In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Ambassador Robert Blackwill, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who previously served on the National Security Council and as U.S. Ambassador to India, to discuss his new report "America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership."

What We Cover: The five historical schools of American grand strategy: primacy, liberal internationalism, restraint, American nationalism, and Trumpism Why Ambassador Blackwill proposes a sixth approach: "Resolute Global Leadership" The rise of China as a peer competitor and what it means for U.S. strategy The critical importance of alliances in an increasingly dangerous world Defense spending, military superiority, and procurement reform The risks of withdrawal and security vacuums in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East Why values matter in American foreign policy What should the next administration prioritize to restore American leadership

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 18, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

📚 Featured article: https://www.cfr.org/reports/america-r...

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#diplomacy #foreignpolicy #GrandStrategy #USChinaRelations #InternationalRelations #Geopolitics

This week, Kelly talks with former US Diplomat Joel Wit, author of the new book Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea. Joel was a diplomat negotiating with North Korea in the 1990s and 2000s, and has researched and published on the DPRK ever since.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 12, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This year, Kelly takes you on a road to 250 in American Diplomacy. First up is Professor Kathryn Statler, University of San Diego Professor and expert on early American foreign policy. She takes Kelly through the Revolutionary War and America's earliest days. How did Americans think of their role in the world? How did they juggle their alliance with France while seeking national autonomy? Most importantly, what did "entangling alliances" really mean?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 2, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly and Tristen dissect Trump's Board of Peace: who's in, who's out, and who has declined. Can the board supersede the United Nations' peacebuilding efforts?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 28, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Jimmy Story, the last US Ambassador to Venezuela. Prospects for democracy look bleak, but what does 2026 hold for the country?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 16, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

For the first episode of 2026, Kelly and Tristen dive deep into the Trump administration's renewed efforts to acquire Greenland.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 15, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Kelly and Tristen wrap up 2025's foreign policy: the highlights (and lowlights), what went under the radar, and what they'll be watching for in 2026.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Professor Michael Kimmage about Russia's war in Ukraine and current efforts towards a ceasefire.

Michael Kimmage is a Professor of History at Catholic University, specializing in U.S.-Russia relations and cold war history, and is director of the Kennan Institute in Washington D.C. He worked on U.S.-Russia relations from 2014 to 2016 on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning staff. He is the author of five books, the latest being Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. Michael has also been writing profically on the Russia Ukraine war since 2022.

Read Michael's latest article in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/russia-putin-drones-airspace-europe-nato-war/

Michael's most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Collisions-Origins-Ukraine-Global-Instability/dp/B0CYQWJQ28/

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through recent COP and G20 summits, and what US absence meant for the world's biggest international fora. They also provide updates on US allies' reactions to boat strikes in the Caribbean, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meetings with Trump at the White House.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on November 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Decland Walsh on Sudan: 31:30

This week, Kelly and Truisten talk through Hungary's new attempt to start up an anti-Ukraine bloc in the EU as well as Victor Orban's meeting with President Trump. They then turn to recent elections in the Netherlands and to President Trum's trip to Asia and the APEC summit. Chief NYT Africa Correspondent Declan Walsh then joins Kelly for a deep-dive into recent developments in the Sudanese civil war.

Watch Declan's lecture on Sudan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2UQ1_Cp2UQ

See more of his reporting here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/declan-walsh

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on November 11, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown