New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

Bangladesh’s Declining Democracy

In this episode, Syed Mohammad Ali shares why the United States would do well to begin paying more attention to Bangladesh and its shift away from democratic values. As political violence increases and the ruling party consolidates control, the U.S. can use a mixture of punitive measures and support to help guide Bangladesh back toward democracy.

Calming the Waters

In this episode, Ambassador Frederic Hof analyzes the Israeli-Lebanese deal separating their respective exclusive economic zones in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. However, both countries have a long way to go before they can reap the rewards.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Exposes Russian Army’s Weaknesses

In this episode, Joel Wasserman focuses on Ukraine’s messy internal politics, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cleaning house in his security service and making other moves seen by some as an effort to consolidate his administration’s control. But even if Zelenskyy was anti-democratically inclined, several factors of Ukrainian politics make it an unlikely goal to achieve. Learn more about why the country is inhospitable to autocrats.

A New U.S. Approach to the Pacific Island Countries

In this episode, Alec Dionne and Maggie Sparling lay out a diplomatic framework that centers human security to win the Pacific Island countries’ long-term trust, support U.S. strategic goals, uplift its allies, and improve health outcomes. The United States’ fraught history with the Pacific Island countries has left the door open for increasing influence from China. As Beijing uses aggressive economic tactics to achieve its ends, Washington should rethink its traditional approach to the region.

Sri Lanka’s Strongman Legacy

In this episode, Syed Mohammad Ali writes about Sri Lanka’s protracted civil war, and how the country is facing an economic crisis alongside social and political unrest. These problems, as deeply rooted as they are, have opened a window of opportunity for the United States to offer assistance in regaining stability in Sri Lanka – a development that would serve Washington’s goal of strengthening its presence in the region amid a great power competition.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Exposes Russian Army’s Weaknesses

In this episode, Jeff Hawn discusses Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive, which pushed Russian forces back from Kharkiv to the eastern bank of the Oskil River, benefited from Ukraine’s growing advantages and Russia’s increasingly pronounced weaknesses. Learn about the disparities between the two armies and shows how the success in Kharkiv can be repeatable with continued Western investment.

The Russia-Ukraine War is on the Edge of Escalation

Russia's invasion of Ukraine heads into its eighth month, the possibility of Russian economic and military escalation increases. In this episode of the New Lines Institute's Contours podcast, host Minna Jaffery-Lindemulder sits down with Senior Analyst Eugene Chausovsky to dive into the role of diplomacy in mediating this escalation and the potential consequences for great-power competition.

South Asia Uncovered

In this episode of The New Lines Institute’s Contours podcast series, Content Manager Minna Jaffery-Lindemulder is joined by Indian subcontinent experts Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali and Akhil Bery for an in-depth look at the geopolitics of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Indian Subcontinent as a whole. Highlights of the discussion include how Bangladesh and Sri Lanka balance their relationships with India and China, and the ties between South Asian countries' economic and political policies.

Syria’s Foreign Aid at Risk

In this episode of Contours, Senior Analyst and Program Head Caroline Rose sits down with Non-Resident Fellow and a co-author of a recent New Lines report, "A Crisis of Conscience: Aid Diversion in Syria and the Impact on the International Aid System," Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff, to unpack a recent crisis in the U.N. Security Council over the status and future of a cross-border aid delivery mandate in northwestern Syria.

Gendering Geopolitics with Emily Prey: Iuliia Mendel

Gendering Geopolitics with Emily Prey: Iuliia Mendel, former Spokesperson to President Zelenskyy, discusses her book The Fight for Our Lives & how women must have a seat at the table during the #Ukraine #Russia war & in any post-war talks.