Wilson Center NOW

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Michael Kimmage, Director of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute.  He discusses the latest in US-Russia relations and the Trump administration's attempt to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.  Kimmage discusses where to war stands after more than three years of fighting, the effects of the war on Russian and Ukrainian society, and the renewed European focus on defense spending and capacity.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and The United States. He discusses the latest developments in the China-US trade dispute, highlights key sectors where both countries are most vulnerable in an extended economic conflict, and explains how the Trump administration will face a more prepared Beijing than during the first Trump term.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Benjamin Gedan, Director of the Wilson Center's Latin America Program.  He discusses Secretary of State Rubio's first international trip to Central America and the Caribbean, including visits to El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Gedan highlights how inter-American relations are set to become more transactional under the new Trump administration with migration, tariffs, and regional security becoming focal points.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Lucas Myers, Senior Associate for Southeast Asia at the Wilson Center's Indo-Pacific Program.  He discusses the latest from Myanmar and how the country has changed since the 2021 coup.  He highlights historic rebel gains in the west and northeast, China's deep interests in the country and efforts to keep the junta in power, and why the US should be paying closer attention.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, “In Search of Our Narratives.”  Joining us are editor Stephanie Bowen and contributor Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States. The issue, “turns to some of the world's most respected global leaders and foreign policy thinkers to share the narratives that have helped guide them and the world through past times of challenge, and which can inspire us as we seek a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous future.” https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/in-search-of-our-narratives

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Lila Abed, Director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute.  She highlights a new publication, “The Next President of the United States: Challenges and Recommendations for the US-Mexico Relationship.” The comprehensive booklet is, “a practical roadmap for the incoming administration and offers actionable recommendations across six priority areas: migration, security, USMCA, energy, water, and democracy.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Wilson Center Middle East Fellows Marina and David Ottaway.  They discuss their new book they co-authored with their sons, “Living Interesting Lives: A Memoir.”  The book, “covers over 20 years of the life of a Washington Post foreign correspondent and his family, working and trying to make a home and bring up small children in various hot news spots in Africa and the Middle East while also reflecting on the strange normalcy of daily life in the midst of coups d'etat and revolutions.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Wilson Center Global Fellow Jason Steinhauer. Jason is a bestselling author, public historian, podcast host, and founder of the History Communication Institute. He discusses his recent article, The End of the 20th Century, in which he argues the ideologies and linear organizing structures of the 20th century have finally given way to a new societal and political order.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Michael Kugelman, Director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute.  He discusses the continued unrest in Pakistan and the deadly clashes in the capital Islamabad between security forces and supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Kugelman also highlights recent sectarian violence and increased terrorism from militant groups, the nation's economic outlook, and what the return of President Trump will mean for US-Pakistan relations.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States. He highlights his recent trip to China and discusses how Beijing is preparing for the second Trump administration by deepening ties with allies and Global South nations, boosting its internal tech sector, and bracing the economy for increased tariffs.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we discuss the state of democratic governance on the African continent and what US and African leaders can learn from recent trends.  Joining us are Charles Ukeje, Professor of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and Rawia Tawfik, Visiting Associate Professor with the Council on African Studies at Yale University's MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies.  We also highlight the first event in a series on Trendlines and Transformations in African Democratic Governance, which examines how citizen participation and civic engagement demands are shaping governance in different ways across the continent.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Michael Kugelman, Director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute, and Xavier Delgado, Senior Program Associate with the Canada Institute.  They discuss the latest developments in the growing diplomatic standoff between Canada and India, which began after the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.  Kugelman and Delgado examine how, “the relationship that had been on a downward trajectory for several years has now hit rock bottom.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Merissa Khurma, Director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center.  We discuss the latest developments with widening conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, possible implications from Israel's retaliation for the October 1st missile attack by Iran, and where US diplomatic efforts stand in the region. Note: This interview was recorded prior to the killing of Yahya Sinwar.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and current Wilson Center Fellow Molly O'Toole. She discusses her upcoming book, “The Route: How American Policy, a Billion-Dollar Black Market, and Indomitable Resilience are Bringing the World's Refugees to the US Border.”  The book examines “one of the most consequential issues of our time — the mass movement of people around the globe in the face of climate change, civil unrest, and more, with tens of thousands of migrants from Africa and Asia attempting the same treacherous route through South America and Central America each year to reach the US-Mexico border in hopes of gaining entry to America.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the latest from Venezuela in the aftermath of the disputed July 28th presidential election with Benjamin Gedan, Director of the Wilson Center's Latin America Program.  Gedan discusses the Maduro regime's claims of victory, the government's brutal crackdown on protesters, and the state of the opposition movement after presidential candidate Edmundo González fled into exile and with María Corina Machado in hiding within the country.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, Sherri Goodman, a Senior Fellow with the Wilson Center's Polar Institute and Environmental Change and Security Program, discusses her new book, “Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security.” The book “takes us onto the battlefield and inside the Pentagon to show how the US military is confronting the biggest security risk in global history: climate change.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, The Great Population Shakeup.  We are joined by editor Stephanie Bowen and contributor Lauren Herzer Risi.  The issue “assesses how the immediate and growing effects of changing global demographics may drastically shift longstanding economic and political patterns and perhaps, help to shift long-held assumptions.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW,  we highlight the Wilson Center's Sudans Working Group with Oge Onubogu, Director of the Wilson Center's Africa Program and co-chairs Ambassador Nureldin Satti and Ambassador Donald E. Booth. Established in 2009, the Sudans Working Group (SWG) “engages US, African, and international policymakers and stakeholders in inclusive and forward-leaning policy dialogue aimed at advancing the prospects for peace, security, and development between and within Sudan and South Sudan. The SWG serves as a space for key stakeholders to share analyses and perspectives and provide policy options for addressing critical issues related to the two countries.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW,  we are joined by Rebecca Pincus, Director of the Wilson Center's Polar Institute. She highlights the recently announced Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE-PACT) by the US, Canada, and Finland. The collaboration is intended to “strengthen shipbuilding and maritime industrial capacity through closer cooperation on polar icebreakers and counter Russia and China in the Arctic and Antarctic.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW,  we are joined by William Drozdiak, Global Fellow with the Wilson Center's Global Europe Program and author of “The Last President of Europe: Emmanuel Macron's Race to Revive France and Save the World.” He discusses the recent legislative election in France in which, contrary to pre-election projections, left wing alliance New Popular Front candidates won a plurality of seats after the second round. Drozdiak discusses what's next in President Macron's efforts to form a coalition government and what the fractured election results could mean for the second largest economy in Europe going forward.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW,  we are joined by Michael Collins, Executive Director, The Americas at the Institute for Economics & Peace. He highlights the 18th edition of the annual Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP).  The index is the world's leading measure of peacefulness, and “reveals that the world is at a crossroads and without concerted effort, there is a risk of a surge in major conflicts.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW,  we are joined by Arnaud Kurze, Wilson Center Global Fellow and Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University, Liana Almony, Deputy Director at UNANIMA International, and Franz Baumann, Former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations. They highlight the concept of climate justice, the idea of putting equity and human rights at the core of decision-making and action on climate change. They discuss ideas for bringing marginalized communities, including women and populations in the Global South, into the multilateral decision-making processes when seeking solutions to climate change.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Sung-Yoon Lee, Fellow with the Wilson Center's Indo-Pacific Program, Former Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and Assistant Professor, the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He discusses his project at the Wilson Center, “The Pyongyang Playbook:  North Korea's Provocations, Peace Ploys, Propaganda, and Unification Policy.” Lee explains that while many in the West often mock North Korea and the Kim regime, we need to take the self-isolated, totalitarian state much more seriously.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Nader Nadery, Senior Fellow with the Wilson Center's Indo-Pacific Program.  He discusses the new report, “Human Rights Under Siege Salvaging the International Rights Regime in a Turbulent World Order.” The report examines how, 75 years after the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “the past two decades have witnessed a dramatic shift in the geopolitical landscape, characterized by the erosion of multilateralism, the rise of nationalism, the resurgence of authoritarian regimes, and the discernable retreat of US leadership in global human rights advocacy.” The report outlines a concise set of recommendations to bolster international accountability for rights violations, reviving US leadership in human rights advocacy, enhancing multilateral collaboration, and boosting the effectiveness of global institutions such as the UN.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, Understanding Russia, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen and contributor Izabella Tobarovsky.   Tobarovsky's article, Antisemitic Propaganda and Disinformation in Putin's War Against Democracies, examines how “Russia's long history of exploiting antisemitism for political purposes is benefiting its larger strategy to destabilize democratic societies and the West.”  

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute. He highlights Secretary Blinken's recent trip to China and examines whether a new Cold War has developed between the two nations.  Daly also discusses how the Biden administration's goal of “managed competition” with Beijing is playing out with continued tensions over the South China Sea, Ukraine conflict, and China's attempts to leverage the ongoing Israel-Hamas War for improved relations with the global south. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI) Working Group Report, “US Leadership Matters in Addressing Forced Displacement Crisis,” with co-authors, John Thon Majok, James Hollifield, and Susan F Martin.  The report “seeks to provide guidance and actionable recommendations for the US government and other actors on ways to protect, assist, and find sustainable solutions for refugees and other displaced people.” The report identifies six major policy and programming issues that require effective US leadership, consistent global response, and multilateral collaboration.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Ambassador Kristie Kenney, former senior US diplomat who served as the 32nd Counselor of the US Department of State and Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador, the Philippines, and Thailand.  She discusses the first-ever US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit held in Washington on April 11th.  Kenney explains how the summit highlights the importance of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy and could change the military and economic security dynamic in the region going forward.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by David Sanger, former Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow and White House and National Security Correspondent for the New York Times, and Mary Brooks, researcher, writer, documentarian, and former Wilson Center Public Policy Fellow. They discuss their new book, “New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West.” The book is “an insider account of what happened as five presidents grappled with new foreign policy realities and moves rapidly through 30 years of Washington's dawning awareness of Vladimir Putin's and Xi Jinping's ambitions, cultivating in the Biden Administration's efforts to contain China's technological progress and push back on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the 5th anniversary of the Middle East Program's blog, Enheduanna with Merissa Khurma and Faria Nasruddin.  The blog seeks to “inspire diverse women contributors from the Middle East to voice their thoughts and express their ideas about the state of women in their countries and their often ignored yet important work to advance women's issues across the region.” 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Jacqueline Charles, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award-winning foreign correspondent for the Miami Herald.  She discusses the ongoing political and security crisis in Haiti. With gangs reportedly controlling large areas of the capital and the resignation of acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry, Charles examines the current efforts by the international community to create a multinational force to support Haiti's security forces in their effort to reestablish rule of law. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Steve Coll, editor at the Economist, author, and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He discusses his latest book, “The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq.” The author uncovered unpublished and underreported sources, conducted interviews with surviving participants, and obtained Saddam's own transcripts and audio files, to create "the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy, and vanity—on both sides—led to avoidable errors of statecraft, ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change the political landscape as we know it." The author has donated many of the assets he used to research the book to the Wilson Center Digital Archive. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with William Pomeranz, Director of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute. He discusses the anniversaries of Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  Pomeranz also explains what the death of Russian activist Alexei Navalny may mean for the Putin regime, Russia, and the West.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, The New Multilateralism, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen.  Also joining us are contributors Robin Quinville and Philip Reeker.   Their article, Reinventing Security and Cooperation in Europe, examines how “by taking lessons from NATO, the OSCE could be more effective in responding to today's complex challenges.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow Robin Wright.  She discusses the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war and assesses the impact of regional escalation which has drawn the US deeper into the crisis.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Jennifer Turner, Director of the Wilson Center's China Environment Forum, and Karen Mancl, Wilson Center Fellow and Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University.  They discuss a new Wilson Center and Ohio State University joint project, Cultivating US and Chinese Climate Leadership on Food and Agriculture. The project “engages with US and Chinese agriculture, food system, and climate experts with two goals in mind: illustrate the complex climate footprint from US and Chinese agriculture and highlight opportunities for bilateral cooperation on policies, projects, and strategies to reduce agriculture's climate footprint.”

When Wilson Center NOW launched almost 10 years and more than 500 episodes ago, our topic was the Sochi Olympics and our guest was then Kennan Institute Director Matthew Rojansky. Matt, now President and CEO of the U.S. Russia Foundation and a Distinguished Fellow with Kennan, is back to mark the program's anniversary and also help us explore how Russia's role in the world and Vladimir Putin's ambitions have changed during the past decade. In addition to taking a look back at that first episode focused on the 2014 Winter Olympics, Rojansky also discusses Russia's rapidly deteriorating relationship with the West, beginning with the invasion of Crimea and continuing through its ongoing attack on Ukraine. This will be the final episode of NOW in calendar year 2023. We'll see you in 2024 and until then wish you and yours a most happy and healthy holiday season.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by the Mexico Institute's Andrew Rudman and Lila Abed. The discuss the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Mexico and highlight the program's new publication, Mexico's Next President | Challenges and Recommendations.  This booklet “offers recommendations on six of the most salient issues for consideration by the presidential candidates and their campaign teams including energy, migration, USMCA and North America, security, water, and nearshoring.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Southern Voices Network for Peacebuildingscholars Kgalalelo Nganje, Adane Tadesse, and Marie Grace Kagoyire Gasinzigwa.  They discuss their projects, “Toward Greater Synergy Between International and Domestic Election Observation,” “Simmering Inte

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Merissa Khurma of the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, and Izabella Tabarovsky, Kennan Institute Senior Advisor on Regional Partnerships and Programming. They discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the threat of the war expanding to neighboring states, and the Biden administration's shuttle diplomacy in the region.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we discuss the record-breaking heat of the summer of 2023 and the high number of extreme weather events experienced around the globe. Can a direct line be drawn between such events and climate change? And what are the implications of this emerging new normal as it relates to climate projections, resilience, and adaptation? Joining us are Matthew Huber, a professor at Purdue University where he directs the Institute for a Sustainable Future, and Lauren Herzer Risi, program director for the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program.  

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, Africa Matters, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen.  Also joining us are contributors Akunna Cook and Amarachi Nwosu. Their articles, Africa Is Ready For Its Next Narrative and Culture in Motion highlight the rapidly growing creative economy throughout the continent.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Peter Zwack, Former U.S. Army Brigadier General and Global Fellow with the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute. He provides an update on the ongoing Ukrainian counter offensive against Russia, the mood among the Ukrainian population and leadership, and the continued focus on increasing supplies of military equipment and diplomatic support from western nations.