New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

Global Hotspots: China Pushes Back Against U.S. Tariffs; U.S.-Iran Negotiations Pick Up

This week, global trade tensions and market uncertainty persisted despite the U.S. pause on reciprocal tariffs, while a first round of targeted countries reached out to Washington. In the Indo-Pacific, Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on a multistage tour of Southeast Asia, signing cooperation deals with the leaders of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Bilateral trade escalations continued with the U.S., which imposed new sanctions on China. In the Middle East, U.S. and Iranian officials continued direct negotiations on a nuclear deal, and Israel announced its troops would remain in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria “indefinitely.” U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials met in Paris to discuss ongoing peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as the U.S. extended sanctions on Russian ships and Russia continued bombing Ukrainian cities.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250418/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Trump Pauses Global Reciprocal Tariffs, Except for China

This week, after U.S. President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement sent global markets tumbling, he announced a 90-day pause on the levies for countries that did not retaliate, reducing tariffs to 10% for all imports. The U.S., however, increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, prompting China to raise its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% and to engage in strong outreach to the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Australia. In Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian forces launched new offensives while officials from the U.S. and Russia met in Istanbul for normalization talks and separately conducted a prisoner swap. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran agreed to conduct a first round of negotiations Saturday in Oman on a nuclear deal, while Israel and Türkiye discussed deconfliction of their operations in Syria.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250411/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Trump Announces Global Tariffs; U.S. Threatens Iran

This week, President Donald Trump’s unveiling of reciprocal tariffs, including ones targeting China, Taiwan, the EU, and Southeast Asia, sent global markets falling and drew strong worldwide condemnation. Washington expressed frustration at Moscow’s unwillingness to end the war in Ukraine, as both Congress and the White House proposed sanctions and tariffs against Russia. In the Middle East, Israel deployed additional troops to Gaza, while the U.S. deployed a second aircraft carrier near Iran and renewed its threats to bomb Iran if it refuses to discuss a nuclear deal. In the Indo-Pacific, China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan and struck an agreement to deepen economic ties with South Korea and Japan.

Global Hotspots: Q2 2025 Forecast

The second quarter of 2025 will be headlined by the reverberations of U.S. policy shifts initiated by President Donald Trump’s administration in the first quarter, primarily related to global trade issues and its changing posture to hotspots around the world.
Read the full 2025 Q2 Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/q2-2025-forecast/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Gaza Ceasefire Breaks Down; U.S. Targets Houthis

This week, the Hamas/Israel ceasefire collapsed after Israeli forces launched an air and ground assault in Gaza, while the U.S. Navy engaged al-Houthi targets in Yemen. Russia and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure, while Russian missile and drone attacks continued across Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, reports emerged that the U.S. Department of Energy designated South Korea as a “sensitive country,” potentially hindering its technology cooperation with the U.S., while the Trump administration tightened sanctions against Chinese importers of Iranian oil.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250321/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: U.S. to Resume Aid to Ukraine; China’s Retaliatory Tariffs Take Effect

This week, the U.S. agreed to a resumption of Ukrainian military and intelligence aid as a 30-day cease-fire was discussed with Ukraine and Russia. In the Indo-Pacific, China’s retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. went into effect, and the Taiwanese government announced a series of measures designed to curb Chinese espionage and influence operations. In the Middle East, the U.S. pushed for an extension of Phase I negotiations between Israel and Gaza, while Israeli and Lebanese officials began discussions over the normalization of bilateral relations. In global trade, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports, prompting strong reactions and announcements of retaliation from Canada and the EU.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250314/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

French Withdrawal and the Security Landscape of the Sahel

In this episode of the Contours podcast, host Caroline Rose and Tammy Palacios, senior analyst of New Lines' Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism portfolio, to discuss the history of the French involvement in the Sahel, the security implications of the French departure from the region, and how it affects U.S. security.

Global Hotspots: Europe Reacts to US/Ukraine Fallout; Trump Ramps Up Global Tariffs

This week, the United States suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while European leaders proposed initiatives on Ukrainian and European security. In the Indo-Pacific, China announced it will impose retaliatory tariffs of 15% on key U.S. agricultural imports, and Taiwan announced it will increase its investment in the U.S. semiconductor industry. In the Middle East, Israel cut off humanitarian aid into Gaza, while the U.S. and Arab states contended over a Gaza reconstruction plan. President Donald Trump imposed his previously delayed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico before making exemptions for car imports following a steep drop in the U.S. stock market.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250307/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Christian Zionism and Its Current Manifestations

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is proud to initiate a special new podcast series, “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Israel and Palestine.” This series is led by Rachel Nelson, the Analyst in the Middle East Center, and will provide nuanced, detailed, and on-the-ground perspectives on the situation in Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Destiny Magnett, the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace, to discuss Christian Zionism, its current manifestations, and the work that Destiny and CMEP do to foster and advocate for peace in Israel and Palestine.

Global Hotspots: US and Ukraine Reach Deal on Critical Minerals

This week, the United States conducted Ukraine-related diplomacy with Russia, France, and the U.K., while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington to finalize a critical minerals deal. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is investigating a Chinese ship’s possible role in recent damage to one of its undersea cables, while the Trump administration unveiled sanctions against entities in the Chinese oil industry. In the Middle East, the first phase of hostage and prisoner swaps between Hamas and Israel was completed, and Israel deployed tanks into the West Bank. Global trade escalations continued as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will impose 25% tariffs on EU imports, drawing promises of retaliation from the bloc, and that he will press ahead with tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China on March 4.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250228/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/