The Global Gambit

South Asia - or the Indian subcontinent to others - is going through a concentrated set of shifts. Three of the main players - Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, all have major elections next year with each proposing potentially different directions - but which?

Returning guest, Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Program at the Wilson Centre sat down with me to outline, the challenges and details of these 3 countries on ...

The United Nations Climate Change Conference - known to most as COP - and in this case, COP28, is the highest-level of international engagement and gathering to find collective solutions to the globe's greatest collective challenge.

Yet, COPs have poor reputations, with little tangible products or outcomes occurring - other than an agreement of inaction. But, as l spoke to Nazanine Moshiri - senior analyst at the International ...

2023 was a big year for multinational, multi-forum events, ranging from the G20 to BRICS to the annual UN General Assembly. But of these, the concept and symbolism of BRICS is often the one that captures the minds of people, especially those who tend to have anti-Western sentiments and desire for a multipolar order.

But why this fascination, arguably infatuation for the BRICS? Is it purely about it removing the US hegemony or s...

Since the Oct 7th, the world has been rocked by events that many have always agonised and speculated - escalation and war between Israel and Gaza, specifically Hamas. From there, we have witnessed continued intensification, with a growing fear over the possibility of a regional war.

Much of this rests on the near-inevitable ground operation the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will undertake - the severer, harsher their approach, th...

Context

Since June 24th 2016, the UK has had its entire economy, society and political environment largely defined by a singular issue - Brexit. The word itself, before diving into anything at all, is a source of contention.

Yet, very little to many, including myself, has changed. Certainly not in terms of improvements. Merely a country that is suffering an identity crisis as much as it is political turmoil, economic stagnat...

In late-July 2023, the country of Niger - a critical Western ally in Africa, and against the threats of Islamic Jihadism, experienced its 7th coup since WWII. The democratically elected President Bazoum was ousted, and there have been many claiming the role of Wagner/Russia or that this is positive for greater independence, autonomy from former colonial masters, France.

But its not that clear cut, and Vanda Felbab-Brown of Brook...

Over 2023 there has be an intensified number of clashes and tensions occurring within an area already heightened and swamped in tension: Serbia & Kosovo. Most notably, these led to rare and unsettling clashes between Serbia communities and members of KFOR - the NATO mission stationed to help address and ideally, prevent, these very scenarios.

So what happened, and why? What about these clashes made them worse and why was NATO d...

France has always been more strategically independent relative to other European such as the UK. But Macron's trip to China while important for French and European interests, caused a stir after he commented about the need for Europe to be more autonomous. Some, like Poland, took it as a snub to the US and transatlantic relations, while many other EU nations tacitly agreed.

But which is right? What did Macron mean and where doe...

Its hard to overstate the importance of Turkey's election on May 14th. And as Gonul Tol, Founding Director of the Turkey Program at  @MiddleEastInstitute , makes clear, its more than just about policies. It is about the very identity of Turkey; and whether it remains on the path towards democracy or authoritarianism.

In this Part 1, of a mini-series, Gonul joined  @theglobalgambit  for a preview to the elect...

Context

Ukraine continues to fight for not merely for its sovereignty and freedom, but arguably and in the eyes of some, values of many democratic, more specifically Western, values.

While not everyone views the war as a case of David vs Goliath, with some believing it to be a typical proxy war, my guest this episode, Benjamin Tallis, certainly isn't one of them.

Indeed, Benjamin is a firm advocate for t...

Context

 The globe is experiencing even more instability, unpredictability and more - even more than ever, as we arguably enter a multipolar world, with alternative forms of currency, balance of power and so on. 

Could the BRICS countries really create an alternative financial system to challenge or undermine the US-led order? 

I put this question, and others such as the potential of cryptocurrency to Fra...

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Context
Between Jan 28th-Feb 4th 2023, the world and especially the US were captivated by a UAP - unidentified ariel phenomenon. Tur...

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Episode Outline

More than ever, the UN has a lot on its plate in 2023. Top of this remains Ukr...

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TGG has a Substack!

In Dec, l started a Substack where l share reflections on interviews, produce explainers to emerging events, and write opinion pieces.

Subscribe here: https://substack.com/profile/112732172-pyotr-s-kurzin?utm_source=user-menu.

Episode Outline

In the fall of 2022, l held a panel on the unprecedented role Open-Source-Intelligence (OSINT) has had on the Ukraine War. It is has har...

TGG HAS A SUBSTACK!

Since the last episode, Pyotr started a Substack where he shares his reflections on interviews and produces backgrounders to current or emerging events.

Subscribe here: https://substack.com/profile/112732172-pyotr-s-kurzin?utm_source=user-menu.

Episode Outline

On Nov 28th, 2022, Pyotr met with Alex Vindman for an in-person interview at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where Vindman is a fe...

ALERT!

Since the last episode, Pyotr started a Substack where he shares his reflections on interviews and provides explainers to current or emerging events.

Subscribe here: https://substack.com/profile/112732172-pyotr-s-kurzin?utm_source=user-menu. 

Episode Outline

The last weekend of November 2022 saw protests across China, largely associated with the country's zero-covid policies. Despite res...

Episode Outline

Over the autumn, the Ukraine War took a notable turn. Aside from Putin's renewed nuclear threats or Russian mobilization, the role of drones began to increase - especially on Russia's side.  These 'kamikaze' drones are being supplied exclusively by the Iran regime, whose sales they leverage to help oppress the Iranian people - as speakers, John Spencer, Patrick Fox and Sam Bendett comment on.  Questions in ...

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TGG has reached 20 episodes! Thank you to all who listen and support the show via methods like Patreon - without you this passion of mine would not be possible. 

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Episode Outline

For TGG's 20th episode and after 2 years, the Ethiopian Civil War has shown few s...