In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Elbegdorj Tsakhia discuss Mongolian security concerns, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the continued threat of warfare in the Pacific, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Former president of Mongolia, key leader of the Mongolian Democratic Revolution, and Mongolian prime minister in 1998 and between 2004 to 2006, Elbegdorj Tsakhia joins Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster to share his thoughts on current Mongolian security concerns, his assessment of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the continued threat of warfare in the Pacific. A pivotal figure in peace and democracy movements across Asia, Elbegdorj discusses Mongolia’s shift from an authoritarian, communist government to a democracy and free-market economy, the motivations driving the Chinese Communist Party, and the dangers that the Iranian-Russian-Chinese relationship poses to the world.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Elbegdorj Tsakhia served as president of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. Prior to taking this role, he was a key leader of the Mongolian Democratic Revolution and served as Mongolia’s prime minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006. Elbegdorj holds a master of public administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Land Forces Military Academy of Lviv, Ukraine. He is a pivotal figure in peace and democracy movements across Asia. Elbegdorj spearheaded the establishment of the Asian Partnership for Democracy initiative and serves as commissioner of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, patron of the World Sustainable Development Forum, member of the World Leadership Alliance–Club de Madrid, and member of the Elders.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.