new debates that help capture the complexities of the moment. Listen in as an international cast of diplomats, journalists, academics, and activists from around the globe argue over the world's most contentious issues. Counte...
Mar 26, 2025•2 min
Over the past few weeks, Taiwan’s military has been on high alert after China deployed warships and fighter jets around the island to conduct unannounced maritime drills. And some are now questioning whether China could be gearing up for a military attack. Foreign Policy Deputy Editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of China studies at Johns Hopkins University and a former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department, and Markus Garlauskas, director of the Indo...
Dec 17, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 8
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump made immigration a cornerstone of his campaign. The question now is what will he actually do? Will he seek to round up and kick 10 million people out of the country on Jan. 21? Will he reconfigure U.S. policy to focus on admitting skilled workers and reducing the number of unskilled migrants? Foreign Policy deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Leah Boustan, a professor of economics at Princeton University and co-author of Streets of Gold: America’s ...
Nov 19, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 7
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America didn’t join the United States and Europe in jumping to Kyiv’s defense. Their leaders wondered why they should oppose Russia’s aggression after watching Washington get away with decades of military interventions from Iraq to Libya, raising the question of whether opposing the use of force somewhere necessitates opposing it everywhere. FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Vijay Prashad, the execu...
Nov 12, 2024•39 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Back in 2016, under a Conservative-led government, Britain shocked the world by voting narrowly to leave the European Union. Fast-forward to today, and the political sands have shifted dramatically. In July, for the first time in 14 years, British voters elected a Labour government. Two weeks later, the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer, signaled his desire for the country to once again grow closer to Europe. And polls now show that if given the choice again, more people would vote to rej...
Nov 05, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 5
For many years, South Africa was seen as a poster child for peaceful reconciliation and the triumph of good over evil. The “Rainbow Nation” image brought tourism, international investment, and major global events such as the 2010 World Cup. But beneath the glitz, there was a darker side: grinding poverty, widespread corruption, violent xenophobia, and close ties with authoritarian regimes. These days, South Africa seems intent on restoring its international image as a moral superpower. FP deputy...
Oct 29, 2024•39 min
In the past few months, the war in Ukraine has taken some dramatic turns. Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russian territory, seizing chunks of Kursk province and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin. Russia retaliated with a number of devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and military facilities and continued to seize more territory in Donetsk. Rather than moving toward a negotiated settlement, the war seems to be escalating. FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Emm...
Oct 22, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 3
On the night of Oct. 1, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel. It was the latest in a deadly tit for tat between the two countries. The regionwide war that the Biden administration doesn’t want now seems to be happening. And for that reason, the idea of taking out Iran’s nuclear program with military strikes seems less theoretical and more like a real possibility. Foreign Policy deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Matt Kroenig, the vice president of the Atlantic Council’s Sco...
Oct 15, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 2
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the start of a war in Gaza that has killed upwards of 40,000 people, many of them civilians. Throughout this conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pursued his own political and military agenda at odds with Washington’s calls for negotiations and de-escalation. Yet the flow of U.S. arms has continued. FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky is joined by Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of...
Oct 08, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Each week, FP deputy editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky and his guests will tackle one pressing question from two opposing points of view. Listen in as an international cast of diplomats, journalists, academics and activists from around the globe debate controversial issues that get to the heart of the world’s biggest dilemmas. This season’s debates include, “Should the United States withhold military aid from Israel?”; “Should the Global South Denounce Russia’s war in Ukraine?”; "Does Maximum Pressu...
Oct 01, 2024•2 min
Global cooperation can often seem broken. On our final episode of Global Reboot , we look at how to reboot international relations for a multipolar era. Multilateral institutions seem increasingly ineffective, and even outdated, as emerging economies demand more of a role and countries form alliances and blocs outside of these institutions. In such a scenario, what can be done to improve cooperation to meet global challenges? Borge Brende joins Global Reboot to discuss this and much more. Brende...
Dec 15, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 8
The “global south” encompasses countries with such varied interests and ideologies that the term may no longer be a useful tool. Yet, if the Western world hopes to counter Russia’s and China’s increasing aggression, rebuilding strong relationships with these countries is more important than ever. C. Raja Mohan is a senior fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi. He joins Ravi Agrawal to discuss how to reengage with the global south and whether the term is even still relevant t...
Dec 08, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 7
The global community has set a goal of preserving thirty percent of our oceans by 2030. How will we reach that goal? And what’s at stake for ocean biodiversity if that target is missed? Monica Medina is the president and CEO of Wildlife Conservation Society, and the former United States' Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources. Global Reboot is produced in partnership with the Doha Forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 01, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 6
2023 is on track to be the worst year on record for refugees. And the figures for internally displaced people—communities forced to move within their own countries to escape conflict or natural disaster—are even worse. How do we fix this? Kelly T. Clements, the deputy high commissioner at the U.N. agency tasked with responding to this crisis, joins Global Reboot to discuss solutions to this growing problem. This episode was recorded as a special live taping in September at the United Nations Gen...
Nov 17, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 5
The world’s first comprehensive piece of legislation regulating artificial intelligence could be on the cusp of being approved. The European Union’s AI Act would set guardrails for the technology without curbing innovation. Eva Maydell, a member of the European Parliament, is one of the act’s key drivers and joins host Ravi Agrawal to share her insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 10, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 4
The trajectory of the U.S.-China relationship has global implications, with most Democrats and Republicans in Congress calling for a more hawkish approach. Rep. Andy Kim disagrees, calling instead for a foreign policy focused more on coalition building. Kim sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. He’s one of the few members of Congress who has visited China. And when speaking with leaders and policymakers from the region, he says they tell him that “the [United States]...
Nov 03, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In her latest book, The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality , science journalist Angela Saini argues that it’s not biology alone that formed the basis for the patriarchy. The history of the patriarchal state is much more complex. For example, one of the most radical attempts to overhaul gender inequality came from an unlikely actor: the Soviet Union. Saini joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss how to reset gender norms in our workplaces, homes, and communities. Global Reboot is produced in partne...
Oct 27, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Rory Stewart is a longtime administrator of foreign aid, from working as a diplomat in the field to the highest levels of government. He now heads GiveDirectly, one of the world’s fastest-growing nonprofits, which is popularizing direct cash transfers as an effective way to alleviate poverty. He joins Global Reboot host Ravi Agrawal to share his insights. Rory Stewart previously served as a cabinet member in the British government and is the host of the popular podcast The Rest is Politics . Glo...
Oct 27, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Global Reboot returns for a new season. Join host and Foreign Policy editor in chief Ravi Agrawal as he talks with top policymakers and thinkers focused on solving the world’s biggest problems. New episodes drop every week starting on Oct. 27. Global Reboot is produced in partnership with the Doha Forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 20, 2023•2 min
BONUS EPISODE: The Doha Debates Podcast —“Financial Future: Is it time to cancel Africa's debts?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 22, 2023•41 min
For much of the 20th century, the United States has toggled between two foreign policy impulses: to actively insert itself in the affairs of the world or to hang back and focus on its own domestic issues. Advocates of the two approaches to international relations have had various designations, including liberals and realists, or interventionists and isolationists. But these days, the world is shifting more dramatically than in decades, with the rise of China as a political and economic power and...
Aug 30, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 8
As countries grappled with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, many turned to global financial agencies for support, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. But in some cases, at least, the agencies’ playbook of reforms and austerity in exchange for loans, no longer seemed suitable. The IMF and the World Bank—along with the United Nations and the world’s other dominant international organizations—were created after World War Two, to serve the gl...
Aug 23, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 7
