Winter Stalemate in Ukraine, Argentina’s Presidential Runoff, Turkey’s President visits Berlin, and More

Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces stalls as the future of U.S. aid remains uncertain; Argentina gears up for its presidential election runoff while inflation rates soar; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrives in Berlin to address refugee flows and the Israel–Hamas war with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; and David Cameron returns to the United Kingdom government as foreign secretary.

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

Ester Fang - Associate Podcast Producer

Molly McAnany - Associate Podcast Producer

Gabrielle Sierra - Editorial Director and Producer

Markus Zakaria - Audio Producer and Sound Designer

Show Notes

Mentioned on the Podcast

 

Lucy Fisher, Anna Gross, and Jim Pickard, “David Cameron Brings Experience and Baggage as He Returns to Politics,” Financial Times

 

Brad W. Setser, “Argentina Election Draws Wider Attention to Embattled Economy,” CFR.org

 

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief on the Breakthrough He Needs to Beat Russia,” Economist

 

Andrew Wilks, “Turkey’s Erdogan Says He Trusts Russia as Much as He Trusts the West,” Associated Press

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.

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