Amanpour

America’s legal system is once again being tested by former President Donald Trump, who is accused of breaking multiple laws in multiple jurisdictions. In New York, his trial over alleged hush money payments continues today. At the same time, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments over his claim of presidential immunity. Emily Bazelon is a lecturer at Yale Law School and writes for New York Times Magazine. She joins Christiane to break this all down. 

Also on today's show: Rose Gottemoeller, Former NATO Deputy Secretary-General; UK Labour MP Harriet Harman; Kate Manne, Author, "Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny" 

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After six months of Republican obstruction, President Biden today signed into law a massive foreign aid package with nearly $61 billion earmarked for Ukraine. But the months of inaction highlighted Ukraine’s vulnerability to western politics, as well as a worrying shortfall in defense production across NATO. That's why British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to lift UK defense spending by almost a hundred billion dollars, investing 2.5% of GDP by 2030. Labour MP David Lammy could become the country's next foreign secretary and he's making a case for what he calls “progressive realism.” He joins Christiane to discuss. 

Also on today's show: author Salman Rushdie; Anne Applebaum, Staff Writer, The Atlantic 

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The desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen. Amidst this crisis the US, the UK and others are still withholding funding to UNRWA, the main relief agency there. This was in response to Israel’s claims that some UNRWA staff members took part in the Hamas atrocities of October 7th. An independent review headed up by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has concluded that UNRWA’s neutrality must be strengthened. She joins Christiane from New York to discuss her findings. 

Also on today's show: David Vardanyan, whose father is imprisoned in Azerbaijan; historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; Ukranian conductor Oksana Lyniv 

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Opening arguments were heard today in the first ever criminal trial of an American president, as a jury of twelve detainees determines whether Donald Trump engaged in 2016 election interference over the payment of hush money to an alleged lover. This is happening just six months from the 2024 election where he is vying to get his old job back. Foes and allies of the United States around the world will be watching closely. To discuss all this, Christiane is joined by foreign policy experts Kori Schake and Nathalie Tocci. 

Also on today's show: climate reporter/author Abrahm Lustgarten; Palestinian and Ukrainian Refugee / Peace Ambassador for One Young World Zoya El-Miari 

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We begin the show with the wider war nobody wants and the chain reaction playing out in the Middle East. With Israel and Iran’s decades-long shadow war now playing out in the open, the rules of engagement are being completely re-written. Christiane spoke to Britain’s former top spy John Sawers about the volatile situation. Meanwhile, in the absence of vital US aid for Ukraine, other allies are stepping in to fill the vacuum. The Czech Republic is now leading an international effort to deliver a million and a half artillery shells to Ukraine within a year. Czech President Petr Pavel - a former army general, and senior NATO official – joins Christiane from Prague. The world's biggest democratic exercise is underway in India as nearly a billion eligible voters decide whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves a third term. CNN’s Will Ripley explains what’s at stake for this crucial US ally. Ukrainian Maestro Oksana Lyniv is a classical music trailblazer with a passion for conducting shaped by her life and the war in her homeland. Christiane met her at the New York Metropolitan Opera. From the Amanpour Archive this week, we revisit Christiane’s conversations with the stakeholders at the center of the aborted 2015 nuclear deal, which would have reshaped the Middle East as we know it. And, with military aid locked up in congress, Ukraine’s air defense crisis deepens by the day and Putin is pressing the advantage. Christiane asks Donald Trump's former Defense Secretary Mark Esper if he thinks GOP holdouts have fallen victim to Putin’s propaganda.

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Just before sunrise in Iran, an Israeli strike targeted a military airbase in Isfahan, a retaliation against Tehran for attacking Israel over the weekend. Iran’s attack was itself a retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria which killed several Iranian commanders. To discuss all this, retired Israeli General Amos Yadlin, former Head of Israeli Defense Intelligence, joins the show from Tel Aviv. 

Also on today's show: Ray Takeyh, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; 2022 Nobel Prize Laureate, Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk; climate expert/author Bill Weir 

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It's a make-or-break moment for Ukraine, as the US Congress looks closer than ever to finally pushing through its long-stalled aid package. Without US support, Ukraine has had to rely on other allies – including the Czech Republic, which has pioneered an effort to buy ammunition for Kyiv from third countries. Last week, President Zelensky met with Czech President Petr Pavel in Vilnius. Since his election just over a year ago, Pavel has been one of the most outspoken European leaders on countering Russian aggression, warning that “if Ukraine fails, so will we.” As a former top NATO general, he knows the military realities and the threats from Russia better than most, and he joined the program from Prague. 

Also on today's show: David Sanger, Author, “New Cold Wars”; Grammy award-winning composer Terence Blanchard 

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As Israel continues its war on Gaza, a strike on a refugee camp on Tuesday killed at least 13 people. Over half were children, according to hospital officials. The latest UN figures show that one child is injured or dies every 10 minutes there. Amongst all this, over the weekend in Gaza rumours of Palestinians being allowed to return home turned deadly. International correspondent Jomana Karadsheh reports on the chaos that unfolded as people attempted to go back north. 

Also on today’s show: Tamir Hayman, Former IDF intelligence chief; Tareq Abu Azzoum, Correspondent, Al Jazeera English; Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, HuffPost 

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Israel's war cabinet met again today to weigh up a response to Iran's strike over the weekend. In Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi warns even the smallest of actions would be met with a “severe, extensive and painful” response. The United States is urging caution and calm from both sides, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin telling his Israeli counterpart that the US goal is "regional stability". Joining the program to discuss is former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served under Donald Trump and has since become one of his fiercest critics. 

Also on today's show: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani; Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris; author Jonathan Vigliotti 

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Leaders from the US, UK and EU urge restraint as Israel mulls its response to Iran. America has made it clear it will not participate in a counterattack. Jordan accuses Israel of using this confrontation to take attention off Gaza. Iran’s missile and drone attack was heavily telegraphed and 99% intercepted by Israel and its allies, however it raises the question of how Israel would do in an all-out war, without allied participation. The United States remains desperate to prevent that region from descending into a much wider war. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt Daniel Kurtzer joins Christiane from Washington DC. 

Also on today's show: Neal Katyal, Fmr U.S. Acting Solicitor General / Law Professor, Georgetown University; Eddie Glaude Jr., Author, “We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For” / Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University 

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