Podcast

History echoes as the US increases pressure on Cuba once again. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss Cuba’s unique place in American geopolitics, the cause and potential outcome of the current crisis, and how Cuba fits into the US’s new Western Hemisphere strategy. Also: Cuban parallels to other island nations.

With the US, Russia, China, and Europe all at strategic crossroads, the new global geopolitical order is starting to show itself. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss Russia’s internal crises and strategic pivot, the upcoming summit and future of US-China rapprochement, and how Europe is critical not only to Russia’s future but to the entire global system.

Is Putin looking to Trump for a lifeline? How does last week’s phone call between the leaders actually signal Russian weakness? On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the geopolitical implications of the meeting, Russia’s economic deterioration and internal instability, and what a post-Putin Russia might look like. Also: US troop withdrawals and shifting global alliances.

How do global economic structures help nations maintain internal stability while projecting strategic power? In this exclusive clip of our latest ClubGPF’s Podcast+ episode, Senior Analyst and Chief GeoEconomist Antonia Colibasanu joins host Christian Smith for a primer on geoeconomics, a discussion on the statecraft at play at the Strait of Hormuz and in US tariff policy, and to introduce Geopolitical Futures’ new product, GeoEconomic Lens.

What does the multi-billion-dollar warship deal between Japan and Australia say about the new geopolitical order forming in the Pacific? On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the landmark defense cooperation, its impact on regional power dynamics, and how it may alter the posture of major players like China and the US. Also discussed: the future of oil dependency.

A ceasefire is in place, but negotiations are once again breaking down over the conflict in Iran. Are we any closer to a long-term solution? On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the stalled negotiations, the impacts of the US blockade on Iranian ports, and why this new strategy could be more about China than Iran for Donald Trump.

The return of humans to space with the Artemis II's orbit around the moon has captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world. While exploratory space travel enthralls the public, the geopolitics of space and its implications for war are something much less understood. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss satellites, potential space warfare tactics, the strategic value of the moon, and why we went there in the first place.

As we enter the second month of war in the Middle East, bombs continue to fly, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens a global crisis. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the military pressures facing Washington and Tehran, the expanding scope of the conflict, and what it can tell us about the future of war.

With the long-awaited meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping delayed until May, all eyes are on the two giants and the long shadow they cast on the Iran war and the world at large. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss China’s strategic restraint in the Middle East, economic fragility and rapprochement with the US, and the importance of Taiwan.

The US-Israeli war with Iran has no end in sight as strikes on both sides continue. With Iran’s capitulation failing to materialize and the IRGC’s true strength revealed, the conflict is in a state of evolution. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss shifting US war aims, the rising price of oil as the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint, and just how long this all might last.

As war rages in the Middle East, the future of Iran remains an open question. The same can be said for Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been taking place for more than a week. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith is joined by Senior Analyst Hilal Khashan for a ground-level perspective on the escalating conflict in Lebanon, and to explore the broader regional impacts of the Iran war.

The ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began over the weekend, come after a protracted period of tension, negotiations and military build-up. Tehran has now said it will attack U.S. assets in the region in response to the U.S. and Israeli strikes, which killed several top Iranian officials and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. So why, in a world where the U.S. is trying to withdraw from anything outside the Western Hemisphere, does the U.S. still care about Iran? Talking Geopolitics host Christian Smith is joined by GPF Chairman George Friedman to discuss how we got here, intelligence failures, and the future of the Iranian regime, which could look quite different or remain just a new version of the same.