The Red Passport

Louise, Jeremy and Peter discuss the challenges - and opportunities - facing Canada's next ambassador in Washington. The coming year will be make-it-or-break-it for CUSMA. Can a new ambassador make the difference? And given the dark, threatening tone of the recently-released US National Security Strategy, should we really get our hopes up?

As Donald Trump beats the war drums at Venezuela, his administration is trying to broker an end to the Russian war on Ukraine. How seriously can we take either of these initiatives? Jeremy and Peter try to untangle it all, and get at the motivations and likely outcomes. And—as usual—what it means for Canada... the front line on Trump's America.

Joining Jeremy and Louise are former ambassadors Sabine Nolke, a Visiting Fellow at Western University and practitioner of international law, and Jon Allen, Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto's Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Canadian International Council.

Donald Trump explodes over Ontario's TV commercial. Mark Carney makes his APEC debut (and meets with Xi Jinping), it's been another head spinning few days for Canada on the world scene.

China has long been a mystery to the world, and we often get it wrong. But today, understanding China isn’t just about geopolitics or military power. It’s about the global economy, Canada’s place in it, and the difficult road ahead in our bilateral relationship.

On this episode of The Red Passport, Peter Donolo, Jeremy Kinsman, and Louise Blais sit down with former Canadian ambassador to China Howard Balloch to unpack the forces shaping Beijing’s choices and what they mean for Canada.

In this episode of The Red Passport, Jeremy, Louise, and Peter unpack Canada's place in a fractured world order from the stakes in Ukraine and Gaza to the shifting dynamics between Washington, Europe, and Ottawa. With candid analysis and decades of diplomatic insight, they explore how Canada can balance values and interests in an era of unpredictable leaders, stalled peacekeeping, and global crises. It's a conversation about hard choices, skilled diplomacy, and what it will take to navigate turbulent times. Recorded Tuesday August 12, 2025.

The US has abandoned its traditional global leadership role. Respected international relations expert, Professor Jennifer Welsh joins Louise, Jeremy and Peter to talk about what this means in terms of the great global challenges of our day, and how nations like Canada can help fill the gap.

The smoke has barely cleared from the US attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo contemplate the geopolitical consequences of Trump's decision. And - yes - even what it means for Canada.

Recorded Sunday June 22, 2025

One of Canada's leading experts on Israel and Palestine, former ambassador Jon Allen, returns to the Red Passport to discuss the ongoing crisis, how the region could move toward a lasting and just peace, and what role Canada can play.

The long period of political uncertainty is over.  Canadians have given Prime Minister Mark Carney a clear mandate to defend our country against the predations of Donald Trump.  Louise, Peter and Jeremy weigh in on how the newly-elected PM can and should engage with Trump... and the world.