Foreign Policy Live

Judging by the way Latin America is discussed in the U.S. presidential elections, Americans view the continent mostly in negative terms: as the source of unwanted immigration and drug cartels. But the reality is obviously more complex. The region includes America’s largest trading partner—Mexico—and it is an arena for intense geopolitical competition.

In the fourth episode of FP Live’s special election series, host Ravi Agrawal asks Moisés Naím, a former Venezuelan minister of trade and industry, and Catherine Osborn, the writer of FP’s Latin America Brief, how Trump and Harris differ on policy. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Catherine Osborn: How Migration Became a U.S. Foreign-Policy Priority

Connor Pfeiffer and Ryan C. Berg: Mexico and the United States Need to Talk About China Now

Oliver Stuenkel: Trump Has His Own Monroe Doctrine

Geoff Ramsey and Jason Marczak: What’s Next for U.S. Policy in Venezuela?

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Africa has been neglected by recent administrations; the last presidential visit was in 2015, though President Joe Biden will be making a trip to Angola in December. How will the next president handle this large and diverse continent? FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined by two Africa experts—Martin Kimani and Zainab Usman—on the third installment of FP Live’s special election series. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Martin Kimani: How to Restore the American Center

Henry Tugendhat: The U.S. Has a Better Offer for Africa Than Debt

Christina Lu: Washington Wants to Revive a Critical Minerals Mega-Railway Through Africa

Chris Murphy: Kenya’s Anti-Corruption Protests Are a Wake-Up Call for Washington

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Among foreign policy issues, how the United States should approach its relationship with Europe might be the one on which presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris disagree most. To find out why, hear Nathalie Tocci, the director of Rome’s Istituto Affari Internazionali, and Mark Leonard, the director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, on the second episode of FP Live’s special election series.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

A. Wess Mitchell and Jakub Grygiel: U.S. Strategy Should Be Europe First, Then Asia

Hal Brands: Trump’s Return Would Transform Europe

FP Contributors: Europe Alone

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Every day this week, FP Live will have a new episode focused on a different part of the world and how presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris would tailor their foreign policies for those regions. In this episode, host Ravi Agrawal looks at the Middle East and speaks with experts Steven A. Cook and Sanam Vakil. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Steven A. Cook: Why Americans and Israelis Don’t See Eye to Eye on Iran

Talal Mohammad: Why the Gulf States Are Likely Backing Trump

Rishi Iyengar: Why Everyone’s Suddenly Talking About Iranian Election Hacking

Arash Reisinezhad: Iran’s Israel Strategy Has Already Changed

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Last week, a regular Israeli patrol in southern Gaza chanced upon the person they had been hunting for more than a year: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. His death raised some big questions: How much of a blow would this be for Hamas? What would it mean for Israel’s strategy? This week’s guest has thought a lot about all of these questions. Gen. David Petraeus led U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan at the height of counterterrorism efforts there.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

FP Live: David Petraeus on a World at War

FP Live Transcript: David Petraeus: Why 9/11 Is a Cautionary Tale for Israel

Steven A. Cook: Sinwar Is Dead. Hamas Is Very Much Alive.

Daniel Byman: Israel’s Killing of Yahya Sinwar Is Not a Turning Point

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North Korea and Iran are fascinating countries for many reasons, but also because they're part of an emerging alliance of autocracies. China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly helping each other out in a range of global hotspots, often stymieing U.S. interests. But what is their end goal?

FP Live asks Barbara Slavin, an Iran expert at the Stimson Center, and Chung Min Lee, a Korea expert at the Carnegie Endowment.

Suggested reading

(FP links are paywall-free):Daniel R. DePetris and Jennifer Kavanagh: The ‘Axis of Evil’ Is Overhyped

Robbie Gramer: Looks Like ‘Axis of Evil’ Is Back on the Menu

The Economist: A new “quartet of chaos” threatens America

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On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel and set in motion a new cycle of violence that has rocked the Middle East. Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East advisor to both Republican and Democratic secretaries of state, joins FP Live to look back—and ahead. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Aaron David Miller and Steven Simon: Oct. 7 Changed Everything–but What if It Didn’t?

Aaron David Miller and Lauren Morgenbesser: Don’t Blame Biden for the Yearlong War in Gaza

FP’s Oct. 7 Roundup: Is the Israel-Hamas War Closer to Its Beginning or Its End?

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Unrest, even violence, could be a concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November. What should be done to strengthen the nation’s democratic institutions? And what lessons can be learned from other countries facing similar challenges? Author and political scientist Barbara Walter joins FP Live to share her findings from her research on civil wars around the world.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Transcript: Could Civil War Erupt in America?

Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware: How Bad Will Political Violence in the U.S. Get?

Stephen Marche: Why the U.S. Military Isn’t Ready for Civil War

Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: What a Real Civil War Would Do to the U.S. Economy

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South Africa’s allegations of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice draw on the African National Congress’s own long history and views on apartheid. But is Pretoria’s foreign policy consistent across other parts of the world—for example, Russia or Sudan? Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss how he’s shaping South Africa’s foreign policy. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Nontobeko Hlela: Why South Africa’s Nonalignment Is Here to Stay

Oliver Stuenkel: BRICS Faces a Reckoning

Chile Eboe-Osuji: South Africa’s ICJ Case Was Too Narrow

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With the United Nations General Assembly now underway, longtime U.N. watcher Richard Gown joins FP Live to discuss what’s on the agenda for the world leaders in attendance.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Sophie Eisentraut: Can the West Revive Multilateralism?

Michael Galant and Aude Darnal: Who’s Afraid of the Global South?

J. Alex Tarquinio: The U.N. Security Council’s Default Is Deadlock

Michael Hirsh: The World Is Leaving Biden Behind

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