The World Next Week

World leaders attend the Munich Security Conference, a high-level event focusing on global challenges; U.S. President Joe Biden visits Poland to reinforce NATO’s resolve for supporting Ukraine; and tens of thousands protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed changes to powers of the judiciary branch.   Mentioned on the Podcast   “Biden’s SOTU, Blinken Visits China, EU Bans Russian Petroleum Products, and More,” The World Next Week   Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World   Olaf Scholz, “The Global Zeitenwende: How to Avoid a New Cold War in a Multipolar Era,” Foreign Affairs   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/munich-security-conference-biden-visits-poland-israels-judiciary-overhaul-and-more

Turkey and Syria struggle to respond to devastating earthquakes; Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, puts forward possible pardons for thousands of protesters; and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, DC.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Relief organizations among those involved in the massive response to Turkey and Syria: Ahbap Akut CARE Doctors Without Borders The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Rescue Committee The Karam Foundation Save the Children The White Helmets   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at:  https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/turkey-syria-earthquake-aftermath-khameneis-pardon-lula-visits-washington-and-more

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing to try to stabilize U.S.-China relations; and the European Union’s embargo on Russian refined oil  products is scheduled to go into effect.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Richard Haass, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens   Ana Swanson, “Netherlands and Japan Said to Join U.S. in Curbing Chip Technology Sent to China,” New York Times     Recommended Reading James M. Lindsay, “Ten Facts About the State of the Union Address,” The Water’s Edge   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/bidens-sotu-blinken-visits-china-eu-bans-russian-petroleum-products-and-more

Pope Francis visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan during his fourth visit to Africa; Russia reacts to Western pledges to send tanks to Ukraine; and the United Nations works to counter the Taliban’s discrimination against women amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.   Mentioned on the Podcast   “The Power of the Pope,” Why It Matters   Qin Gang, “The Planet’s Future Depends on a Stable China-U.S. Relationship,” Washington Post   “The World Next Year: What to Watch in 2023,” The World Next Week   This is Jim’s last episode as a regular co-host of The World Next Week. Revisit a live taping that marked the tenth anniversary of the show, in which Jim and Bob were joined by NPR journalist Deborah S. Amos: “2019 Back to School and Live Taping of The World Next Week Podcast.” For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/pope-visits-democratic-republic-congo-russia-responds-western-tank-offers-un-presses

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discusses Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; China grapples with a sharp influx of COVID-19 cases amid Lunar New Year travels; and NATO concerns rise over tensions between Greece and Turkey.    Mentioned on the Podcast   “China’s Covid Surge, With Yanzhong Huang and Zongyuan Zoe Liu,” The President’s Inbox   Steven A. Cook, “What Everyone Gets Wrong About Turkey,” Foreign Policy   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/high-level-us-visit-israel-chinas-covid-clouded-new-year-greece-turkey-tensions-and-more

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confronts the challenges posed by riots in the capital, Brasília; Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio visits U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss U.S.-Japan security cooperation; and the Czech Republic votes for a new president.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Benjamin H. Bradlow and Mohammad Ali Kadivar, “How Brazil Can Prevent an Authoritarian Resurgence,” Foreign Affairs   “Constitutional Change in Japan,” CFR.org For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at:  https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/attack-brazils-capital-japans-pm-visits-washington-czech-presidential-election-and-more

The 118th U.S. Congress gets off to a rocky start; U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador meet in Mexico City for the tenth North American Leaders’ Summit; and China relaxes its strict COVID-19 border policies amid a surging COVID caseload.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Qin Gang, “The Planet’s Future Depends on a Stable China-U.S. Relationship,” Washington Post Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/118th-us-congress-north-american-leaders-summit-china-reopens-and-more

In this special year-end episode, CFR Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to review the biggest events of 2022 and the stories to keep an eye on next year. They discuss precarious U.S.-China relations, climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran’s protests, the state of democracy globally, and more.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Alice C. Hill, “COP27 Didn’t Make Enough Progress to Prevent Climate Catastrophe,” CFR.org   Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World   Beza Tesfaye, Climate Change and Conflict in the Sahel   “National Security Strategy [PDF],” The White House   “Renewables 2022 [PDF],” International Energy Agency   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/world-next-year-what-watch-2023

Tunisians will vote in the first elections since the adoption of a new constitution that critics say is antidemocratic; the U.S. Congress rushes to pass a spending bill to avert a government shutdown; and Argentina and France compete in the World Cup final as host Qatar faces international scrutiny.     Mentioned on the Podcast   Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tunisias-election-us-congress-seeks-avert-shutdown-world-cup-ends-and-more

Russia celebrates its Constitution Day as President Vladimir Putin manages the messaging around his war in Ukraine; the European Union’s top political leaders discuss possible expansion of the bloc and energy and security concerns amid the Ukraine war; and President Joe Biden hosts the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to boost cooperation on trade, food security, COVID-19 responses, and other issues.     Mentioned on the Podcast Charles A. Kupchan, “Is Bosnia on the Verge of Conflict?,” CFR.org   James McBride, “Russia’s Influence in the Balkans,” CFR.org    Stephen Sestanovich, “It’s Time to Debunk Putin’s Existential Fallacy,” Foreign Policy For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/russias-constitution-day-eu-mulls-enlargement-us-africa-summit-and-more

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) takes place in Montreal, Canada; the European Union and Group of Seven (G7) plan to implement price caps and partial embargos on Russian oil to respond to the war in Ukraine; and the Chinese Community Party reacts to nationwide protests over its zero-COVID policy.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Oliver Holmes, “China Censors Maskless Crowd Footage in World Cup Broadcasts,” The Guardian   Yanzhong Huang, “Can Xi Jinping Reopen China?,” Foreign Affairs   Ian Johnson, “Xi Versus the Street,” Foreign Affairs   James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon, “U.S. Midterm Results, G20 Summit, Prospects for Russia-Ukraine Diplomacy, and More,” The World Next Week   “Russia Is Using Energy as a Weapon,” The Economist   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/un-biodiversity-conference-russian-oil-sanctions-chinas-covid-protests-and-more 

The UN Human Rights Council meets for a special session on the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters; the COP27 conference draws to a close amid calls from developing countries to increase funding for climate damages; and the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Doha, Qatar, even as controversy lingers.

The United States takes stock of the midterm election results; geopolitical tensions loom over the Group of Twenty summit in Bali, Indonesia; and conversation swirls around possible diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine.    Mentioned on the Podcast   “The Chinese City That COVID Forgot,” The Economist   Brad Dress, “Russia Says Nuclear War ‘Must Never Be Fought’ Despite Fiery Rhetoric,” The Hill Charles A. Kupchan, “It’s Time to Bring Russia and Ukraine to the Negotiating Table,” New York Times

Egypt hosts the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt; Americans vote in closely watched midterm elections; and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, kicks off a month of summitry in Asia.    Mentioned on the Podcast Renewing America, Council on Foreign Relations

Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva face off in Brazil’s presidential runoff; the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party selects Rishi Sunak to be the new prime minister; and Israel holds general elections, with Benjamin Netanyahu looking to make another political comeback.    Mentioned on the Podcast Sebastian Mallaby, The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future

Investors and high-ranking officials land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Future Investment Initiative, dubbed the ‘Davos of the Desert;’ the German Group of Seven (G7) presidency and the European Commission host experts to discuss Ukraine’s postwar recovery, reconstruction, and modernization; and U.S. import controls on chips take effect, with major consequences for China’s technological growth.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Edward Alden, “Washington Raises Stakes in War on Chinese Technology,” Foreign Policy   Steven A. Cook and Martin S. Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact    John Hudson and Widlore Mérancourt, “U.S. backs sending international forces to Haiti, draft proposal says,” The Washington Post Diana Roy and Sabine Baumgartner, “Crossing the Darien Gap: Migrants Risk Death on the Journey to the U.S.,” CFR.org

The Iraqi parliament meets to choose a new president; Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate power at the Twentieth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; and Israel and Lebanon prepare to finalize a historic agreement on a disputed maritime border.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order   The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Estimate: Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to U.S. National Security Through 2040    The White House, Biden-Harris Administration's National Security Strategy  

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory; thousands of participants gather in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Arctic Circle Assembly; and the United Nations marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child.    Mentioned on the Podcast “Child Marriage,” CFR.org   Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The West Holds Firm,” Foreign Affairs   Barbara Herz and Gene B. Sperling, What Works in Girls’ Education    “U.S. Policy Toward Russia, With Derek H. Chollet,” The President’s Inbox   Meighan Stone and Rachel B. Vogelstein, “Investing in Girls’ STEM Education in Developing Countries,” CFR.org

European leaders investigate the sudden leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, suspecting sabotage; Brazil holds its presidential election amid strong partisan tensions; and Iranians continue their anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.    Mentioned on the Podcast   The Council on Foreign Relations, “Deforestation in the Amazon,” CFR.org

Italians vote in a snap general election with an expected populist surge; occupied territories in Ukraine stage referendums on whether or not to join Russia; and the Joe Biden administration holds a summit with Pacific Island leaders to counter growing Chinese influence.    Mentioned on the Podcast Jason Horowitz, “Giorgia Meloni May Lead Italy, and Europe Is Worried,” New York Times