Podcast

On this episode of Talking Geopolitics we begin a subscriber-only limited series on some of the key issues in geopolitics today. Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith for a deeper look at the current movements, motives and potential outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the ongoing friction between the US and China.

US government agencies are working hard to choke off illicit flows of fentanyl, with precursor materials originating mainly from thousands of Chinese companies. GPF's Allison Fedirka joined John Batchelor to discuss the US' anti-China stance and its hope for Latin America, who is heavily involved in the drug trade.

What imperatives do both India and France have in the Indian Ocean, and how can they work together to achieve their goals? Antonia Colibasanu joined John Batchelor to discuss the importance of Exclusive Economic Zones and why France is a natural strategic ally to India. In the second segment, updates from Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Deal.

Germany, Europe’s second largest economy, has entered a recession. What are the long- and short- term ramifications within Germany and throughout European and global economies? Ekaterina Zolotova joins John Batchelor to discuss the challenges ahead, including impacts in the Russian auto market.

The idea that the war in Ukraine can be wrapped up quickly is a bygone notion. Following the recent collapse of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins John Batchelor to discuss the ways in which the war has escalated, and where it may go from here. And in the second segment, what happened when the heads of intelligence of two dozen countries held a meeting in Singapore?

At this year's G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, the advanced economies delivered their most detailed articulation yet of a shared position on Beijing. Antonia Colibasanu joined John Batchelor to discuss the event and its implications for addressing China's aggression, and ways to reduce overreliance on China for production of goods all while navigating a global economic war.

Is Russia really in control in the Ukraine war? What is the reality on the ground? Following the recent Moscow drone attack, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins John Batchelor to discuss the Russian principal of maskirovka, or the use of various deceptions and denials to mask their true intentions.

How did Russia prepare for round after round of sanctions from the West, and to a certain extent evade their impacts, following its invasion of Ukraine over one year ago? Antonia Colibasanu joins John Batchelor to discuss the history of Russian sanctions going back to its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and what the future holds for the Russian economy.

In George Friedman's 2009 book The Next 100 Years, he predicted that Poland, Turkey, and Japan would become rising middle powers. He joins John Batchelor to discuss Poland's rise and the factors that contribute to its strength and success. And in the second segment, the Philippines and its unique challenges and potential on the opposite end of Eurasia.

What did Victory Day represent in the days of WWII and what does it represent today as Russia continues its war in Ukraine? George Friedman joins John Batchelor as Moscow prepares for its annual Victory Day celebrations, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Our world is fraying at the edges, beginning in the European borderlands, potentially stretching into Asia. Antonia Colibasanu joins John Batchelor to discuss the importance of these regions, and the most critical geopolitical nodes of the Black Sea and South China Sea, where the U.S., Russia and China contend for influence.

How have ties between Belarus and Russia evolved over time, and how has the complex relationship between Presidents Lukashenko and Putin shifted, especially throughout the war in Ukraine? Moscow-based analyst Ekaterina Zolotova joins John Batchelor for a discussion of the ways the two leaders and their countries are unified and where they are divided.