New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

In this week's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter and Sebastian Dittgen take a closer look at some of the recent events surrounding Ukraine, including disruptions to its Starlink access and the possibility of future negotiations with Russia.Elsewhere, in the Middle East, the U.S. and Israel are reportedly planning to resume a strike campaign against Iran, while in Yemen the Houthi rebel group continued its campaign to capture the city of Taiz.
In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint military drills centered on island defense, while Taiwanese authorities reported a large spike in cyberattacks ahead of the November Taiwanese midtermelections.
In the Americas, Mexico and the U.S. stated they were close to reaching a trade deal, while Meta denied allegations that it had blocked social media ads by the campaign of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On today's episode, Milos Maggiore, Sebastian Dittgen, Andrew Loftesnes and Jared Jeter discuss the new ideological front opening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 
 
Elsewhere, in the Russia/Ukraine conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump stated Ukraine should elect a new  leader after demanding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, while Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellites for combat operations was temporarily suspended.
In the Middle East, the Yemeni Houthi group bombed the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and two commercial vessels were sunk in the Strait of Hormuz in two separate unattributed attacks.
In the Indo-Pacific, the European Union and China reached a trade deal concerning Chinese exports of hybrid vehicles while North Korea test-fired submarine-based cruise missiles  for the first time since 2024.
In the Americas, U.S. security officials raided Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home and preparing to send 300 troops to Panama for military exercises.
 
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On today's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, and Andrew Loftesnes unpack the results from Brazil's first round of elections. Elsewhere, in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign in support of a Yemeni government counteroffensive against the Houthi rebels, while the U.S. is reportedly preparing for a possible resumption of large-scale strikes against Iran. In the Indo-Pacific, EU trade officials visited Beijing for a last round of trade talks before the EU’s October summit, while the U.S. and China have discussed visiting each other’s nuclear sites. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Russia intensified its bombing campaign against civilian targets while the EU sanctioned over 1,000 Russian entities. In the Americas, the U.S. intercepted 90 shipments of biodiesel bound for Cuba which broke through the U.S.’s blockade of the island.
 
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In this special edition of Global Hotspots, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, Andrew Loftesnes, and Sebastian Dittgen break down some of the key incidents that happened over this past quarter and look at some of the major trends we can expect as 2026 comes to a close.
Conflicts in the Middle East and Russia/Ukraine are expected to intensify, and several other countries will trend toward destabilization as politically polarizing elections occur in Q4.
These trends are likely to cause political, social, and economic disruptions, especially to the energy sector. Technological advances may mitigate some disruptions, but all eyes will be on artificial intelligence development and deployment, as that may add instability to the international system.
- Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here. 
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In this week's episode Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, and Andrew Loftesnes are joined by in-house guest Sebastian Dittgen to examine growing instability in Ethiopia, as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front joins forces with other insurgent groups and raises new questions about the country’s security trajectory.
Also in this episode:
• U.S.-China: Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping extend the trade truce by two months during talks in Washington.• South Korea: Washington highlights new investments tied to last year’s trade agreement.• Transatlantic security: The U.S., Denmark, and Greenland sign a revised security treaty.• Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian forces launch more than 1,000 missiles and drones toward the Moscow region.• Middle East: Iraq orders the cancellation of flights from Iran amid U.S. sanctions pressure, while Israeli forces kill Hamas’ finance chief in Gaza.• United States: A judge reverses a White House ban affecting several news outlets.• Venezuela: Interim President Delcy Rodriguez says elections will be held, but gives no timeline.
Listen to this week’s Global Hotspots for analysis of the geopolitical developments shaping the week.
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In this week’s episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, and Andrew Loftesnes examine the European Union’s invitation for Canada to become an “associate member,” what closer Canada–EU ties could mean for both sides, and the early reactions to the proposal.
Elsewhere in this week’s Global Hotspots, the team analyzes major geopolitical developments across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific:
The U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years.
Saudi Arabia carries out more than 400 strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, while Houthi forces capture two Red Sea islands amid growing civilian displacement.
The U.S. Congress approves new sanctions against Russia, as Poland halts air traffic following alerts over Russian drones in its airspace.
President Donald Trump responds to reports of Chinese intelligence support for Iran.
North Korea reiterates plans to expand its nuclear arsenal.
What do these developments mean for the geopolitical outlook, and what should policymakers and businesses watch next?
- Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here. 
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On today's episode, Milos Maggiore, Eugene Chausovsky, and Jared Jeter discuss the implications of recent Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, Chinese aid to Iran, and how both of these affect the wider U.S.-Iran conflict.
 
Elsewhere, in the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner traveled to Ukraine and Russia to discuss peace efforts, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Canada to discuss increased defense cooperation.
 
In the Indo-Pacific, Chinese traders are buying more U.S. soybeans in line with pledged commitments, while North Korea commissioned its second nuclear weapons-capable naval destroyer.
 
In the Americas, the U.S. widened the scope of its tariffs and export restrictions on Canada, and in Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany party won its first-ever state election.
Check out the the Global Forecast Monitor here.Click here to register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform.
 

In this episode of Why the Balkans?, host Tanya Domi is joined by Gresa Hasa to unpack Albania’s “Flamingo Revolution” – a wave of youth-led political activism that has challenged the country’s political establishment and sparked questions about the future of democracy in Albania.
They explore what drove the movement, what it reveals about Albania’s younger generation and political landscape, and what the protests could mean for the country’s future. 

On today's episode, we turn again to the Americas to explore the ongoing tensions between Canada and the U.S., looking beyond the recent trade escalation and looking at what could be impacted in the long-run between both countries.
 
Elsewhere, Germany formally accused Russia of a recent attempted drone attack on the Leipzig airport, while Ukraine vowed to increase drone attacks against Russian infrastructure. In the Indo-Pacific, China warned the Pacific Island Forum of “consequences” to allowing Taiwan’s participation, while South Korean intelligence claimed the U.S. and North Korea have been engaging in dialogue.
 
In the Middle East, Iran and the U.S. renewed strikes, while EU countries signed onto a proposal that would see an EU training mission for the Lebanese armed forces.
 
Featuring: Milos Maggiore, Andrew Loftesnes, and Jared Jeter.
 
Check out the the Global Forecast Monitor here.Click here to register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform.

This week, the U.S. and Canada announced 50% tariffs on each other’s imports following a breakdown in trade talks, while the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging the creation of a federal list of voters, granting the federal government the ability to invalidate votes it deems ineligible.
In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow to warn Russia against escalation against NATO, while in Kyiv, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged continued support for Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. is preparing to impose additional tariffs on China linked to industrial overcapacity, while the U.S. Department of Justice disrupted Chinese network hacking operations against U.S. governmental agencies.
In the Middle East, the U.S. Treasury imposed a series of sanctions against multiple entities for their trade involvement with Iran, while Iran and Oman agreed on a joint facilitation framework for safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz.
Featuring: Eugene Chausovsky, Andrew Loftesnes, and Jared Jeter.