David's Politics Show

We’ve now crossed the 100-day mark on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Where do we stand, militarily and politically? What should the West’s policy goals be at this point? With me to discuss all this is returning guest and noted Russia and Ukraine expert, Dr. Andreas Umland.

How, historically, has India thought about its place in Asia? Which ideas and challenges have shaped its foreign policy since independence? And what kind of country will (should) India become? I discuss all this and more, including the importance of studying history and the value of books, with Indian ambassador and former national-security advisor Shivshankar Menon.

Putin’s war of aggression may seem absurd and incomprehensible, but evidently he considered it a gamble worth taking, which in turn raises the following questions: What are the intellectual origins of this war? And how does the answer to that question help us understand the nature and extent of Putin’s political objectives? With me to discuss all this, as well as Germany’s policy shift and the future of EU foreign and security policy, is the noted Russia and Ukraine expert, Dr. Andreas Umland.

Spy stories are all the more fun to read when they are not made up. David E. Hoffman’s “The Billion Dollar Spy” tells the true story of Soviet engineer Adolf Tolkachev, who spied for the CIA for half a decade without ever leaving Moscow. Join us for a thrilling story of Cold War intrigue, tradecraft, and betrayal.

How is China viewing Russia’s war in Ukraine? And what might the consequences of that war be for the Sino-Russian partnership? Dr. Jabin Jacob, one of India’s best China hands, joins me to discuss all this and more.

Day 12 of the Russian invasion and I am joined by a returning guest on the podcast, Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, to discuss the war: how it has unfolded so far, and what we should expect in the weeks and months ahead.

We continue our series on India by talking about the consequences for India of the Russia-Ukraine standoff with Professor Rajagopalan (JNU), one of the country’s foremost experts on Indian foreign relations.

What is behind the polarization that characterizes so much of American politics these days? And how would one go about reconstructing a sense of national cohesion, of common purpose? Could the answer lie in a reinvigorated “national” conservatism? And what would some of its policies be? With me to discuss all this and more is Christopher DeMuth, distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute and former president of AEI. Join us for an extended discussion about what has happened to the Left in America, what Trump got right (and what he got wrong), and about the need to resurrect a culture of civil debate.

In our ongoing series focusing on India, today we talk about the very interesting relationship between India and Israel. Both nation-states the product of decolonization, they initially remained far apart but in recent years have developed strong and even close ties. With me to discuss past, present, and future of the relationship is India’s foremost expert on Israel, Professor P.R. Kumaraswamy of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

What comes “After Europe”? That was the intriguing title today’s guest gave to his 2017 book. Five years later, the question seems more pertinent than ever. Beset by unprecedented challenges all along its periphery, and deeply divided along numerous fault lines, the EU appears helpless, at the mercy of events beyond its control. Ivan Krastev joins me on the podcast to talk about the multiple crises facing the EU today and its possible futures.