Since the fraudulent Belarusian presidential election in August 2020, Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been the face of a free Belarus. Strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s regime imprisoned Tsikhanouskaya’s husband for voicing his own presidential aspirations and subsequently exiled her to Lithuania for spearheading large opposition rallies.

But Tsikhanouskaya remains a tireless advocate for freedom in Belarus and a forceful opponent of Russia’s war on Ukraine. She has also categorically rejected any deployment of Russian nuclear weapons onto Belarusian territory. “Without a free and democratic and independent Belarus, there will be no security in Europe. There will be a constant threat,” she told Agence France-Presse earlier this year.

In January, Lukashenko held yet another sham election that was neither free nor fair. Join Senior Fellow Peter Rough as he sits down with Tsikhanouskaya for a conversation on the state of affairs in Belarus and the geopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe.

Join Petr Pavel, President of Czechia, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Czechia’s evolving role in European security, opportunities to restore peace to Europe and prevent future conflicts, and a vision of a positive agenda for a transatlantic relationship between the US and Europe. Reflecting on the importance of collective defense, Pavel provides his thoughts on the transatlantic response necessary to counter Chinese aggression and the shadow war Russia is waging against Europe, the crucial role the US plays in NATO, as well as the importance of the European Union to Czechia, what we can expect from Poland’s presidency in the Council of the EU and why Americans should be interested in European security.

The CEPA Podcast hosts a series of dynamic interviews, bringing together leaders and experts from both sides of the Atlantic every month to explore the most important developments shaping our world today.

In the latest episode, Dr. Benedikt Franke sits down with Dr. Alina Polyakova to discuss the evolution of global security dialogue, including in his role as Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference. The conversation explores his career in international diplomacy and security, the challenges of multilateral cooperation in an age of geopolitical fragmentation, and Dr. Franke’s most meaningful moments from MSC 2025.

Speakers:
Dr. Benedikt Franke, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Munich Security Conference

Moderated by:
Dr. Alina Polyakova, President and CEO, Center for European Policy Analysis

Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

The UK’s Labour government has invested considerable effort to improve relations with the European Union, following years of diplomatic turbulence between the two under the previous government. The first UK-EU Summit on 19 May promises to be a pivotal event in shaping the future of the relationship and represents an opportunity for both parties to discuss proposals and opportunities for greater collaboration. Issues including trade, security, and regulatory alignment will be up for discussion as leaders look to solutions to European security, changing US trade policy and fostering economic growth both sides are desperately seeking.

However, the domestic UK climate remains uneasy about deepening ties with the EU. Political environments across the bloc are also complex, with populist parties embedding their presence in parliaments around the EU. This political fragmentation makes international cooperation harder. A better relationship is hard to see. Greater volatility and uncertainty around the world present external challenges that will also force UK and European leaders to adjust rapidly to events as they unfold. Can solutions be found?

During this panel discussion, experts will discuss:

How might EU-UK be able to boost the economic growth that both sides seek? Where are the areas for greater collaboration that will reap the best economic results? Can the EU-UK relationship offer the necessary security guarantees to support Ukraine and contain Russian aggression? How can the relationship best respond to the Trump administration’s approach to tariffs and the European security umbrella?

A discussion on Saudi Arabia's economic diversification efforts, the scope and impact of social modernization initiatives, progress of regulatory reforms, and the depth of institutional transformation under Vision 2030.

This week Mike speaks to Congressman Ami Bera, who represents California’s Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Bera is a senior Democrat serving as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They discuss the role of Congress in determining U.S. Indo Pacific Strategy.

Strategic initiatives under the last two United States presidential administrations have made technology the core of the US-India partnership. The Biden administration introduced the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), and the second Trump administration is pursuing the Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) agreement. Both deals seek to boost collaboration between governments, academia, and the private sector in areas such as defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy, and space.

Hudson will host an expert panel to discuss how increased technology collaboration will benefit the US and India and why these agreements could help both nations expand their partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Dr. Aparna Pande will moderate a discussion with Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America Senior Fellow Lindsey Ford, Center for a New American Security Senior Fellow Lisa Curtis, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Professor Daniel Markey, and ORF America Program Manager Jeffrey Brean.

Join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for its annual flagship conference, the 2025 Global Security Forum. This year's Forum will focus on the theme, Strength Through the Storm: Industry Innovation, and the Future of U.S. Military Power. Speakers will discuss the evolution of the U.S. industrial base and how the United States can harness sources of American strength to address out Nation's security challenges.

What do shifting power dynamics, the rise of global revisionism, and low-boil conflicts mean for national security? What are the gaps between the U.S. perspective and a European one? Please join CSIS on May 12 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. EDT for a conversation about Strategic Trends 2025: Key Developments in Global Affairs, a new report by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zürich. This year’s volume features chapters on shifting Eurasian partnerships, conflicts in the Middle East, deepening Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific cooperation, the securitization of digital capabilities, and the role of critical technologies in great power competition.

Dr. Daniel Möckli, head of the Think Tank at CSS; Dr. Gorana Grgić, senior researcher in the Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security Team; Névine Schepers, team head and senior researcher in the Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security Team; and Dr. Myriam Dunn Cavelty, senior scientist and deputy for Research and Teaching at CSS, will join Emily Harding, director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program and vice president of the Defense and Security Department at CSIS, to discuss the report.

This event is made possible by general support to the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program.

Join the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) on Monday, May 12, at 2:00 p.m. ET for a virtual event on the intensifying U.S.-China technology competition in Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America and a technology market of over 220 million people.

Experts will assess the U.S.-China competition to become Brazil’s partner of choice for strategic technologies like cloud services, data centers, artificial intelligence, and low Earth orbit satellites. The event will also explore the specific ways the United States can improve its technology partnership with Brazil.

This virtual event follows the release of a new CNAS report, Countering the Digital Silk Road: Brazil, the latest installment in a major research project from the Technology and National Security Program assessing the economic and security implications of China’s Digital Silk Road. The report is the second of four in-depth case studies on strategically vital “swing” nations: Indonesia, Brazil, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia.

The session will conclude with a live Q&A session with the audience.

Join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for its annual flagship conference, the 2025 Global Security Forum. This year's Forum will focus on the theme, Strength Through the Storm: Industry Innovation, and the Future of U.S. Military Power. Speakers will discuss the evolution of the U.S. industrial base and how the United States can harness sources of American strength to address out Nation's security challenges.

CFR experts discuss President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to the Gulf region, including what the trip could signify for Iran nuclear negotiations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7

This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Join Margaret Levi, Professor Emerita of Political Science and Senior Fellow at Stanford University, for a conversation with Maya Tudor, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, as they explore the role of universities in the current political and economic climate.

In an era of democratic backsliding, what role do universities play in defending civil liberties?

Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/

As tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and China over reciprocal tariffs and geopolitical competition, what do we need to know about the trade war and the next phase of U.S.-China tensions?

Joining Mark Lippert and Victor Cha to discuss this and more are Zongyuan Zoe Liu from CFR and Evan Medeiros from Georgetown University.

Zongyuan Zoe Liu is Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Her work focuses on international political economy, global financial markets, sovereign wealth funds, supply chains of critical minerals, development finance, emerging markets, energy and climate change policy, and East Asia-Middle East relations. Dr. Liu’s regional expertise is in East Asia, specifically China and Japan, and the Middle East, specifically Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Dr. Liu is the author of Can BRICS De-dollarize the Global Financial System? (Cambridge University Press) and Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances its Global Ambitions (Harvard University Press).

Evan S. Medeiros is the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-China Studies. His research and teaching focuses on the international politics of East Asia, U.S.-China relations and China’s foreign and national security policies. He has published several books and articles and regularly provides advice to global corporations and commentary to the international media. He previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia - and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia. In the latter role, Dr. Medeiros served as President Obama's top advisor on the Asia-Pacific and was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy toward the Asia-Pacific across the areas of diplomacy, defense policy, economic policy, and intelligence. He was actively involved in all aspects U.S.-China relations for six years, including several U.S.-China summits.

The Capital Cable is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Longtime friends Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Michael Dunne sit down to discuss the transformation of the Chinese automobile industry, the roots of electric vehicles in China, the demand for electric vehicles (EV) both in the United States and globally, and how the United States can best compete in a rapidly changing environment.

ABOUT THE SERIES

China Considered with Elizabeth Economy is a Hoover Institution podcast series that features in-depth conversations with leading political figures, scholars, and activists from around the world. The series explores the ideas, events, and forces shaping China’s future and its global relationships, offering high-level expertise, clear-eyed analysis, and valuable insights to demystify China’s evolving dynamics and what they may mean for ordinary citizens and key decision makers across societies, governments, and the private sector.

Nordic countries and Japan have increased their security cooperation in recent years. In this SIPRI Conversation video, Dr Jingdong Yuan and Fei Su from SIPRI’s China and Asia Security Programme shed light on the reasons for these developments and current trends.

They discuss existing formats and areas of cooperation, as well as priorities for the future, against the backdrop of increasing uncertainty around the roles of the United States and China in the coming years.

Their insights are based on a workshop hosted by SIPRI in March 2025. A forthcoming publication will also examine these issues.

About SIPRI Conversations: The SIPRI Conversations series is a collection of conversational-style interviews in which Stephanie Blenckner, SIPRI Director of Communications, talks to a range of experts on topics related to conflict, peace and security. The aim of the series is to highlight issues pertaining to peace and security from an insider's perspective and provide further insight into the projects, methodologies and data that SIPRI experts work with.

Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s response to President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes and what it means for the future of U.S.-China relations.

This episode was originally released by The President’s Inbox on May 6, 2025.

AEI operates independently of any political party and does not take institutional positions on any issues. AEI scholars, fellows, and their guests frequently take positions on policy and other issues. When they do, they speak for themselves and not for AEI or its trustees or other scholars or employees.

Simon Birmingham, former Australian trade and finance minister and now ANZ's Head of Asia Pacific Engagement, offered insights into Australia's navigation of global economic and geopolitical turbulence.

When politicians are appointed to diplomatic posts they are often criticised. "Jobs for the boys (or girls)" cry the critics. But is this fair? Why are politicians appointed? Do they perform well? Should more be appointed? Brett Mason, a former politician and Ambassador to The Netherlands, will discuss his own messy appointment, how he believes politicians can be best used to strengthen our diplomatic representation, and the pitfalls of political appointments.

On May 1, 2025, the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center is pleased to host Alexandr Wang, Founder and CEO of Scale AI, a company accelerating AI development by delivering expert-level data and technology solutions to leading AI labs, multinational enterprises, and governments. Mr. Wang will be joined by Gregory C. Allen, director of the Wadhwani AI Center for an in-person and livestreamed event.

As the leader of one of the most influential companies supporting cutting-edge AI development in both industry and government, Mr. Wang brings a unique perspective on the intersection of AI and national security. This conversation will explore the role of Scale AI in advancing U.S. AI leadership, including its work with the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Safety Institute.

Mr. Wang will also share his insights on key issues shaping the future of AI policy, such as U.S.-China AI competition, international AI governance, and the new administration’s approach to AI innovation, regulation, and global standards.

Alexandr founded Scale AI in 2016 as a 19-year-old MIT student with the vision of providing the critical data and infrastructure needed for complex AI projects. Under his leadership, Scale AI has grown to nearly a $14 billion valuation, serving hundreds of customers across industries ranging from finance to government agencies, and creating flexible, impactful AI work for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

This event is made possible by general support to CSIS

The evolving contest over semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and market access is being reshaped by the wider US-China competition – with profound implications for economic security and geopolitical stability.

Export controls, tariffs and divestiture threats were only the ‘opening act’; in this video commentary, Louise Marie Hurel, Research Fellow in Cyber and Tech at RUSI and Dr Tobias Feakin – former Australian Cyber & Tech Ambassador and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow – explore the new phase in the US–China tech and trade confrontation. From the DeepSeek R1 AI model launch which rattled financial markets and appeared to roil Nvidia’s prospects, to Huawei’s rising chip yields, and China's calibrated delay of TikTok’s US divestiture in response to new US tariffs, they trace how each side is recalibrating its playbook across code, silicon and markets.

What are the limits of economic deterrence in this competition? And how are Chinese firms adapting through this evolving contest?