The President’s Inbox

Germany’s Elections, With Constanze Stelzenmüller

Constanze Stelzenmüller, Fritz Stern chair on Germany and trans-Atlantic relations in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the end of the Angela Merkel era means for Germany and its relations with the world.

Trade Protectionism, With Adam S. Posen

Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States has become less open to trade in recent decades and why calls for even more protectionism will further undermine the American middle class.

Rethinking U.S. Defense Strategy, With Elbridge A. Colby

Elbridge A. Colby, cofounder and principal of the Marathon Initiative, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether and how the United States should revise its defense strategy to face its current challenges. Colby’s new book, The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, hits bookstore shelves today.

 

China’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, With Peter Martin

Peter Martin, defense policy and intelligence reporter for Bloomberg News, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the growing assertiveness of China’s diplomacy in recent years. Martin’s new book, China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, was released this past June.

Adapting to Climate Change, With Alice C. Hill

Alice C. Hill, David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the steps policymakers, business leaders, and others need to take to address the changing climate. Hill’s new book, The Fight For Climate After COVID-19, will be published in September 2021.

Ethiopia’s Civil War, With Michelle Gavin

Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the fighting in northern Ethiopia between federal government forces and regional Tigrayan forces.

China’s Threat to Taiwan, With Oriana Skylar Mastro

Oriana Skylar Mastro, center fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and non-resident senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether China might use force to compel Taiwan’s reunification with the mainland. Mastro’s recent article, “The Taiwan Temptation: Why Beijing Might Resort to Force” is available on foreignaffairs.com.

Biden’s Democracy Strategy, With Frances Z. Brown

Frances Z. Brown, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and co-director of Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Biden’s vow to put democracy at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. Brown recently co-authored the article, “Washington’s Democracy Dilemma: Crafting a Democracy Strategy in an Age of Great-Power Politics.” This episode is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy. 

The Future of Arms Control, With Rose Gottemoeller

Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO and Payne distinguished lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and its Center for International Security and Cooperation, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the efforts to regulate, if not eliminate, nuclear weapons.

Protests in Cuba, With Paul J. Angelo and Carmen Sesin

Paul J. Angelo, fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, and Carmen Sesin, Miami-based NBCNews.com and NBCLatino reporter, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the historic protests that swept across Cuba and around the globe.