“Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has ended America’s thirty-year holiday from history,” Robert Gates opined in the Washington Post last month, referencing the United States’ reentry into great-power conflict for the first time since the Cold War. No more salient words have been written on the U.S. role in the crisis.

Russia’s brutal military campaign against Ukraine and its horrifying war crimes have stunned the West, which has responded with unprecedented sanctions and aid to Ukraine. But what are the trend lines behind the headlines? Is there a diplomatic off-ramp to end the crisis? What are the internal implications for Putin’s Russia and for NATO, China, and U.S. foreign policy?

Aaron sits down with former U.S. secretary of defense Robert M. Gates to unpack these and other issues in the ongoing crisis.

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Across nearly four decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, Marie Yovanovitch has served in far-flung outposts from Mogadishu to Moscow to her last post in Kyiv as the ambassador to Ukraine—a position from which she was abruptly recalled and then drawn into the politics surrounding the impeachment of a U.S. president. This may well have been her toughest assignment and one in which she demonstrated tremendous courage and integrity. Perhaps no one has a better feel for Ukrainian politics, relations with Russia, and the options for U.S. policy in the months ahead. 

Aaron sits down with Marie Yovanovitch to discuss her new memoir and the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

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Truth is said to be the first casualty of war, leaving journalists to play an indispensable role on the front lines and convey the grim reality of conflict. Nowhere has that been more clearly demonstrated than in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, where journalists provide constant coverage at great risk to themselves—and sometimes with tragic consequences. 

Aaron sits down with CNN’s senior international correspondent and veteran journalist Clarissa Ward to discuss the war in Ukraine and the challenges of wartime reporting.

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Although not on the battlefield, China figures as a central player in the Ukraine crisis. The strength of China-Russia relations was clearly a factor for Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, as sweeping Western sanctions have only highlighted Putin’s dependence on Xi Jinping. Indeed, China is the only nation of consequence that fully supports Russia. But how enduring is that support? What are China’s calculations as it seeks to balance support for Russia against its own interests? And does the Biden administration have any leverage over China as it seeks to support Ukraine and defuse the crisis? 

Tune in as Aaron David Miller sits down with Kevin Rudd, former Australian prime minister and head of the Asia Society, to discuss these and other issues.

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Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has emerged as one of America’s most gifted and prolific storytellers. From baseball to country music and his upcoming film on Benjamin Franklin, Burns explores America’s greatest achievements and most extraordinary heroes. But he also documents the darkest moments of the American republic, such as the Civil War and the national stain of racial injustice. Through it all, Burns weaves iconic narratives, linking the past to the present in ways that make America’s democratic experiment accessible to millions. 

Aaron sits down with Ken Burns to discuss his craft, his view of the American story, and the challenges of filmmaking during one of the most fraught and consequential periods in America’s history.

The U.S. Intelligence Community has played a critical role in predicting Putin’s invasion and countering Moscow’s disinformation campaign as the Biden administration purposefully released intelligence on the Kremlin’s plans and troop movements leading up to the invasion. But what are the challenges of intelligence gathering and analysis in response to a fast-moving crisis? What makes for an effective intelligence assessment for policymakers? How do presidents make decisions based on intelligence in crises such as Afghanistan and Ukraine? And how do intelligence officials ensure policymakers receive accurate and unbiased information? 

Aaron sits down with Beth Sanner, the deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration, to discuss these and other issues.

After willfully provoking the crisis in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin seems strangely uncertain about what to do with it. Despite preparing both conventional and hybrid military options, he also seems open to the possibility of using diplomacy to achieve his goals. But what exactly are those objectives? Is there a negotiated outcome that Putin is prepared to accept that would end the crisis? And how does he read the Biden administration’s response? Join Aaron David Miller as he sits down with Dmitri Trenin to analyze these and other issues.

In a recent interview, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke on President Biden’s foreign policy one year into the administration and yet made no mention of the Middle East. What is Biden's foreign policy in the Middle East, a region studded with humanitarian crises and seemingly intractable conflicts that impinge on U.S. interests, from Iran, Israel and Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. How does the administration define U.S. interests in the region? And where does the Middle East fit in the list of its priorities?

Join Aaron David Miller as he sits down with Brett McGurk, the president’s point person on the Middle East, to discuss these and other issues.

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2022 may well be the most crucial year in America's history, Boston College American historian Heather Cox Richardson argues. A surging pandemic; runaway inflation; the tribalization of American politics, a battle over voting rights, and upcoming midterms presage a tumultuous year ahead. How will the Biden administration deal with these challenges?

Aaron David Miller sits down with Professor Richardson to discuss the state and fate of the American republic.

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