Roundtable

NATO has already confirmed Jens Stoltenberg is staying on as secretary general for another year. That has solved the issue of succession for now. But as the Alliance meets for its 2023 summit, what other challenges does it face? And more specifically, what can be done about Ukraine?

Guests:

Jamie Shea

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO

Martin Smith

Senior Lecturer in Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Elisabeth Braw

Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

A 17-year-old French Algerian is shot dead and a police officer is in custody accused of his murder. But the violent unrest across France that followed the shooting, hints at issues that go well beyond just this one incident.

So why is France such a hot-bed for civil unrest?

Guests:

Jonathan Miller

Correspondent, Spectator

Nabila Ramdani

French Algerian journalist

Alexis Poulin

Founder, Le Monde Moderne Media

If NATO doesn’t offer Ukraine serious security guarantees at the Alliance’s summit next month, individual member nations may resort to putting troops on the ground. That’s the view of former NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen.

If he’s right, what would be the consequences? And how would Russia react?

Guests:

Martin Smith

Senior Lecturer in Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Paul Ingram

Senior Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Colin Alexander

Senior Lecturer in Political Communications at Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham

Electricity bills have spiked across Europe. But, in Finland it’s going in the other direction.

In recent weeks prices have effectively dropped below zero. Some suggest the opening of Europe’s first new nuclear reactor in 15 years is the reason. Others suggest it’s hydropower. What exactly is Finland doing differently?

Guests:

Rauli Partanen

Science writer and analyst on energy and climate.

Paul Dorfman

Chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group

Thomas O'Donnell

Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington

Spain will hold a snap general election next month - much earlier than expected. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the vote after his party suffered heavy losses in regional elections

But, he heads up an extremely fragile coalition. So is this high risk strategy likely to work? Or is Spain heading for a new era under an ultra conservative party.

Guests:

Mar Aguilera

Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Barcelona

Andrew Dowling

Reader in Hispanic Studies at Cardiff University

Beatriz Rios

Spanish Journalist

For months Ukraine has been calling on the West to supply it with F-16 fighter jets to help it fight Russia. While NATO nations have started to train Ukrainian pilots to fly them, still no actual jets have arrived. Will they help, and why does Kiev want F-16s specifically?

Guests:

Prof David Stupples

Professor of Military Intelligence Analysis and Electronic Warfare Research at City University of London

Alina Frolova

Deputy Chairperson at the Center for Defence Strategies and Ukraine’s former Defence Minister

Michael Ryan

Retired US air force Colonel and Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy.

Moldova is pulling out of key agreements with the Russia dominated Commonwealth of Independent States.

South Africa has claimed a policy of so-called non-alignment over the war in Ukraine. But at the same time, some have suggested that in reality, it takes the side of Moscow and Vladimir Putin.

So why would South Africa back Russia?

Guests:

Ebrahim Rasool,

Former Amb. For South Africa To The United States

Chris Vandome

Senior Research Fellow With The Chatham House Africa Programme.

Peter Dwyer

Editor of the Review Of African Political Economy

Ahead of Turkiye’s Presidential vote, many analysts in the Western media predicted an almost certain loss for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

So how did they get it so wrong?

The Italian government is reportedly close to pulling out of China’s Belt and Road initiative. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says Rome’s further involvement in Xi Jinping's global trade network is up for debate.

But can she exit the agreement and please Washington, without making an enemy of Beijing?

Guests:

Stephen Chan

Professor of World Politics at SOAS

Andy Mok

Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for China and Globalization

Lorenzo Codogno

Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics

Thomas Fazi

Journalist