On the inaugural episode of their podcast, Richard Haass and John Ellis discuss how a president might prepare for a summit, how President Trump flips that on its head, the results of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, and what’s next for the war in Ukraine. They dig into broader geopolitical implications of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, possible motivations of leaders on all sides, and global security prospects. Richard wonders why the United States suddenly looks toward a permanent peace, rather than a ceasefire, as previously had been indicated by U.S. leadership. John asks Richard to apply the logic of his book War of Necessity, War of Choice to the conflict at hand. They speculate as to Trump’s plummeting approval rating, in relation to the actions of D.C. leadership, and how, despite this, Trump continues dominating the U.S. political field. John shifts to an article in The New York Times reflecting a downward trend in registered voters committing to the Democratic party, and voices some skepticism on the report, given the recent success of Sherrod Brown; and yet, why does the Democratic party continue to lack substantive policy positions? John throws the voice-cloning technology of ElevenLabs into the ring of possible midterm influences. The episode wraps up with a brief analysis of Jordan Spieth’s prospects for the Ryder Cup and a Gary Player anecdote on behalf of John.

Hosted by John Ellis and Richard Haass

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Produced by Dale Eisinger