Independent Thinking

• Trump Year One – China's economic rivalry with the US is here to stay

  In the last Independent Thinking podcast of 2025, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by David Lubin, Senior Research Fellow with Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme; Marion Messmer, Director of the International Security Programme; and Yu Jie, a senior research fellow on China in Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme. For further analysis read 'The economics of the new Monroe Doctrine' by David Lubin, examining how President Trump's actions seem to indicate the emergence of a hemispheric US foreign policy. Read our latest: Global security continued to unravel in 2025. Crucial tests are coming in 2026 The 'Trump Corollary' in the US security strategy brings a new focus on Latin America – but it is a disordered plan Russia is weakened, but its influence in the Middle East should not be underestimated Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell. Read the Autumn issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

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• What does Trump's national security strategy mean for Europe, China and Middle East?

  This is a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking international affairs podcast, recorded at the Doha Forum 2025.  Many of the official and backroom discussions at Qatar's annual gathering of more than 5,000 world leaders, policymakers, dialogue, corporate and humanitarian organizations from 162 countries were dominated by discussions of President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy, which was released on the eve of the forum. At one of the first events in the Doha Forum, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox questioned US Ambassador to NATO Mathew Whitaker about it.  The podcast examines the implications for Europe, Asia, the Middle East and US foreign policy generally of the NSS document, which reinforces the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy, and contains stark language about Europe, talking about its 'economic decline' and 'the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure'. It also says: 'The days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over.'  Joining host Bronwen Maddox in Doha were: Leslie Vinjamuri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Yu Jie, a Senior Research Fellow on China in Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme, and Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme.  Produced by Stephen Farrell and John Pollock.

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• Europe scrambles to avoid being sidelined on Ukraine

  How are Europe and Ukraine reacting after the US and Russia sought to strike their own deal, and Putin warned that Moscow – while not planning for war with Europe – is 'ready right now'. Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes; Natalie Sabanadze, a Senior Research Fellow and former Georgian Ambassador, and Jaroslava Barbieri, Research Fellow with our Ukraine Forum.  Read Chatham House's report 'Tightening the oil-price cap to increase the pressure on Russia' about how the current international sanctions regime is failing, and how to fix it. Read our latest: Zelenskyy's right-hand man has gone. Here's what should happen next Putin's India visit aims to reaffirm New Delhi–Moscow relations – just as Trump applies pressure to downgrade them UK's indecision over Chinese 'mega-embassy' highlights need for a more coherent China policy Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell. Read the Autumn issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

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• Britain's budget – a recipe for growth or decline?

  Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves published her – widely leaked – budget this week. How does it leave her ruling Labour Party positioned in Britain? And what do the calculations look like from overseas, where other countries have adopted different solutions to the problems facing them? For this discussion on Chatham House's international affairs podcast, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of the UK in the World Programme. And, giving an international perspective on UK finances, are Sébastien Maillard, an Associate Fellow in the Europe Programme and James Kynge, a Senior Research Fellow for China and the World in the Asia-Pacific Programme. Read our latest: Trump's 28 point 'peace plan' marks Europe's last chance to stand up for Ukraine China's 'smart authoritarianism' has upended ideas about autocracies' limitations. The West must cooperate to respond Why an African Credit Rating Agency isn't a good idea for the region's borrowers Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell. Read the Autumn issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

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• Sudan – the internal and external forces tearing it apart

  After the North Darfur capital El Fasher fell to the Rapid Support Forces, aid agencies and survivors talk of civilians being massacred in the streets. The international affairs podcast of Chatham House examines the human toll, and the dynamics of a war fuelled by regional powers and their proxies seeking to control Sudan's territory, gold, natural resources, and access to key waterways.  Host Bronwen Maddox, is joined by Ahmed Soliman, a Senior Research Fellow in Chatham House's Africa Programme; Hubert Kinkoh, a Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellow; Kholood Khair, director of the think tank Confluence Advisory, and Bashair Ahmed, a researcher at the University of Sussex who focuses on migration, human rights, and humanitarian action. Read the Chatham House report Gold and the war in Sudan. It covers how Sudan's main warring parties – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – were in competition for the country's natural resources, and how the fight to control gold assets has been one of the drivers of the conflict.   Read our latest: Comment: South Africa's G20 presidency demonstrates the challenge of inclusion in a fractious world Comment: Low-cost Chinese AI models forge ahead, even in the US, raising the risks of a US AI bubble Comment: Ukraine's arms deal with France faces major hurdles before it can be realized Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell. Read the Autumn issue of The World Today  Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

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