The Delegates Lounge

Nataliya Gumenyuk takes us behind the headlines to reveal the stark reality of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression. Having embedded with drone operators near the frontlines, she offers rare insight into evolving military tactics. "Before, drones were supplementary," she says, "but now they're used instead of artillery."

A Ukrainian journalist based in Kyiv, she describes The Reckoning Project, wh...

Welcome to the third edition of "Dining with Diplomats," a series that explores the intersection of food, culture, and diplomacy. In this edition, we'll journey across Europe to discover the diverse celebrations marking the summer solstice.

Swedish Consul General in New York Erik Ullenhag takes us through the significance of the Midsummer holiday in Sweden, where the celebration rivals Christmas in importance. After e...

Welcome to the third edition of "Undercurrents," an ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. 

In this episode, we're continuing our conversation with Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a former longtime analyst with Lloyd's List, one of the world’s oldest continuously running journals that has provided shipping news from London for centuries. 

Beneath,...

Welcome to the second edition of "Undercurrents," an ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. 

In this episode, we're joined by Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a former longtime analyst with Lloyd's List, one of the world’s oldest continuously running journals that has provided shipping news from London for centuries. 

Michelle expounds on the explo...

Welcome to the first edition of "Undercurrents," a new ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. 

In this episode, we're joined by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. He explains what's happening beneath the surface of maritime confrontations in the Baltic Sea. 

Rising tensions have transformed this crucial waterway into a geopolitical fla...

In pursuit of economic understanding, we speak with Jason Furman, the Harvard economist who co-teaches the university’s core course in the discipline, “Principles of Economics,” Harvard’s most popular course.

The conversation tackles President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement that sent markets nosediving, that is, until the president hit the pause button. The Harvard economist methodically dismantle...

The Delegates Lounge podcast commences our third season in a timely conversation with Victor Cha, the well-known Korea watcher who is both president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. He served in an advisory role to the secretary of defense in the Joe Biden administration and served on t...

As President Donald Trump's self-proclaimed "Liberation Day" approaches on April 2nd, bringing with it a wave of new tariffs, we're joined by an expert who can help us parse rhetoric from reality. 

Moody's Chief Economist Mark Zandi explores the potential economic impact of broad-based tariffs on American consumers, farmers, and business owners. As chief economist, he oversees Moody’s global economic forecas...

In this episode, we explore the seismic shifts reshaping global diplomacy with Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's UN expert and our first-ever return guest, or "friend of the pod."

Recorded at UN headquarters while Trump and Putin conducted a phone call to discuss the war in Ukraine, our conversation captures a pivotal moment in international relations. The timing couldn't be more significa...

As the world marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Monday, competing resolutions at the United Nations brought tensions within the international community to the forefront. This episode dives deep into the diplomatic maneuvering and dueling agendas, revealing the complexities that reshape alliances and influence decisions made at the United Nations. As our host explains, the anniversary this wee...

Get ready to explore the turbulent waters of transatlantic relations with our guest, French political scientist Célia Belin. Discover how the Trump administration's controversial actions, including remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, have sent ripples across Europe, particularly in response to the tensions over Ukraine. With President Macron at the helm, rallying European leaders to counter...

We’re beginning our second season in conversation with Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya. As listeners will recall, he challenged Russia’s representative to the United Nations during a late-night emergency session of the UN Security Council three years ago, when Russia launched a predawn invasion of his country during the meeting. We sat down with the Distinguished Representative of Ukraine earlier this m...

Welcome back to the second part of our culinary special podcast miniseries: “Dining with a Dozen Diplomats.” Discover how joining together over a simmering pot of gumbo or carving a roast lamb can bridge cultural divides and foster diplomacy. Above all, get ready for some practical tips on hosting with warmth and creativity, even when things don't go according to plan. In the first episode, in our playlist below, our host J. A...

Embark on a culinary exploration with us as we uncover the cherished comfort foods and cultural tales shared by diplomats from an assortment of countries. These twelve diplomats offer insights into how food can serve as a bridge between peoples both past and present.

For the “Dining with a Dozen Diplomats” culinary special episode, our host J. Alex Tarquinio chatted with foreign ministers, with permanent representatives, ...

Join us for a firsthand account of life on and near the battlelines in Eastern Ukraine by Dave Smith, a former Canadian infantry officer who resigned to fight for Ukraine. This is the third episode in our multi-part series where Dave explores the evolving tactics and motivations that define the conflict. He offers listeners a deep dive into the experiences of soldiers and citizens that’s brimming with insights into how the geopolit...

Join Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces, fighting alongside Belarusian Partisans for Ukraine. From the intense battlegrounds North of Kharkiv to the life-saving professional efforts within its hospitals, Dave offers a raw and authentic soldier's viewpoint of what it is to fight up close on the line of engagement - the Zero Line.

The conversation sheds light on the grim realities of capturing Russ...

Discover why the traditional military doctrines are being upended as we engage with Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces who made the extraordinary leap to volunteer as a fighter in Ukraine. Listen to Dave's compelling narrative about leaving a secure military career to join the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, a unit of Belarusian Partisans opposing Alexandr Lukashenko and fighting to defend Ukraine against the ...

Join us for a succinct conversation with Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, as she shares her deep views on the Pact for the Future straight from the United Nations General Assembly Week. Minister Valtonen emphasizes the pressing need for equitable funding access for developing countries and the critical role of public-private partnerships and transparent tax systems in achieving economic stability in the G...

Listen in on our conversation with Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, as he explains the intricate connections between global diplomacy and digital innovation. We caught up with Estonia's foreign minister during the United Nations General Assembly week. Our discussion touched on the Pact for the Future and Estonia's leadership in digital innovation and cybersecurity, exploring his take...