Conflict Zone

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Conflict Zone is DW’s top political interview program. Join us each week as our hosts put tough questions to top guests from around the world. Get beyond the soundbite – enter the Conflict Zone.

DW.COM | Deutsche Welle


    • Nov 27, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 65 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Conflict Zone

    'Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 26:18


    Vladimir Kara-Murza, an exiled Russian opposition activist, tells DW's Tim Sebastian that the "Putin regime will fall." He calls on the West to not fall back "into the habit of appeasing Vladimir Putin."

    'Failure of elites' led to Sudan's tragedy, ex-PM tells DW

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 26:41


    Sudan is the scene of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and millions have fled the civil war. The former PM tells DW that the displacement and famine are "much, much greater than Gaza and Ukraine combined."

    Yahya Sinwar: What does the Hamas leader's death change?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 26:24


    Israeli former justice minister Yossi Beilin discusses prospects for a future solution in the wake of Israel's killing of the Hamas leader in Gaza.

    Iran has 'not just weakened Hezbollah, but weakened itself'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 26:43


    Jordanian former FM Marwan Muasher tells DW that Tehran has less ability to influence events in Lebanon following Israeli strikes.

    Nigerian FM on Russian motives in Africa: Trust but verify

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 23:57


    What are the Kremlin's goals? Russia has expanded its reach in Africa following a series of coups. Yusuf Tuggar tells DW Nigeria pursues "strategic autonomy."

    Does Putin want war with the West?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 26:36


    Estonia's intel chief shares his assessment of Russia's war in Ukraine and Zelenskyy's "victory plan."

    Kursk incursion shows Putin is bluffing, says Ukrainian opposition leader

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 26:46


    Will the West betray Ukraine? Ukrainian MP & leader of Voice party says much will depend on the outcome of the US election. Kira Rudik told DW that Russia and China are preparing for a "bigger war."

    Russia's hybrid warfare: forced migration to Europe?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 25:51


    Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says there is no easy way back to relations with Russia. On Conflict Zone she speaks to Sarah Kelly about migration as a weapon in Russia's hybrid warfare and about Europe's continued support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russia's invasion.

    Israeli minister: 'It's our moral obligation to eliminate Hamas, whatever it takes'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 27:03


    Hardline diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli says he doesn't care about criticism of Israeli military goals, including an IDF spokesman's recent statements that "Hamas is an idea" and can't be militarily defeated. He also defended the use of bombing despite the high number of civilian casualties and advocated not accepting Palestinian statehood in the wake of the post-October 7 realities.

    How has Ukraine survived Russia's war?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 25:47


    Ukrainian journalist and author Illia Ponomarenko refuses to give up hope and insists war shows how ordinary people can do incredible things. He tells DW that "life will prevail."

    How divided is Poland?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 25:52


    Poland's new center-left government has launched a series of reforms since the far-right Law and Justice Party was ousted in 2023. Justice Minister Adam Bodnar tells DW Warsaw will need more time to complete the process.

    Macron's gamble: Does France want far right in government?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 27:09


    The French president's call for snap elections as he faces historic disapproval could put Le Pen's far right party in power.

    Conflict Zone - Brussels leaders: Far right surge 'will weaken' EU

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 26:38


    EU Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova, and EPP President Manfred Weber talk to DW's Tim Sebastian about their concerns ahead of the European elections 2024.

    Conflict Zone Podcast: ICC indictments would likely lead Israelis to continue Gaza war

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 26:12


    Washington's former Mideast negotiator told DW he fears possible ICC arrest warrants seem to many Israelis as "creating moral equivalency" between Israeli officials and the Hamas leaders who ordered the October 7 attack.

    Gaza: 'Most people want to leave,' says veteran diplomat

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2024 26:15


    Norwegian Refugee Council head Jan Egeland tells Tim Sebastian that the devastation in Gaza is already unprecedented and an Israeli military operation against Rafah would be a "bloodbath."

    NATO is moving to a war footing, says Latvian FM

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 27:25


    Ukraine can still win the war against Russia if the West steps up its game, the Baltic country's Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins tells DW. 

    Putin: Russia's eternal president?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 27:08


    How Russia's 'obedient majority' will elect Vladimir Putin to a fifth term and why it matters, from Moscow analyst Andrei Kolesnikov.

    Egyptian ex-FM to Israel: If you want security, end occupation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 25:56


    Egypt's previous Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy tells DW that neither Israel nor Hamas will likely accept a long-term peace deal. Fahmy says that if Israel wants lasting security, it must end occupation in the Palestinian territories.

    Conflict Zone Podcast with Nancy Pelosi: 'The behavior of Netanyahu is inexcusable'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 34:43


    Senior Democrat and former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks about the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan. Speaking to DW's Tim Sebastian, during this year's MSC, she also discussed the upcoming US election.

    Conflict Zone Podcast Special: The future of Israeli-Palestinian affairs

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 43:00


    DW's Sarah Kelly hosted a high-level panel at this year's Munich Security Conference. The war in Gaza and prospects for a long-term peace between Israelis and Palestinians were discussed by the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammed Shtayyeh, Israel's former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and others.

    Mossad ex-head: Gaza war is taking longer than expected

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 26:13


    Israel's war against Hamas has claimed nearly 30,000 lives, most of them civilians in Gaza. Israel so far failed to achieve its aim of eliminating the militant Islamist group. Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy tells DW no end is in sight.

    Ukraine: Zelenskyy's one-man show strategy isn't working anymore

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 26:31


    A Ukrainian opposition politician tells DW that Kyiv cannot afford "autocratic tendencies" from the president. MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said the country could not win against Russia unless it remained a democracy.

    Gaza genocide case: We expect court to find suspicion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 26:50


    Palestinian politician and activist Mustafa Barghouti tells DW he expects the International Court of Justice to order Israel to stop the war in Gaza.

    Is Ukraine losing its war against Russia?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 26:18


    A top Russian analyst told DW that 2023 has been a "surprisingly good year" for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine. The level of Western support for Ukraine will determine the course of 2024, Alexander Gabuev told Conflict Zone's Tim Sebastian.

    Is Joe Biden willing to say 'enough in Gaza' to Israel?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2023 25:56


    Can Israel accomplish its goal of eliminating Hamas without further humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza? One US analyst tells DW it requires "magical thinking."

    Can Ukraine still defeat Russia?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 26:11


    Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, discusses the stalemate on the battlefield and the future of Western support.

    'We are witnessing a humanitarian tragedy in Gaza'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 26:58


    More than 800,000 people have fled to UN emergency shelters in central and southern Gaza, Juliette Touma of the UNRWA told Conflict Zone, adding that number exceeded her agency's "worst case scenarios." Touma says the coming winter will exacerbate already desperate circumstances in Gaza. Her agency, which cares for Palestinian refugees, has had more than 100 staff members killed in the conflict.

    When is the cost in human suffering too high for Israel?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 26:00


    Ex-Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon asks the international community to "tell us our mistakes" and how to avoid human suffering in Gaza while removing Hamas.

    A 'humanitarian pause' would allow us to get aid into Gaza

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 25:55


    The Swedish Foreign Minister tells DW only a two-state solution will bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians. Tobias Billstrom said the immediate priority was the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas and bringing aid to the people of Gaza.

    How will the Hamas-Israel conflict impact Western support for Ukraine?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 26:30


    "In both cases ... people think that they can just brutally, by force, rewrite the rules," said Lithuanian PM Simonyte, adding she is confident Western support to Kyiv will continue despite the Israeli operation in Gaza.

    Israeli ex-PM: We must 'get rid of' Hamas and then Netanyahu

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 26:04


    "Netanyahu is history, he's done," Ehud Olmert told DW. He called the current Israeli leaders "violent, messianic thugs" and said that long term, Palestinians must be able to "exercise their right to self-determination."

    Former Kremlin official: To win, Russia must totally destroy Ukraine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 25:38


    Russia's former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov says Russia would need to change strategy and launch massive missile strikes across Ukraine to win the war.

    Ex-general: NATO has to be prepared to fight Russia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 27:18


    A former NATO Deputy Commander tells DW the only way to stop Putin's nuclear saber-rattling is to build credible defense. 

    Can Ukraine exploit the Zaporizhzhia breakthrough?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 27:19


    A senior Ukrainian defense official tells DW that Kyiv's goals remain the same despite the slow progress of its counteroffensive. Yuriy Sak says territorial concessions have not worked with Russia.

    Imran Khan: 'Sooner or later they will put me in jail'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 26:59


    Pakistan's former prime minister has said a "total crackdown" against his party is underway. Imran Khan welcomed fresh elections, but wondered whether his party would be allowed to contest them.

    Did Putin crony Prigozhin bite the hand that feeds him?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 27:17


    After leaving Ukraine and marching towards Moscow, Russian Wagner Group mercenaries were branded traitors – but just days later, its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, met with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Are there more surprises coming from this so-called rebellion?

    In wake of Wagner mutiny, will Putin purge the system?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2023 27:52


    Following the failed Wagner mutiny, one analyst with sources within Russian security services says Yevgeny Prigozhin is not the biggest threat. "The reaction of the army is what matters now," Andrei Soldatov, an investigative journalist and expert on Russian security services, tells DW.

    Is Taiwan living on borrowed time?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2023 26:52


    As the US tries to halt the slide in relations with China, Beijing's determination to "reunify" Taiwan with the mainland is still the sticking point. Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, talks to DW's Tim Sebastian from Taipei.

    Ukraine counteroffensive – last chance for victory?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 25:44


    Ukraine's long-anticipated counteroffensive is underway. Can Kyiv deliver enough success to keep Western aid flowing? Deputy PM Olha Stefanishyna tells DW that victory means Ukraine's sovereignty is restored, as well as the international order.

    Mo Ibrahim: We must help Sudan 'before the fire spreads'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 26:09


    Sudanese-British billionaire Mo Ibrahim, who has spent much of the last two decades addressing the importance of good governance in Africa, says Sudan has no government. Ibrahim called for an arms export ban.

    Have Russians 'surrendered to the fate' of Putinism?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2023 25:50


    Speaking to DW's Conflict Zone after Moscow's "subdued" Victory Day parade, Nina Khrushcheva says, "the question of prestige is no longer that relevant for Putin."

    Is Ukraine right to worry about war fatigue in the EU?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2023 25:38


    "We need to convince our citizens across the EU what's at stake is the future of the European Union," says EU Council chief Charles Michel. But is Brussels doing all it can to ensure a Ukrainian victory?

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