Episodios
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
From the Strait of Hormuz to the international monetary system to the semi-conductor supply chain, the world is becoming increasingly aware of how dependence on critical chokepoints is shaping how countries can wield power and leverage. As diplomacy becomes increasingly transactional and technological and energy systems undergo rapid transformation, understanding these visible and invisible chokepoints is essential to any decision maker.
Is the weaponization of geography becoming the norm? What strategic gains do states expect from exploiting chokepoints? And which mechanisms can prevent the weaponization of chokepoints by states?
Join us for a discussion featuring Edward Fishman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare,” Professor Monica Hakimi, the William S. Beinecke Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and Professor James Holmes, the J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The COVID-19 Pandemic. On-and-off-and-on-again tariffs. Over the past few years, the deeply interconnected global system has experienced major shocks that international organizations and nation states alike have struggled to grapple with. In this age of uncertainty, businesses and governments need to make new calculations. More large companies are opening their own geopolitical units to stay steady on the shifting currents. How do corporations assess geopolitical risks? What changes do companies large and small need to make in their approaches to doing business? And what unforeseen opportunities may come from these changes?
Join us to delve into the calculation of risks in this potential new geopolitical order with Matt Gertken, Chief Geopolitical/US Political Strategist at BCA Research and Pablo Rasmussen, a Director at Brzezinski Global Strategies.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
¿Faltan episodios?
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Recent hostilities with Iran have once again highlighted the role of the Kurds as a key player in regional conflicts. While seen as a threat by governments in Ankara, Tehran, Damascus, and Baghdad, the world’s largest stateless group of people continues to be considered by Washington as potential allies when convenient. As the region faces new waves of destabilization, particularly with the war with Iran and the new Syrian government consolidating its territory, what will the role of the Kurds be across the region? How will the disparate views of 30-40 million people spread over four countries impact dynamics in this volatile region as well as for their own quest for independence? .
Join us for a discussion with Bill Park, Visiting Research Fellow in the Defence Studies Department, King’s College, London, where we will examine how today’s rapidly shifting regional dynamics are creating both new opportunities and new vulnerabilities for Kurdish communities and whether potential support from the U.S. will be strong and sustainable or easily abandoned.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The recent expiration of the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia marks a structural shift in the global nuclear order, removing the last legally binding constraints on the world’s two largest arsenals. With no successor framework in place, the bilateral arms control architecture that has underpinned stability for decades is effectively suspended. In its absence, risks of vertical and horizontal proliferation are intensifying. According to the UN assessment, for the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads and nuclear testing is rising, and global military spending climbed to $2.7 trillion in 2025, an increase of 2.9% from the previous year. New records show that China is the fastest-growing nuclear power globally and is significantly expanding its nuclear weapons infrastructure, raising concerns about a potential new global arms race as major arms control agreements weaken.
At the same time, emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and precision-strike capabilities, are reshaping the foundations of deterrence, complicating traditional approaches to verification and monitoring. This discussion will examine how the erosion of arms control is accelerating proliferation pressures, how technological change is altering the strategic landscape, and whether a new, credible system of nuclear restraint can still be constructed.
Join us for an insightful virtual discussion on the new risks of global proliferation featuring David Albright, a Physicist and Founder of the non-profit Institute for Science and International Security, Alexandra Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Cuba is at a strategic crossroads as the near collapse of its national energy system reshapes the island’s political landscape. Intense U.S. sanctions and the loss of energy support from traditional partners like Venezuela have left the Cuban government in its most vulnerable state in decades. While Havana seeks diplomatic paths forward, the current U.S. administration sees an opportunity for changing a government that Washington has declared “an unusual and extraordinary security threat.” This crisis moment carries profound implications for U.S. foreign policy and for broader geopolitics.. What is the current situation in Cuba, and how is Washington’s geopolitical pressure impacting its governance? What role might other countries, like Russia, play in this situation? And what are most likely future scenarios for Cuba?
Join us for an insightful discussion that explores the current state of affairs in Cuba and its future trajectory. Our speaker for this briefing will be Emily Mendrala, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
It has been just over a year since President Trump’s “Liberation Day” global tariff announcement. Since then, the global trade landscape has shifted as countries hedged against their traditional dependence on the U.S. market. Driven by the increasing use of trade as a political weapon and constant tariff disputes, long-time allies like Canada, the UK, and the EU are now diversifying their trade partnerships as evidenced by landmark moves like the new EU-India trade deal and recent diplomatic pivots toward China. How is the web of trade alliances being re-woven and what are the implications for Washington? How is the U.S. private sector adapting to this complex new reality? And will this move toward strategic autonomy lead to a more stable global equilibrium or simply spark more conflict between competing regional blocs?
Join us for a discussion on the changing landscape of global trade, featuring Edward Alden, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President of Trade, Investment and Digital Policy at the United States Council for International Business, and Dr. Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
In response to the unprecedented economic sanctions put on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow spent over $10 billion on building a “shadow fleet,” accelerating a practice that countries such as Venezuela and Iran have used to circumvent sanctions. In addition to sanctions evasion, shadow fleets often operate under false flags, lack proper insurance, and pose serious risks of spills, collisions, and abusive labor conditions. Furthermore, the EU has linked the shadow fleet directly to Russia’s hybrid warfare operations, including recent damage to power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea. As global shipping comes under new scrutiny with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the ability of the shadow fleet to undermine Washington’s strategy raises new concerns. What does the web of shadow fleet shipping look like? What impact has the war with Iran had on the fleet? And what strategies can be used to counter this practice?
Join us for a discussion on how Russia’s shadow fleet is challenging the global maritime order, featuring Michelle Wiese Bockmann, Maritime Intelligence Analyst and Writer specializing in sanctioned oil flows and Elisabeth Braw, Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Three weeks into 2026, the United States removed a foreign head of state by force, threatened to take territory from a NATO ally, and backed a crackdown in Iran. Since this conversation was recorded in late January, the Supreme Court has struck down the president's sweeping tariffs, U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed Iran's supreme leader, and Europe has begun the largest military buildup since the Cold War.
How dead is the U.S.-led rules-based order? What, if anything, might replace it? Will the emerging international system be shaped by cooperation or by competition and conflict? What roles will major powers — including China, the EU, and the BRICS — play in what comes next? And will the United States continue to act as a global enforcer, or has it become something else entirely?
Join us for a discussion featuring Professor Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service at American University, and author of The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West; Professor Daniel Drezner, Academic Dean and Distinguished Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; and Professor Stacie Goddard, the Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World at Wellesley College. Together.
Music by StudioKolomna from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Over the past several months, Global Insights has covered some of the biggest stories shaping the world, from the war in Iran to U.S. action in Venezuela to the shifting global energy landscape. Starting now, we're moving to a biweekly release schedule through the summer, with new episodes dropping every other week. We'll be back to weekly in September.
In the meantime, catch up on any episodes you may have missed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and find more from Network 20/20 on our website.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
With the 2025 National Security Strategy placing renewed emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, Washington appears poised to engage more actively in Latin America than at any time in the past three decades, prioritizing challenges such as migration, transnational crime, and growing geopolitical competition with China. At the same time, several nations, including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Peru, are preparing for presidential elections in 2026, with analysts anticipating continued political polarization.
What are the political and economic implications of this strategic shift for Latin American countries during a new electoral cycle? How are governments across the region responding to Washington’s evolving policy approach? Could a renewed U.S. focus on the hemisphere generate new flows of investment and economic engagement? And what are the implications of Washington getting distracted by other foreign policy priorities?
Join us for an insightful virtual discussion that will examine how the Trump administration may seek to reassert U.S. influence in the region, and how heightened political and economic volatility, as well as an upcoming Latin American electoral cycle may impact this strategy. This conversation features Mr. Jason Marczak, Vice President and Senior Director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and Dr. Monica de Bolle, Macroeconomist and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The alarm bells have been ringing in Europe over the past few years, signaling that Europe’s traditional reliance on the American security umbrella has passed its expiration date. With Washington dramatically rewriting its relationship with Brussels, from European security to climate change, while still requiring Europe’s cooperation on China policy and beyond, the need to rethink the foundations of this multigenerational alliance is urgent. At the same time, the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy contains unusually direct language about Europe’s strategic trajectory, including urging Europe to “regain its civilizational self-confidence” and move away from what the document calls a “failed focus on regulatory suffocation.” What do such characterizations mean for transatlantic relations? Where do the gaps between Washington’s and Brussels’ goals truly lie, and where might a renewed basis for cooperation emerge?
Join us for a discussion that explores the future of transatlantic relations under the Trump administration, featuring Jeremy Shapiro, Research Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The killing of Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes has thrust Iran into uncharted territory. With its supreme leader gone, dozens of senior officials dead, and a war now spreading across the region, the Islamic Republic faces the most serious crisis in its history. A new supreme leader has been named, Khamenei's own son, but the regime's fractured power centers, a devastated military, and a population that overwhelmingly rejected the system long before the bombs fell raise urgent questions about what comes next. Can the Islamic Republic survive in any recognizable form? Will the competing factions inside the regime hold together or tear the country apart? And what does a post-Khamenei Iran mean for the region and for the United States?
In this special edition of Global Insights, we revisit a conversation recorded a few weeks before the strikes and now reads as a roadmap to the current crisis. Our speaker is Dr. Arash Azizi, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at Yale University, Contributing Writer at the Atlantic, and a leading expert on Iranian history and political movements.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The year 2026 kicked off with a massive shake-up in U.S. foreign and energy policy. Through bold action, the Trump administration is signaling its conviction that global power lies in controlling physical energy reserves, such as those in Venezuela, rather than adhering to international climate treaties. By planning to invest billions into fixing Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, the U.S. aims to flood the market with cheap crude oil and push prices down to $50 a barrel. This strategy is designed to weaken foreign oil monopolies in the Western Hemisphere, starve rival world powers of export revenues, and collapse the energy lifelines that have sustained ideologically aligned neighbors of Venezuela. What will be the strategic impact of this situation on countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba? What are the costs and benefits for private oil companies investing in a market defined by a history of expropriation? How will cheap crude impact the global energy transition and the growing power demands of the AI revolution?
Join us for a discussion on the vision for the U.S. energy strategy and how that fits into the future global energy mix, featuring Dr. Caroyln Kissane, Associate Dean of the graduate programs in Global Affairs and Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, Robert McNally, Founder and President of Rapidan Energy Group and White House energy advisor to President George W. Bush and Dr. Francisco Monaldi, Director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Four years after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine and its ensuing war, new attempts are being made to end the conflict. This past January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the three-way talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi “constructive.” These recent diplomatic efforts have put new ideas on the table, from prisoner exchanges to postwar reconstruction and possible security guarantees. However, the hardest questions remain unresolved: control of key territory, how to prevent a renewed attack, and who would manage critical infrastructure like the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In addition, the US is putting pressure on Ukraine to meet Russian demands that Kyiv surrender the entirety of Donetsk while leaving its offered security guarantees unclear in details and commitment. What is the status of the war in Ukraine? Where do things stand politically, militarily, and economically? And what would be the next steps towards a final settlement?
Join us for a discussion on the current state of the war and the peace process in Ukraine, featuring Ambassador John E. Herbst, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center & former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and Professor Philip Zelikow, Botha-Chan Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Geopolitical tensions, combined with shifting priorities in Washington, are pushing the United Nations into a moment of severe institutional uncertainty. A serious financial crisis has led to hiring freezes, staff cuts, and reductions in core functions, with the Secretary-General warning that the liquidity crisis could undermine essential operations and lead to a breakdown in the organization’s regular functioning if delays persist. At the same time, debates over Security Council reform are resurfacing, and there are growing demands for an adjustment to the Council’s structure and decision-making process. What reforms are realistic in a fractured international system? And what happens when global problems outpace the institutions designed to manage them?
Join us for a discussion with Ambassador Aglaia Balta, permanent Representative of Greece to the UN, Ambassador Christopher Lu, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN for Management and Reform, and Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations in New York. This discussion will be moderated by Dr. Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, Clinical Professor and director of the United Nations (UN) Specialization at the Center for Global Affairs, School of Professional Studies (SPS), New York University.
This event is co-hosted with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC CUNY).Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The recent wave of protests and the subsequent crackdown in Iran have left a new round of scars on the beleaguered Islamic Republic. The broad-based upheaval has not only challenged the government’s grip on power but also raised critical questions about the stability of its system, the viability of alternatives, and the wishes of a population of a complex country. An energy superpower, Iran has tremendous potential that has been curbed by stifling sanctions. It has also seen its proxy networks in the region decimated since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. What is the way forward for the relatively isolated country? How might an unpredictable United States impact the fragile situation? And what are some of the scenarios for a region that has been destabilized by Iranian policies?
Join us to explore the recent protests in Iran and how this upheaval might impact the future of Iran. Our speaker for this briefing will be Dr. Arash Azizi, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at Yale University, Contributing Writer at the Atlantic, and a leading expert on Iranian history and political movements.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The U.S. military’s recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Western Hemisphere. This unprecedented intervention has not only removed a long-standing head of state but has also challenged established international norms regarding sovereignty and the employment of military force. Beyond the immediate headlines, the regional fallout remains deeply uncertain as neighboring nations may recalibrate their security postures and diplomatic ties in response to this sudden shift. What does the capture of Maduro mean for regional stability and the political cohesion of the Americas? What are the broader implications of the U.S. action and its new foreign policy approach to the region? How might volatile political dynamics in Venezuela impact U.S. strategic objectives?
Join us for a discussion with Dr. Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House and a leading expert on Latin American politics and foreign policy when he explores the broader implications of the U.S. military action in Venezuela and its potential repercussions on regional stability.
Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
Since the end of World War II, the global order has been shaped largely by a Western liberal system led by the United States. Yet, recent developments, from the release of the U.S. National Security Strategy to the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces have underscored what many observers of international affairs argue is the end of that liberal, rules-based order. At the same time, rapid technological advancement and the rise of other powers, particularly China, further complicate the picture, dispersing power, shifting economic and political ties, and, in some cases invigorating and redirecting global institutions. How dead is the U.S.-led rules-based order? What, if anything, might replace it? And what might such a transition look like? Will the emerging international system be relatively peaceful and cooperative, or defined by heightened competition and conflict? What roles will major powers play in shaping a new order or disorder or is reform of the existing rules-based system still possible? Finally, will the United States continue to act as a global enforcer, or retreat into a more unilateral and unpredictable role?
Join us for a panel discussion featuring Professor Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service at American University, and author of The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West; Professor Daniel Drezner, Academic Dean and Distinguished Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; and Professor Stacie Goddard, the Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World at Wellesley College. Together, they will explore these questions and assess what the future may hold for the international order.
Music by Alex_Kizenkov from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The U.S. dollar has long anchored global trade, investment, and financial stability. Yet, in recent years, forces both within and outside of the United States are rethinking dollar dominance. President Trump’s proposed Mar-a-Lago Accord aims to devalue the dollar while retaining its global reserve status. Simultaneously, threats to Federal Reserve independence and Washington’s growing debt are eroding the value of the dollar, which is down over 5% in the last year vs other major currencies. Internationally, the BRICS nations are expanding trade in local currencies, to reduce exposure to U.S. sanctions and policies. These trends are prompting policymakers to reexamine the role of the dollar in the global economy. Is the era of uncontested dollar dominance ending? What would a more multipolar monetary order mean?
Join us for a discussion with Dr. Otaviano Canuto, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South and Former Vice-President and Executive Director of the World Bank, and Dr. Jeffrey A. Frankel, Professor of Capital Formation and Growth at Harvard Kennedy School and former member of the Council of Economic Advisors. This conversation will unpack the drivers of de-dollarization, assess the real prospects for BRICS and other challengers, and explore the policy choices that will shape the future of the international monetary system.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.
-
Visit us at Network2020.org.
The global economy has entered an age of confusion, roiled by trade wars and technology as it gained its post-pandemic footing. The global rise of populism and an AI-fueled market surge further complicate the story. The result? A world that feels less predictable, less secure, and far harder to govern.
What explains the breakdown of the old order? Can the U.S. and China coexist without destabilizing the global system? What is the future of democratic capitalism ? Where do tariffs and industrial policy help or harm? And what kind of international framework could emerge from this era of disorder?
Join us for a conversation with Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, as we examine what a world in economic disorder means for the future of growth, stability, and international cooperation.
Music by Yurii Semchyshyn from Pixabay.
- Mostrar más
