Key Topicas

• Canada’s resistance to U.S. tariffs and what it means for Prime Minister Mark Carney
• Whether economic pressure can succeed against Iran where military action has not
• The weakening of U.S. leverage when allies are no longer willing to cooperate
• How Trump’s approach is changing the transatlantic relationship
• What fragmentation in Europe and the Gulf means for future global power

Links

Prashant Rao - https://www.semafor.com/author/prashant-rao

Matina Stevis-Gridneff - https://www.nytimes.com/by/matina-stevis-gridneff

Anton La Guardia - https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/anton-la-guardia/
Ivo Daalder - https://www.ivodaalder.com/

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

Key Topics

• Artificial intelligence as a world-changing technology
• The promise and risks of AI
• AI’s potential to improve science and medicine
• Power, agency, and democracy in the AI era
• The US-China race for AI dominance
• China’s centralized approach to AI development
• Europe’s role in AI governance and sovereignty
• Why infrastructure and data centers matter for AI
• The tension between innovation and regulation
• Safety concerns from AI lab leaders themselves
• How AI could affect jobs, markets, and national security
• The need for transparency, accountability, and public oversight
• How political backlash could shape future AI policy
• The possibility of global AI guardrails and coordination

Links

• Sebastian Mallaby — https://www.cfr.org/experts/sebastian-mallaby
• Evan Osnos — https://www.evanosnos.com/
• Marietje Schaake — https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/people/marietje-schaake
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
• World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

Show Notes

In this episode, Ivo Daalder is joined by Steve Erlanger, Christopher Miller, and Carla Anne Robbins for a wide-ranging conversation about three tests of U.S. power: Iran, Ukraine, and Cuba. The discussion begins with Iran, where the panel explores whether Tehran is outlasting Washington in a long war of patience and why sanctions and military threats may not produce the outcome the U.S. wants.The conversation then turns to Ukraine, where listeners hear how Ukrainians are adapting to modern warfare, why air defense remains critical, and how shortages of Patriot interceptors are reshaping the battlefield. The panel also examines the uncertainty around U.S. support and the broader lessons Kyiv is teaching the West about decentralized warfare.Finally, the episode looks at Cuba, where pressure, collapse talk, and regime-change logic collide with the reality of blackouts, shortages, and no clear post-collapse plan. Across all three cases, the central question remains: what happens when the U.S. escalates before deciding what success actually looks like?

Iran and Oman appear to have reached a tentative agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, but is it a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or simply a pause in a much larger geopolitical conflict? At the same time, Europe is grappling with renewed migration pressures in Ceuta and record-breaking heat that underscores the growing political and economic consequences of climate change.

Host Giles Whittell is joined by Adam Cancryn (CNN), Shona Murray (Euronews), and Kim Willsher (The Observer) to connect these stories and explore what they reveal about the shifting global landscape. The panel examines President Trump's approach to Iran, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and the potential impact on global energy markets. They also discuss Europe's response to increasing migration, the political tensions within the European Union, and the ways climate-related disasters are becoming central to policy debates.

Together, they explore how international crises increasingly shape domestic politics, influence elections, and test alliances across Europe and the United States. From energy security and border policy to climate resilience and transatlantic relations, this episode provides the context behind the headlines and explains why these interconnected challenges will continue to shape global affairs in the months ahead.

Key Topics

• The details and potential consequences of the US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement and its departure from previous non-proliferation standards
• The strategic importance of the Iran war, nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, and regional reactions to new US policies
• The Trump administration's approach to tariffs aimed at combating forced labor and their impact on international trade
• UK’s post-election foreign policy outlook under Prime Minister Burnham, focusing on relations with Europe, the US, and support for Ukraine
• NATO defense commitments, international defense spending, and how UK’s role in security continues to shape global stability
• The influence of the UK’s domestic political landscape on its foreign policy and international partnerships

Links

• Hugh Tomlinson — https://x.com/hughtomlinson
• Felicia Schwartz — https://x.com/felschwartz?lang=en
• Robbie Gramer — https://x.com/robbiegramer
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
• World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

In this episode, we take a critical look at FIFA, global sports politics, and the way major international events can reveal deeper institutional problems.

Key Topics

• Criticism of FIFA leadership and governance
• How scandals reveal an organization’s true priorities
• The political meaning of the World Cup and other major sporting events
• Large events can temporarily distract from deeper structural failures.
• Leadership is best judged under crisis, not during calm moments.
• Institutions often protect reputation before they protect integrity.

Links

• Mehreen Khan – https://x.com/MehreenKhn?lang=en
• Edward Luce – https://x.com/EdwardGLuce
• Bobby Ghosh – https://bobbyghosh.substack.com/
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
• World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

In this episode of World Review, we explore the shifting dynamics shaping global security, from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-Iran brinkmanship to the political and military challenges facing Ukraine. The conversation also examines Gaza’s stalled recovery efforts and the role leadership style plays in both diplomacy and war.

Key topics include:

• Escalation risks in the Middle East
• Internal debates over U.S. military strategy
• Ukraine’s drone warfare innovation and leadership disputes
• Gaza reconstruction obstacles
• How trust, coalition-building, and execution shape international outcomes

The episode offers a sharp look at how geopolitics, technology, and political decision-making collide in real time.

Key Topics

• Renewed fighting between the United States and Iran
• Whether the Strait of Hormuz could become a toll-based choke point
• NATO unity, Trump’s unpredictability, and Europe’s response
• Greenland tensions and the future of transatlantic relations
• Russia’s fuel crisis, drone strikes, and domestic pressure on Putin
• The broader shift toward rearmament and a more fragmented world order

Links

Karin Axelsson - https://politiken.dk/person/7961_Karin_Axelsson

Anna Sauerbrey - https://ces.fas.harvard.edu/people/anna-sauerbrey

Peter Spiegel - https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/peter-spiegel/

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder