John Bew: The Davos world is over
Jan 22, 2026•51 min
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Summary
In this interview, Professor John Bew discusses the profound global uncertainty highlighted by the Davos summit, questioning the viability of the "rules-based international order" and emphasizing the new internal ruptures within the Western alliance, particularly concerning Trump's actions on Greenland and tariffs. He advocates for a nuanced, realistic foreign policy and stresses the urgent need for the UK to reacquire national power to navigate an increasingly turbulent and unpredictable world, facing potential future conflicts.Episode description
In this exclusive interview, UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers speaks with Professor John Bew - leading historian and chief foreign policy advisor to the last four UK Prime Ministers – about the friction caused by the Trump administration's push to acquire Greenland and the resulting panic within the Western alliance. Set against the backdrop of the 2026 Davos summit, the conversation confronts the 'break glass' moment facing Western leaders and explores the uncomfortable reality of our current era: Will the UK shift from economic dependency toward restoring its own national power to navigate a scary new era of ‘bully powers’? Is the Western alliance truly over, or can a nuanced and multi-layered approach preserve the core security frameworks that have defined the last 80 years? How should middle powers respond when the United States - the traditional guarantor of global norms - begins to operate under a pre-1945 logic of annexation and unilateral tariffs? And could a new Northern European alliance provide the necessary leverage to protect sovereign interests in an increasingly bipolar world?
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