Global Insights

Avsnitt

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  NATO: Europe without America, with Jeremy Shapiro (Rewind Edition) 21.07.2026 29min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. For nearly eighty years, Europe's security has rested on a single assumption: that the Americans would be there. In early March, days into the war with Iran, and weeks after Washington threatened to take Greenland from a NATO ally, we sat down with Jeremy Shapiro to ask whether that assumption still holds, and what Europe does if it doesn't. Since this conversation was recorded, the Pentagon has ordered thousands of American troops out of Germany, canceled an armo...
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  Chokepoints: The Hidden Infrastructure of Global Power 08.07.2026 35min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. From the Strait of Hormuz to the international monetary system to the semi-conductor supply chain, the world is becoming increasingly aware of how dependence on critical chokepoints is shaping how countries can wield power and leverage. As diplomacy becomes increasingly transactional and technological and energy systems undergo rapid transformation, understanding these visible and invisible chokepoints is essential to any decision maker. Is the weaponization of ge...
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  The End of the Predictable World: Forecasting a World in Turmoil 23.06.2026 33min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The COVID-19 Pandemic. On-and-off-and-on-again tariffs. Over the past few years, the deeply interconnected global system has experienced major shocks that international organizations and nation states alike have struggled to grapple with. In this age of uncertainty, businesses and governments need to make new calculations. More large companies are opening their own geopolitical units to stay steady...
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  The Kurdish Crossroads: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria 09.06.2026 30min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Recent hostilities with Iran have once again highlighted the role of the Kurds as a key player in regional conflicts. While seen as a threat by governments in Ankara, Tehran, Damascus, and Baghdad, the world’s largest stateless group of people continues to be considered by Washington as potential allies when convenient. As the region faces new waves of destabilization, particularly with the war with Iran and the new Syrian government consolidating its territ...
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  Rising Proliferation: Nuclear Risks in a Post-Treaty World 26.05.2026 36min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The recent expiration of the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia marks a structural shift in the global nuclear order, removing the last legally binding constraints on the world’s two largest arsenals. With no successor framework in place, the bilateral arms control architecture that has underpinned stability for decades is effectively suspended. In its absence, risks of vertical and horizontal proliferation are intensifying. According to the UN ass...
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  Cuba’s Future and U.S. Interests 12.05.2026 32min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Cuba is at a strategic crossroads as the near collapse of its national energy system reshapes the island’s political landscape. Intense U.S. sanctions and the loss of energy support from traditional partners like Venezuela have left the Cuban government in its most vulnerable state in decades. While Havana seeks diplomatic paths forward, the current U.S. administration sees an opportunity for changing a government that Washington has declared “an unusual and...
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  Beyond Tariffs: The New Multipolar Trade Web 28.04.2026 36min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. It has been just over a year since President Trump’s “Liberation Day” global tariff announcement. Since then, the global trade landscape has shifted as countries hedged against their traditional dependence on the U.S. market. Driven by the increasing use of trade as a political weapon and constant tariff disputes, long-time allies like Canada, the UK, and the EU are now diversifying their trade partnerships as evidenced by landmark moves like the new EU-Indi...
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  How Russia Weaponized a Thousand Ships 14.04.2026 35min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. In response to the unprecedented economic sanctions put on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow spent over $10 billion on building a “shadow fleet,” accelerating a practice that countries such as Venezuela and Iran have used to circumvent sanctions. In addition to sanctions evasion, shadow fleets often operate under false flags, lack proper insurance, and pose serious risks of spills, collisions, and abusive labor conditions. Furthermore, th...
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  Recap: What's Next for the Global Order? 07.04.2026 27min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Three weeks into 2026, the United States removed a foreign head of state by force, threatened to take territory from a NATO ally, and backed a crackdown in Iran. Since this conversation was recorded in late January, the Supreme Court has struck down the president's sweeping tariffs, U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed Iran's supreme leader, and Europe has begun the largest military buildup since the Cold War. How dead is the U.S.-led rules-based order? What...
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  Global Insights Goes Biweekly (For Now) 31.03.2026 1min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Over the past several months, Global Insights has covered some of the biggest stories shaping the world, from the war in Iran to U.S. action in Venezuela to the shifting global energy landscape. Starting now, we're moving to a biweekly release schedule through the summer, with new episodes dropping every other week. We'll be back to weekly in September. In the meantime, catch up on any episodes you may have missed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or where...
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  U.S. Strategy in the Western Hemisphere 24.03.2026 38min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. With the 2025 National Security Strategy placing renewed emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, Washington appears poised to engage more actively in Latin America than at any time in the past three decades, prioritizing challenges such as migration, transnational crime, and growing geopolitical competition with China. At the same time, several nations, including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Peru, are preparing for presidential elections in 2026, wit...
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  Transatlantic Relations Under Trump: Challenges and Options 17.03.2026 30min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The alarm bells have been ringing in Europe over the past few years, signaling that Europe’s traditional reliance on the American security umbrella has passed its expiration date. With Washington dramatically rewriting its relationship with Brussels, from European security to climate change, while still requiring Europe’s cooperation on China policy and beyond, the need to rethink the foundations of this multigenerational alliance is urgent. At the same time...
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  Recap: Iran After Khamenei, a Conversation with Dr. Arash Azizi 10.03.2026 24min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The killing of Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes has thrust Iran into uncharted territory. With its supreme leader gone, dozens of senior officials dead, and a war now spreading across the region, the Islamic Republic faces the most serious crisis in its history. A new supreme leader has been named, Khamenei's own son, but the regime's fractured power centers, a devastated military, and a population that overwhelmingly rejected the system long befor...
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  Crude Power: The U.S. Pivot to Oil and the Future Energy Mix 03.03.2026 35min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The year 2026 kicked off with a massive shake-up in U.S. foreign and energy policy. Through bold action, the Trump administration is signaling its conviction that global power lies in controlling physical energy reserves, such as those in Venezuela, rather than adhering to international climate treaties. By planning to invest billions into fixing Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, the U.S. aims to flood the market with cheap crude oil and push prices down to $5...
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  Peace in Ukraine: Deal or Deadlock? 24.02.2026 35min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Four years after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine and its ensuing war, new attempts are being made to end the conflict. This past January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the three-way talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi “constructive.” These recent diplomatic efforts have put new ideas on the table, from prisoner exchanges to postwar reconstruction and possible security guarantees. However, ...
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  The Future of the United Nations 17.02.2026 37min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Geopolitical tensions, combined with shifting priorities in Washington, are pushing the United Nations into a moment of severe institutional uncertainty. A serious financial crisis has led to hiring freezes, staff cuts, and reductions in core functions, with the Secretary-General warning that the liquidity crisis could undermine essential operations and lead to a breakdown in the organization’s regular functioning if delays persist. At the same time, debates...
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  What Iranians Want, From Trump and Their Future 10.02.2026 30min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The recent wave of protests and the subsequent crackdown in Iran have left a new round of scars on the beleaguered Islamic Republic. The broad-based upheaval has not only challenged the government’s grip on power but also raised critical questions about the stability of its system, the viability of alternatives, and the wishes of a population of a complex country. An energy superpower, Iran has tremendous potential that has been curbed by stifling sanctions....
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  U.S. Action in Venezuela: Assessing Strategic Implications 03.02.2026 36min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The U.S. military’s recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Western Hemisphere. This unprecedented intervention has not only removed a long-standing head of state but has also challenged established international norms regarding sovereignty and the employment of military force. Beyond the immediate headlines, the regional fallout remains deeply uncertain as neighboring nations may reca...
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  The Global Order in Crisis: What Comes Next? 27.01.2026 35min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. Since the end of World War II, the global order has been shaped largely by a Western liberal system led by the United States. Yet, recent developments, from the release of the U.S. National Security Strategy to the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces have underscored what many observers of international affairs argue is the end of that liberal, rules-based order. At the same time, rapid technological advancement and the rise...
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  Dollar Strength, Dollar Strain: Navigating a New Global Monetary Order 20.01.2026 34min

  Visit us at Network2020.org. The U.S. dollar has long anchored global trade, investment, and financial stability. Yet, in recent years, forces both within and outside of the United States are rethinking dollar dominance. President Trump’s proposed Mar-a-Lago Accord aims to devalue the dollar while retaining its global reserve status. Simultaneously, threats to Federal Reserve independence and Washington’s growing debt are eroding the value of the dollar, which is down over 5% in the las...