Erdogan, Rouhani and Putin Talk Syria and Populism Looms in Swedish Elections

Turkish, Russian and Iranian leaders meet over the war in Syria, Sweden eyes populism amid new general elections, and President Trump’s tariffs could hit $200 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese imports.

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Hosts
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor
  • James M. Lindsay
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair

Show Notes

Turkish, Russian and Iranian leaders meet over the war in Syria, Sweden eyes populism amid new general elections, and President Trump’s tariffs could hit $200 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese imports.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israel’s newest military operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah stirs concerns of catastrophe for Palestinians in Gaza, and prompts the United States to condition its offensive military aid for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war broke out; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in Ankara, Turkey, to continue their diplomatic efforts; the seventy-seventh Cannes Film Festival showcases new films ranging from niche to blockbuster; and Russian President Vladimir Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills as a signal to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Censorship and Freedom of Expression

In this special episode to mark World Press Freedom Day, Jeffrey Gedmin, cofounder and editor-in-chief of American Purpose and former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the global state of press freedom. They cover the challenges that a growing number of journalists face in exile or imprisonment, the U.S. role in upholding freedom of the press, and more.

China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps his second visit to China as tensions mount over Beijing’s military support of Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing threats in the South China Sea; International Workers’ Day on May 1 comes at a time of revived labor activism over wages and inequality; and U.S. President Joe Biden approves a $61 billion foreign aid package providing critical military assistance to Ukraine, potentially improving the situation on the ground in the war with Russia.

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