Fp's The Editor's Roundtable (the E.r.)

As U.S. President Donald Trump considers a military strike on Iran, what are the options on his table? What will his military advisors recommend he should and shouldn’t do? David Petraeus has often been in the position of providing such advice to the White House, and he joins FP Live to explain what could happen in the coming days. Petraeus ran U.S. and allied forces in the Middle East as the head of Central Command (CENTCOM) and later ran the CIA.  Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine. FP Contributors: Four Years of War in Europe Marc Lynch: Four Scenarios for a Postwar Iran Arash Reisinezhad and Arsham Reisinezhad: What War With Iran Would Look Like Ali Hashem: The United States Is Dangerously Misreading Iran Ali Hashem: Iran Dangerously Misunderstands Its Situation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. President Donald Trump’s China policy often seems deliberately ambiguous. Is that a virtue or a flaw? Kurt Campbell is a longtime China watcher who rose up to run Asia policy under the Biden administration. He was the original architect of the so-called “pivot to Asia” during the Obama administration. He joins FP Live to discuss Trump, former U.S. President Joe Biden, and the world’s most important bilateral relationship.   Plus, One Thing from Ravi on Trump’s Board of Peace. ⁠Aaron David Miller: Billions in Pledges Expected for Trump’s Board of Peace but Doubts Persist⁠ ⁠Mira Rapp-Hooper and Ely Ratner: Washington’s Silence in Asia Is a Gift to Beijing⁠ ⁠New York Times: On China, Trump Is Rolling the Dice on America’s Future⁠ ⁠Foreign Affairs: The U.S.-China Crisis Waiting to Happen⁠ ⁠A. Wess Mitchell: The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy⁠ ⁠Craig Singleton: China Grapples with Trump’s Radical Use of Power⁠ ⁠Lili Pike: Did Biden Get China Right?⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

 Is the age of nuclear nonproliferation over? There are certainly worrying signs. New START, the main nuclear treaty between the United States and Russia, recently expired. China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal. Talks to bring Iran back to the negotiating table seem to be at an impasse. And one increasingly hears about the possibility of South Korea or Japan going nuclear. What can the world do in response? Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, sits down with Ravi Agrawal. Rebecca Lissner and Erin D. Dumbacher: The Pillars of the Global Nuclear Order Are Cracking Decker Eveleth: The Real Risk After New START Isn’t Arms Racing Fareed Zakaria: The Post-Cold War Nuclear Era Might Have Just Ended Esfandyar Batmanghelidj: An Oil Deal for Trump Can Mean a Nuclear Deal for Iran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pentagon’s policy chief Elbridge Colby recently called for a “NATO 3.0”, stating that the United States would “continue to provide the U.S. extended nuclear deterrent” to Europe, but when it came to most defense matters, Europe would need to “assume primary responsibility.” Colby is the undersecretary of war for policy and joins FP Live host Ravi Agrawal at the annual Munich Security Conference. And in part two of this podcast, Colby and Agrawal were joined by four other guests: Richard Marles, the deputy prime minister and defense minister of Australia; Judith Collins, the minister of defense of New Zealand; Toshimitsu Motegi, the foreign minister of Japan; and David van Weel, the foreign minister of the Netherlands.  Plus, One Thing from Ravi on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference.  Listen to Munich Moments on Apple or Spotify. A transcript of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s 2025 speech at the Munich Security Conference. A transcript of U.S. Secretary of

U.S. tariffs have upended decades of trade policy, but new U.N. data shows that the economies suffering most are those that can least afford a setback. At the Munich Security Conference (MSC), FP’s Ravi Agrawal hosted a panel on the trade wars, with policymakers on the front lines of these economic changes: Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization; Finnish President Alexander Stubb; German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil; and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.  Follow FP’s MSC coverage here. Wendy Cutler: How Countries Should Respond to Trump’s Tariffs Keith Johnson: Tariffs Have Hurt, Not Helped, the U.S. Economy Rishi Iyengar: EU Don’t Need U.S.? Ramon Pacheco Pardo and Robyn Klingler-Vidra: Middle Powers Don’t Have to Work Together to Get Ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the White House continuing to threaten military action against Tehran even as diplomatic talks continue, Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour joins FP Live host Ravi Agrawal to discuss what might come next. Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on a sobering new report about a world “Under Destruction.” A transcript of J.D. Vance’s 2025 Munich Security Conference speech Under Destruction: Munich Security Report 2026 Amitav Acharya: The World-Minus-One Moment Follow FP’s MSC coverage here The Atlantic: Karim Sadjadpour and Jack A. Goldstone: Is the Iranian Regime About to Collapse? Trita Parsi: Iran’s Despair Is U.S. Policy Saeid Golkar: Why Iran’s Regime Didn’t Collapse Abbas Milani: Iran’s Crown Prince Has Become Indispensable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FP’s Ravi Agrawal sits down with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss NATO, a shifting European defense strategy, and more. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the rising nuclear threat. Ravi Agrawal: Greek PM: ‘I haven’t given up on the trans-Atlantic relationship.’ Stavros Papastavrou: The Trans-Atlantic Energy Relationship Is Stronger Than Ever Kristi Raik: Europe’s 4 Different Ways of Handling Trump Luke McGee: Europe Is Prepared to Create Its Own Army Stephen M. Walt: NATO’s Leader is Totally Lost Rebecca Lissner and Erin D. Dumbacher: The Pillars of the Global Nuclear Order Are Cracking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. President Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland has brought a geopolitical hot spot—the Arctic—back into the fore. Host Ravi Agrawal is joined by Heather A. Conley, one of the leading experts on the region, to hear more. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on China’s latest military purge. Casey Michel: Annexing Greenland Would Be a Strategic Catastrophe Imran Bayoumi: Trump’s Greenland Threats Paper Over a Lack of Arctic Strategy Christina Lu: Greenland’s Rare Earths Aren’t All That Stephen M. Walt: What Spheres of Influence Are—and Aren’t Michele Barbero: To Protect Greenland, Europe Kicks Into High Gear Deng Yuwen: As Generals Fall, Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Is Eating Itself Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ravi Agrawal is joined by world leaders and industry executives on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The panelists include Bandar Alkhorayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources; Jonathan Price, the president and CEO of Teck Resources; Boitumelo Mosako of the Development Bank of Southern Africa; and SandboxAQ’s Jack Hidary. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on dueling speeches by U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ravi Agrawal: In Davos, a Tale of Two Speeches Transcript: Trump Says He ‘Won’t Use Force’ to Acquire Greenland Transcript: ‘A Rupture in the World Order’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is driving U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in his second term? Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer says it is the “law of the jungle ... it’s always been about power.” Bremmer sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his assessment of Trump 2.0 and what the coming months could look like. Plus, Ravi’s One Thing on U.S universities and immigration. New York Times: Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip Steven A. Cook: Faulty Assumptions About Iran Have Driven a Failed U.S. Policy Marc Lynch: Why a U.S. Attack on Iran Would Backfire A. Wess Mitchell: The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy Oliver Stuenkel: The EU-Mercosur Deal Is a Hedge Against the Donroe Doctrine The Atlantic: Is the Iranian Regime About to Collapse? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What comes next after U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro? Does Trump have a day-after plan? Most experts say no. But FP columnist Matthew Kroenig disagrees, arguing in a recent piece for Foreign Policy that a plan is coming into focus. He shares his take with Ravi Agrawal. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on the nationwide protests in Iran. Alireza Nader and Nik Kowsar: Iran’s Currency Crisis Could Be the Regime’s Downfall Matthew Kroenig: Trump Has a Strategy for Venezuela Matthew Kroenig: Two Cheers for the National Security Strategy Matthew Kroenig: Trump Should Oust Maduro Vasabjit Banerjee and Maria I. Puerta Riera: Venezuela’s Military Won’t Surrender Its Privileges Easily David Ignatius: Trump Might Have His Hubris Checked in Venezuela Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comfort Ero joins FP Live for her annual analysis of the 10 conflicts to watch this year.  Plus Ravi’s One Thing on the stunning capture of Nicolás Maduro and the future of Venezuela. Ravi Agrawal: 5 Unanswered Questions About Trump’s Venezuela Plan Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2026 Casey Michel: Annexing Greenland Would Be a Strategic Catastrophe Christopher Sabatini: Trump Has No Real Plan for Venezuela Emma Ashford: Venezuela Might Be Where Trump’s Luck Runs Out Jesse Marks: Trump’s Venezuela Attack May Give China Cover on Taiwan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin 2026 with a look ahead. New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker joins host Ravi Agrawal to share his take on what’s to come in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker sits down with Ravi Agrawal for a 2025 review. What have we learned from the first year of the Trump administration’s second term? And how have the White House’s foreign-policy choices in particular differed from previous presidencies? Vanity Fair Exclusive: Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tensions continue to rise off the coast of Venezuela as U.S. President Donald Trump orders a blockade on sanctioned ships to and from the country. James Story served as the U.S. ambassador in Caracas under both the Trump and Biden administrations, and he shares his predictions on what might happen next.  Plus Ravi’s One Thing on India, Pakistan, and 2025’s great U.S. policy pivot.  Keith Johnson: Trump’s Venezuela Fixation Is Not About the Oil Alexandra Sharp: Trump Intensifies Pressure Campaign on Venezuela Emma Ashford and Evan Cooper: Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the growth of sovereign wealth funds, especially in the Middle East, transforming geopolitics? Jared Cohen, co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, sat down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss why sovereign funds are so pivotal today.  Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute.  Jared Cohen and George Lee: The New Wealth of Nations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sits down with Ravi Agrawal in front of a live audience at the annual Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar. The two discussed the Trump administration’s just-released National Security Strategy, the impacts of U.S. foreign policy around the world, women’s rights, how Democrats can revive their fortunes, and also a controversy over remarks Clinton recently made about why young Americans are shifting their views on Israel.  Plus: Ravi’s One Thing on Trump’s National Security Strategy Ravi Agrawal: Hillary Clinton: ‘Congress Has Abdicated Its Responsibility’ Rishi Iyengar and Christina Lu: Trump’s New National Security Strategy Goes Full ‘America First’ Nathalie Tocci: Does Europe Finally Realize Its Alone? Daniel W. Drezner: Foreign-Policy Fantasy Literature Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Name a consistent throughline in the Trump administration’s foreign policy. The answer could very well be the global scramble for critical minerals. What are they and why are they so important? Why is China so far ahead and how can the United States catch up? Mining expert Gracelin Baskaran sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on Trump’s attacks on boats off the coast of Venezuela. Ravi Agrawal: The Minerals That Drive Trump’s Global Agenda Christina Lu: Trump’s Chaotic Agenda Has a Critical Through Line Rishi Iyengar: The Countries Courting Trump With Critical Minerals Alasdair Phillips-Robins: Xi May Have Miscalculated on Rare Earths Patrick Schröder: Why Rare Earths Are About to Cost a Lot More Rachel Oswald: Republicans Criticize Hegseth for Deadly Caribbean Double Strike Emma Ashford and Evan Cooper: Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela Ellen Knickmeyer: U.S.-Led Regime Change Is Usually Disastrous Keith Johnson: Trump’s Venezuela Fixation Is Not About the O

Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, this week’s guest says women’s rights around the world are making real gains. Lyric Thompson, the founder and CEO of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative,  sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to share more. Transcript: The Good News on Women’s Rights Lyric Thompson: Women’s Rights Are Winning Rebecca Turkington and Saskia Brechenmacher: Trump Erases Women From Foreign Policy Hawon Jung: South Korean Women Are Powerful—and Powerless Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for another Ask-Me-Anything edition of FP Live. Executive Producer Dana Sherne puts your questions to host Ravi Agrawal. Alexandra Sharp: Ramaphosa Capitalizes on Trump’s Absence at G-20 Summit Christian Caryl: Don’t Call This a ‘Peace Plan’ Rachel Oswald and John Haltiwanger: Trump’s Ukraine Peace Effort Devolves Into Chaos Over Conflicting Stories Ryan C. Berg: Toppling Maduro Without Boots on the Ground James Palmer: China-Japan Rift Deepens Over Taiwan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices