Britain Debrief with Ben Judah

As French President Emmanuel Macron maintains a lead ahead of his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, I interview Ambassador Gérard Araud, former French Ambassador to the US, for #BritainDebrief to discuss how this election will impact France.

What is France's role in NATO? What will happen to the European Union and France-Russia relations if Le Pen wins the election?

As military aid to Ukraine increases from NATO and major US allies, I interviewed Patrick Porter, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for #BritainDebrief to learn more about how modern alliances will change following the Russia's invasion.

What will happen to Ukraine's neutrality? What dense web of complexity exists for alliances and sub-alliances in global security?

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine settles into a costly stalemate for the Russian military, I interview Dmitri Alperovitch, Chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank and the Co-Founder of Crowdstrike, to learn more about under what circumstances Russia would retreat from Ukraine.

How will the Russian political system change in response to a retreat? Would Putin's rule be threatened by a tactical defeat in Ukraine?

With estimates of up to 3.5 million refugees flooding out of Ukraine following  the Russian military's invasion, I interviewed Gerald Knaus, Chair of the European Stability Initiative, on the feasibility of an airlift of Ukrainian refugees from Poland, Hungary, and Moldova to other parts of Europe and the United States to enable burden sharing.

How many refugees will need to be airlifted by the end of the month? How will the Ukrainian refugee crisis look in 6 months?

How can Britain fix its corruption problem?

With the passing of the Economic Crime Bill in the UK, I interview Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, to discuss what Britain's next steps are in tackling Russian corruption overseas.

What exactly does the Economic Crime Bill do? What reforms are needed for British law enforcement to go after economic crime? 

As the Russian military advance continues to stall, I interviewed Rob Lee, FPRI Senior Fellow, for today's #BritainDebrief.

How have lethal British military aid, like anti-tank MLAWs, performed so far? Can Ukraine continue to hold out against Russia? How real is the threat of Russian chemical weapon attacks in Ukraine?

Can decarbonization disarm Putin’s war machine?

As European countries have reluctantly started to announce programs to be less reliant on Russian oil and gas, I interviewed Laurie Laybourn, Visiting Fellow at the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator for today's #BritainDebrief.

What have the UK and Europe announced so far in addressing their reliance on Russian oil and gas? How can the UK and Europe face the new "petro-aggression" from Russia? What long-term steps must be taken in encouraging sustainability to prevent more petro-aggression in the future?

What impact are British and allied sanctions having on Russia? 

As Britain joins the global anti-invasion coalition to take increasingly assertive economic actions against Russia, Ben Judah interviews Dr. Maria Shagina, visiting fellow at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs' Center on US Politics and Power, for today's #BritainDebrief. How has British sanctions policy on Russia looked since Brexit? What new leverage can Britain and its allies apply against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine?

As a newly-formed anti-invasion coalition forms in the international community and takes increasingly severe economic actions against Russia, I interviewed Edward Fishman, former Russia and Europe Lead in the State Department’s Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, for today's #BritainDebrief.

What's the strategic thinking behind these heavy sanctions against the Russian central bank? Do the sanctions prevent Russia from continuing the invasion?

As Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I spoke with Tom Tugendhat, MP, Chair of the UK Foreign Affairs Committee, on what Britain and its allies can do for a special emergency #BritainDebrief.

Is this a major turning point in European history? What does Tugendhat think of Boris Johnson's new sanctions package on Russia? Will the capital fall to the Russian onslaught, and if yes, what happens next?