There is "no alternative" to EU membership for North Macedonia, the prime minister says. But, after 16 years of waiting, can the country overcome serious hurdles to join the bloc? Zoran Zaev is on Conflict Zone.

In a sign of growing impatience, Joe Biden's administration has stepped up its objections to a new abortion law in Texas and asked the Supreme Court to block it. Our guest this week is Bryan Hughes, a Texas state senator who spearheaded the legislation. What makes him think he's doing the right thing?

Governing Afghanistan today will not be easy. The 1990s was a completely different time. ''Resistance will continue" claims Jawed Ludin, a former advisor to President Hamid Karzai in an interview with Tim Sebastian on Conflict Zone this week. He also admits: ''One thing that has changed is that today's Taliban have a very deep-seated vengeance."

How will the chaotic end to the US war in Afghanistan affect Washington’s relations with European allies, partners in the region, and those left behind? Former US Deputy National Security Advisor Douglas Lute says it’s not a proud moment for America, but argues that the status quo was unsustainable.

The Christian Democrats and the Greens are set to play a key role in Germany's upcoming election. But are they capable of leading Germany into a new era? DW's Conflict Zone host Tim Sebastian talks to representatives of both parties: David McAllister for the CDU and Franziska Brantner for the Greens.

For years, the government of Bangladesh has been criticized for its human rights record. Its reputation received another jolt this month with allegations of high-level bribery and corruption. DW’s Conflict Zone host Tim Sebastian confronts Gowher Rizvi, international affairs adviser to the country’s prime minister.

Has President Buhari lost control in Nigeria? Government crackdowns on protesters and a Twitter ban suggest weakness at the top, while citizens face rising terrorism. Conflict Zone meets Abuja’s ambassador to Germany.

Why does the EU so often punch below its weight? The Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee tells DW that EU may need to drop the unanimous decision-making on foreign policy to go forward.

The Ukrainian foreign minister joins Conflict Zone remotely from Kyiv and tells DW's Tim Sebastian that after the recent build-up of Russian troops at the border, "[w]hat is happening cannot be called a withdrawal."

The Council of Europe's verdict on human rights in Europe makes unpleasant reading, saying the continent's democratic environment and institutions are in "mutually reinforcing decline." What has gone so wrong?