Biden Hosts South Korea’s President, Earth Day, UN Addresses Haiti, and More

U.S. President Joe Biden hosts South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for a state visit, marking the seventy-year U.S.-South Korean alliance; people worldwide celebrate Earth Day with pledges to take environmental action; and the UN Security Council discusses its mission to Haiti and plans to stabilize the turbulent country.

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Hosts
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor
  • Carla Anne Robbins
    Senior Fellow
Credits

Ester Fang - Associate Podcast Producer

Gabrielle Sierra - Editorial Director and Producer

Show Notes

Mentioned on the Podcast
 

Earthday.org

 

Rocio Cara Labrador and Diana Roy, “Haiti’s Troubled Path to Development,” CFR.org

 

Scott Snyder, “How to Prepare for the Future After Seven Decades of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance,” CFR.org

United States

In this live series finale, Bob and Carla discuss the most pressing international news stories with special guest Deborah Amos. President Donald Trump virtually attends the annual Davos summit where he will address corporate and government leaders just three days after his inauguration; the next phase of hostage and prisoner swaps is due as part of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal; a tightly controlled presidential election in Belarus kicks off a new year of consequential elections around the globe; and TikTok is revived in the United States—for now— after President Trump forestalled the app’s initial ban.   This episode was originally produced live on January 21, 2025.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israel and Hamas reach a cease-fire deal aimed at exchanging hostages and prisoners while seeking a longer-term pause in fighting; the incoming Donald Trump administration weighs ambitious moves on immigration; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign off on a twenty-year partnership agreement; and students in Serbia protest violations of civil rights.

United States

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Supreme Court hears arguments over the Joe Biden administration’s imminent banning of TikTok; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation prompts questions on the future of U.S.-Canada trade relations; and Europe’s eastern states confront energy issues after Ukraine stops the flow of Russian gas through its territory.

Top Stories on CFR

Ukraine

Senior U.S. and French officials are meeting in Paris this week as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine—but the chances of that deal becoming a reality appear increasingly slim.

Middle East and North Africa

Onetime allies, the United States and Iran have seen tensions escalate repeatedly in the four decades since the Islamic Revolution.

Trade

Tariffs and the bleak prospects for global trade dominated discussions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Spring Meetings this week in Washington, DC.