In this emergency podcast episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobzova, co-director of ECFR’s European Security Programme, and Jim O’Brien, former US assistant secretary of state for Europe and ECFR distinguished policy fellow, to dissect the leaked 28-point US-Russia framework for ending the Ukraine war.

Kyiv has rejected the proposal as a capitulation and Europeans are insisting on a seat at the table. Together, Mark, Jana and Jim examine the feasibility of the plan’s core demands, given Ukraine’s battlefield resilience and Europe’s pushback. What does the plan reveal about the Trump administration’s approach? Can Europe shape a settlement that safeguards Ukraine’s sovereignty? Or will Ukraine be coerced into a deal on Russia’s terms?

This podcast was recorded on November 21st, 2025.

Bookshelf:

Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland

Algorithms for the People by Josh Simons

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Europe’s most ambitious defence project is in deep trouble. Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), presented as the crown jewel of Franco-German cooperation, was meant to deliver a next-generation defence system ready to meet the demands of an increasingly dangerous world. Instead, the FCAS showcases diverging visions of European air power and raises questions about the continent’s strategic autonomy.

This week, Mark is joined by Ulrike Franke, ECFR senior policy fellow and expert on defence, security and drones. Together, they explore why FCAS keeps running into dead ends—from persistent rifts between Dassault and Airbus to political disagreements between Paris and Berlin.

What do the developments around the FCAS reveal about the strength of the Franco-German motor in the EU? What happens if the project collapses? And what would it mean for Europe’s quest for strategic autonomy?

Bookshelf:

Char de combat: obsolescence ou renaissance? by Léo Péria-Peigné

The ideas letter curated by Leonard Benardo

This episode was recorded on November 19th 2025

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Across Europe, immigration and integration have become pressing political issues. The far right is surging in national polls, and debates over borders and national identity are reshaping party systems and public life.

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Sunder Katwala, director of the think-tank British Future and author of How to Be a Patriot, and Lawen Redar, spokesperson for integration for the Swedish Social Democratic party and a member of Sweden’s parliament. Together, they discuss how Sweden shifted from the EU’s most liberal migration country to tighter border controls, how parallel societies are emerging, and how both Sweden and Britain are struggling to define who “we” are in increasingly diverse societies.

How can European societies combine stricter border policies with fair and effective integration? Can social democrats rebuild a shared narrative of national belonging without slipping into ethno-nationalism? And how can Europe avoid importing the most negative elements of America’s culture war?

Bookshelf:

How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war by Sunder Katwala

Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better by Alan Manning

Head, Hand, Heart: Why Intelligence Is Over-Rewarded, Manual Workers Matter, and Caregivers Deserve More Respect by David Goodhart

This episode was recorded on November 14th 2025

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In recent years, military juntas have replaced democratically elected governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. These have expelled European forces and welcomed Russian mercenaries—yet stability in these countries remains elusive.

This week, Mark is joined by Will Brown, senior policy fellow in ECFR’s Africa programme and author of the recent policy brief “The Bear and the Bot Farm: Countering Russian Hybrid Warfare in Africa”, and Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst at global risk consultancy Control Risks. Together, they unpack Russia’s ambitions in Africa and the shifting geopolitical landscape across the Sahel.

How does Moscow’s vast propaganda machine continue to shape public opinion in the region? How is the Kremlin using disinformation to expand its influence? And what options remain for Europe in a region where its power is fast fading?

Bookshelf:

The Bear and the Bot Farm: Countering Russian Hybrid Warfare in Africa by Will Brown

The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination by Stuart A. Reid

Attack on Titan (TV Series 2013–2023)

Beyond the Door of No Return by David Diop

The Strong Brown God: The Story of the Niger River by Sanche de Gramont

This episode was recorded on November 5th 2025

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This week, Mark Leonard returns to the World in 30 Minutes to unpack the latest development in US foreign policy: America’s military buildup off the coast of Venezuela. The US has deployed troops in the Caribbean and an aircraft strike group has joined the operation—but the Trump administration’s aims in the region remain unclear.

Mark is joined by Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director and head of its Washington office, to discuss the legal and political justifications for the strikes, the influence of Marco Rubio, and how Trump’s “hemispheric defence” doctrine fits into his unpredictable foreign policy. Is the development about drug cartels, regime change—or is America reasserting its power in the Western hemisphere? What are the implications for Europe? And what do these strikes mean for the future of US global strategy?

Bookshelf:

The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West by Paul Andrew Hutton

This episode was recorded on October 28th 2025.

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Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have largely taken a backseat to events in Gaza. But a recent call with Vladimir Putin, followed by a tense meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, has reignited America’s engagement. Washington has announced new sanctions against two Russian oil giants, Rosneft and Lukoil, just as European leaders advance plans to tap frozen Russian assets.

This week, Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR research director and head of its Washington office, is joined by Jana Kobzova, co-director of ECFR’s European Security programme and former foreign policy adviser to Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová, and Jim O’Brien, former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs in the Biden administration and an ECFR distinguished visiting fellow. Together, they unpack Trump’s sanctions gamble, Europe’s shifting strategy on Russian energy—and whether these moves could alter the course of the war.

Bookshelf section:

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley by Marietje Schaake

This episode was recorded on October 23rd 2025.

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This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Eran Etzion, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council, and Jamal Nusseibeh, Palestinian legal scholar and political analyst, to discuss what comes next after a landmark ceasefire in Gaza. Two years after the attacks on October 7th, the agreement has brought hostages home and Israeli forces have pulled back from parts of the Gaza Strip. But, with Trump’s 20-point plan calling for Hamas disarmament, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the establishment of a transitional Palestinian government,  the real test is about to begin.

Can international pressure turn a vague, unsigned proposal into a lasting settlement? How can an international stabilisation force navigate between security guarantees for Israel and Palestinian sovereignty? And does this moment mark the start of a serious push for a two-state solution, or is it just another fragile pause in a cycle of violence?

This podcast was recorded on Friday, October 17th, 2025.

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EU enlargement is back at the top of the EU’s political agenda as Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed it from a bureaucratic process into a matter of European security.

This episode marks the launch of ECFR’s new RE-ENGAGE podcast series: The Neighbourhood, which will unpack how countries hoping to join the EU navigate political change and outside pressure, and what that means for Europe’s democracy and security.

In this episode, Mark Leonard speaks with Lykke Friis, co-chair of ECFR’s council, director of the Danish think-tank Europa, and former Danish minister, as European leaders gather for the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen. Together they discuss why Denmark has shifted to advocating for enlargement and why Europe’s future security may depend on bringing Ukraine and Moldova closer.

Is the EU ready for a new wave of member countries? Can enlargement be both geopolitical and merit-based? And what role will Denmark play in defining the EU’s next chapter?

Bookshelf:

Strength in members: How to rally EU enlargement for defence by Gustav Gressel, Nicu Popescu

Deutschland 1946: Das Wunder beginnt by Rüdiger Barth, Hauke Friederichs

Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi

This episode was recorded on October 2nd, 2025.

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This week Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, senior policy fellow and head of ECFR’s Paris office, to discuss the unprecedented political turmoil in France. Just weeks after his appointment, Sébastien Lecornu became the fourth prime minister to resign in a year—leaving Macron to choose between naming yet another leader, dissolving the National Assembly, or answering the mounting calls for his resignation.

Why is Macron refusing to turn to the left? Can the centrists hold together? And are snap elections or Macron’s resignation now inevitable?

This podcast was recorded on October 9th, 2025.

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Mark Leonard welcomes Hugh Lovatt to unpack Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and what it means for Israel, Hamas, and Europe.

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Hugh Lovatt, Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR and expert on Israel–Palestine, to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump’s proposed Gaza peace deal.

What does the plan actually contain, and how did it come about? Can it deliver a real ceasefire and political pathway, or is it another exercise in ambiguity? Hugh explains why the deal may be more complicated for Hamas than for Israel, what leverage Europeans still hold, and how an international stabilisation force could (or couldn’t) work on the ground.

This podcast was recorded on September 6th 2025

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