The United States is reviving a policy first set out in the 1800s that treats Latin America as its strategic sphere of influence. As Washington expands maritime operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, critics warn of legal violations and rising regional instability. Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin joins Talk to Al Jazeera to discuss US strikes, Venezuela, migration pressures, and China’s growing role in the region — and whether diplomacy can still prevent escalation in a hemisphere shaped once again by power politics.

Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera as tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalate. With Washington deploying additional military assets to the Caribbean, Colombia finds itself on the front line of a widening regional standoff. Sanchez discusses the pressure this places on President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy, the surge in armed groups, and the country’s fight against drug trafficking. He warns that any further confrontation could trigger new migration flows, empower criminal networks, and jeopardise Colombia’s fragile security gains.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about the prospects for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, whether Trump can bring Putin and Zelenskyy to the negotiating table, and why Europe insists on clear red lines. From frozen Russian assets to NATO deterrence and Finland’s unique position as a NATO member sharing a long border with Russia, Valtonen explains what a realistic settlement would require, and why she believes Moscow is still not interested in genuine peace.

South Africa’s foreign minister Ronald Lamola speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about the mysterious arrival of a flight carrying Palestinians, why authorities were blindsided, and what the incident reveals about the networks moving people out of Gaza. He also discusses South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the country’s G20 summit, and how Pretoria sees its role in a rapidly shifting global order shaped by conflict, diplomatic pressure and competing visions of justice.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s foreign minister tells Al Jazeera that Rwanda’s actions on the ground cast doubt on its commitment to a peace process aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern Congo. Therese Kayikwamba Wagner says a planned presidential meeting remains stalled, with foreign troops still on Congolese territory and abuses continuing despite diplomatic efforts. She argues that meaningful progress depends on real leverage from international facilitators, the United States, Qatar and regional partners, to hold both sides accountable and push the process toward a credible, lasting agreement.

For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a NATO member has formally invoked Article 4 of the alliance's founding treaty after a major airspace breach. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna tells Talk to Al Jazeera why repeated Russian provocations are more than isolated incidents - they’re a test of NATO’s credibility. As United States President Donald Trump questions the value of collective defence, Tsahkna warns that Europe’s security consensus is fraying and hesitation could invite danger.

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and now Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks from hiding about the cost of resistance and the hope driving millions demanding democracy. Barred from elections and under threat of arrest, she discusses the country's deepening crisis, where nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled, and the challenge of confronting a system that has survived sanctions, protests, and global isolation. In this in-depth interview, Machado reflects on her fight for democracy.

In a shifting world order, New Zealand's foreign policy faces new tests, from Gaza to the Pacific. Foreign Minister Winston Peters speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about why his government has stopped short of recognising a Palestinian state, how small nations can stay neutral amid the United States-China rivalry, and whether multilateralism still protects the weak from the will of the powerful.

As Syria turns the page after Bashar al-Assad's fall, the transitional government promises justice, truth, and rule of law. In his first interview since taking office, Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais tells Talk to Al Jazeera how his ministry preserved the regime's court archives from destruction and plans to prosecute crimes from the war years. But critics say the process is too narrow, focused only on Assad-era abuses, while violence and sectarian reprisals create new victims still awaiting accountability. Can post-war Syria deliver real justice?

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof joins Talk to Al Jazeera at a pivotal moment for Europe and the Middle East. After his coalition collapsed, he reflects on leading the Netherlands through crises at home and abroad. From the war in Gaza and sanctions on Israel to NATO, migration and United States President Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine, Schoof gives rare insight into how the Netherlands navigates global fault lines. A politically unaffiliated leader and former intelligence chief, he speaks candidly about power, justice and Europe’s future.