Hopkins Podcast On Foreign Affairs

Extreme inflation, fuel shortages, protests on such a scale that they removed a prime minister from office. These events and more have developed into a significant threat to Sri Lanka’s political and economic stability. In this episode, we will explore the causes of this crisis, like economic mismanagement; the story behind the Rajapaksa political dynasty, … Continue reading Crisis in Sri Lanka

In recent years, growing tensions between the US and China have spurred increasing interest and action to “decouple” US and China’s economic and technological ecosystems. This is evident in the increased use of technology restrictions, from export controls to sanctions and visa bans. And while there appears to be bipartisan support for technological decoupling in … Continue reading US-China Technological Decoupling

The Australian election is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, and is expected to be a tight race between the current Liberal-National coalition and the opposition Labor party. This election occurs in the 70th year of the US-Australia alliance and in a moment in which headlines are inundated by the war in Ukraine, news of China’s … Continue reading Foreign Policy in the Australian Elections

Today on the podcast we will be covering the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States on a new Iran nuclear deal. What did the original Iran deal entail, why did the Trump Admninstration withdrew the United States from the agreement, and what would a new nuclear deal with Iran look like after all … Continue reading Will There Be a New Iran Nuclear Deal?

Today on the podcast we will be discussing the long history of the Arab-Conflict as well as recent normalization agreemnts between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors. What has traditionally driven the complicated relationship, what role has the United States played in attempting to resolve the conflict, and how can the region built on … Continue reading The Arab-Israeli Detente with Ambassador Martin Indyk

French President Emmanuel Macron has faced numerous foreign and domestic challenges since assuming office in 2017. Today, he is addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, and the concern over rising cost of living among other issues. In this highly turbulent time in French politics, several candidates challenged Macron both from the political left … Continue reading Macron vs. LePen

Congress has played different roles in the formation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy since the nation’s founding. The powers of Congress and the President are laid out in the Constitution, but the precise limits of their powers have been contested. What powers does Congress have over foreign policy? How does this relate to the … Continue reading Congress and Foreign Policy

As conversation abounds regarding the increasing power of large technology companies, or “Big Tech,” Europe may be the first to take action. In late March, the governing bodies of the European Union came to an agreement on the Digital Markets Act, which, from what we can tell, would force large tech companies to undergo changes … Continue reading Big Tech vs. The EU

For many, the name Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not mean much until the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Yet, his face and voice have become well known to many via social media and powerful international addresses. In this episode, we take a step back and look at his political journey from TV character to … Continue reading Zelensky’s Ukraine

In Xi Jinping’s 10 years of power, he has turned away from former chairman Hu Jintao’s China’s peaceful rise policy towards a more aggressive foreign policy approach as demonstrated by China’s previous responses towards the EU and more recent actions towards Taiwan. With the ongoing Ukraine Crisis and China’s seeming alignment towards Russia, it calls … Continue reading Xi Jinping’s Faltering Foreign Policy

Today on the podcast we will discuss Western sanctions on the Russian Federation, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.  We will go over the new sanctions, how Russia has attempted to evade them, and what else could the United States and its allies do to squeeze the Russian economy. To help answer these questions, we … Continue reading Will Sanctions on Russia Work?

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss the current Ukrainian refugee crisis that resulted in light of the Russia-Ukraine conflict . We will dive into role of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, or UNHCR in the Ukrainian crisis. What are some of the key methods that are currently being implemented for Ukrainian refugees, particularly across … Continue reading The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis and UNHCR Intervention

Since its founding in 1949, the importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has waxed and waned as different member states pursued their own foriegn policy and security priorities. In recent years, the future of NATO was very much under threat as former President Trump criticized the organization and, according to former officials, even came … Continue reading A NATO Renewal after Ukraine

Three weeks ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting a cataclysmic war in Europe not seen since 1945. The war has already devastated a countless number of lives, led to a swift and international response against Russia, and prompted a rethink of European security and the international order. To cover this tragedy which … Continue reading The State of War in Ukraine

As the 2022 electoral supercycle in Latin America continues, with key elections in Brazil and Colombia happening soon, much is at stake for democracy in the region. Despite the robust electoral systems throughout most of the region, only a handful of countries qualify as full democracies. What accounts for some of these flaws? What should … Continue reading Challenges for Democracy in Latin America

South Koreans will cast their ballots for president on March 9. What do the elections mean for the country, its domestic challenges, and foreign policy outlook? This is the country’s second Covid-era election following the legislative election in April 2020. South Korea is considered as one of the success stories of third wave democratization in … Continue reading South Korea Goes to the Polls

In today’s episode, we’ll have an important discussion on Bruce Jones’ new book, Rule the Waves: How Control of the World’s Oceans Shapes the Fate of the Superpowers. What are the current tensions that exist in naval trade and how has this become a part of the major powers’ agenda? How have oceans impacted transnational … Continue reading To Rule the Waves: Superpowers and Control of the Seas

Are Russia and China allies? Will their alignment last? Are we living in a new Cold War? On today’s episode, we discuss these questions with Sergey Radchenko, a cold war and Russia-China expert. Hey POFA fans just a quick disclaimer before we get started. This episode was recorded on February 18th, a week before Russia’s … Continue reading The Russia-China Alignment

After the fall of the Soviet Union, it seemed that there was no end in sight for liberal democracy: the end of history was here, and global democracy was a dream that had come true. In 2022, we know that this is far from the reality of the state of democracy around the world. Over … Continue reading The Fight for Global Democracy

We explore the state of energy security in Europe today, Ukraine, and Russia’s important roles in the energy market. How have gas supply policies affected the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine, how likely is a Russian shut-off of Ukrainian energy, and what does the future of energy security in Europe look like? To answer … Continue reading Will Russia Shut off Europe’s Gas?