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PODCAST

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

Exploring threats to global stability from Ukraine to China to the Middle East with host Gavin Esler – former BBC News presenter, Washington correspondent and host of Newsnight – plus Ukraine-based war reporter Oz Katerji and independent conflict analyst Emma Beals. This Is Not A Drill dives deep into the dangers, corruption, conflicts, disinformation, rivalries and ruthless realpolitik that are making our world ever more dangerous. Support This Is Not A Drill on Patreon from just £3 per month to

news politics

All Episodes

35:25

Trump, Venezuela and 2026 – A new era of chaos

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2026/01/07

Trump’s New Year attack on Venezuela and the capturing of President Maduro shocked the world.In the first of a series of episodes assessing the biggest security issues in 2026, Gavin Esler talks to former UK national security adviser Peter Ricketts about the year to come, the consequences of Trump’s Venezuela raid and the risks of a new era of great powers carving up the globe. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and

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40:05

2025 has already shaken the world. What’s next?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/12/18

The geopolitical shocks of 2025 have the potential to reverberate for decades to come. Trump’s America first agenda and the new US national security strategy risk European unity, security and the rise of far right politics; Trump's trade wars have served to increase the pressure on states looking to balance relations with the US, China and also a rising India, and Israel’s assaults in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon have changed the balance of power in the Middle East. In the final episode of the year,

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31:13

Critical Mass – The new battle for energy supremacy

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/12/11

Critical minerals and rare earths are essential elements of clean energy technology, and vital for a range of products from the tech we use every day to solar panels and even weapons.As demand for electricity rises and the need to transition away from oil and gas increases, what does the race to control the supply of these minerals mean for the future of the environment, security and global competition? To unpack the geopolitics of energy security and rare earths, Emma Beals is joined by Dr

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30:53

Russia-Ukraine deal – Can anyone force Putin to...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/12/04

Trump’s push for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine looks as far away as ever after failed talks this week – can anyone move Putin closer to a realistic agreement?To make sense of the US-led peace process so far and how a potential deal might realistically be achieved, Gavin Esler is joined by Steven Pifer, former US ambassador to Ukraine, an affiliate of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, and the author of The Eagle and the Trident:

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45:42

Trump on the world stage – Deal maker or faker?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/11/27

Donald Trump claims a record of peace agreements spanning from Asia to the Americas. Do these claims hold up? What can we learn about Trump’s efforts to resolve conflicts, and can his deals hold and achieve lasting peace? And what does his transactional approach mean for global security and America’s role in the world? Emma Beals talks to Richard Haass, former advisor to both Bush administrations and President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Samir Puri, director of the Global

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33:08

War on the world – Are conflicts leading us to...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/11/20

As conflicts and tariff wars disrupt the global order, is political division preventing urgent action to protect the planet?A decade ago world leaders gathered at COP 21 in Paris to discuss the climate crisis - 194 countries signing a breakthrough agreement to limit global warming. By this year, as COP 30 meets in Brazil, the 1.5 degree target on global warming has been breached.Joining Gavin Esler to discuss the future for climate action and whether countries can find consensus to meet the

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30:03

Can we stop the fall of Europe?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/11/13

The European Union has some hard choices to make. It’s faced with an aggressive Russia on its borders, a US administration with limited enthusiasm for the NATO alliance and political divisions in its member states. Behind all this lies deep uncertainty about the coherence of the Union and its economic future in a world economy increasingly dominated by the US and China. What can be done to protect the European way of life and secure unity on the continent? Gavin Esler talks to leading economic

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35:40

Europe's drone wall – Could it hold back Russia?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/11/06

A series airspace violations by Russian jets and drones have increased tensions over European skies – could a new ‘drone wall’ now protect Europe’s Eastern flank?With plans announced for a new aerial defence system to protect Eastern borders, how would a drone wall work, and can the EU and NATO deliver on promises to improve Europe’s defences? In today’s episode, Oz Katerji talks to Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow for Airpower & Technology at RUSI. • This episode of This Is Not A

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23:22

Big Tech, A.I. and the dictators – Inside the future...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/10/30

What will happen when dictators realise just how useful big tech and the data it gathers could be for them? How is this already happening – and how could it expand, as A.I. ramps up the way draconian governments can use tech? Bruce Schneier, a renowned cyber security expert, best-selling author and co-author of Rewiring Democracy How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship joins Gavin Esler to discuss. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni the service

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29:22

The Populist Playbook – How the right wing connects...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/10/23

The rise of right-wing populism has changed politics across the world. From the proliferation of CPAC conferences across the globe to attacks on institutions and political rivals, does a populist playbook pose a threat to democracy? And how can we resist the rise to power of authoritarian leaders worldwide? In today’s episode, Gavin Esler is joined by Catherine Fieschi, fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University in Florence. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is

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29:55

China, Russia and you — The new cyber war explained

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/10/16

Cyber attacks are on the rise and the threats impact us all. Which countries are leading these moves and how can we combat them?Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre says that the UK faced four ‘nationally significant’ attacks a week on average in the past year. It adds that China poses a "capable" cyber threat, "targeting a wide range of sectors and institutions across the globe’, and highlights the activities of Russia, Iran and North Korea. In today’s episode Gavin Esler talks to James

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24:53

The Gaza Peace Plan – What you need to know

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/10/08

A US-led peace plan has brought renewed hopes that an end to the conflict in Gaza may be in sight. But as talks in Cairo continue over the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and disarmament of Hamas, what are the prospects for a lasting peace settlement?Gavin Esler discusses the latest with Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni the service that keeps your

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39:16

Xi's power play – What happens if China wins over...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/10/02

Trump’s foreign policy means the United States is leaving a vacuum in world affairs – and China looks increasingly willing to fill it. Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last month, what is the real nature of Xi Jinping and China’s expanding but complex international relationships, including those with Narendra Modi in India and Vladimir Putin in Russia? In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill, Gavin Esler talks to Elizabeth Wishnick, expert on

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34:21

Trump backs Ukraine – What does this mean for...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/25

In a dramatic shift over the war in Ukraine, Trump took to Truth Social this week to declare his belief that Ukraine can win back its territories. Will Trump’s change in stance last, and will the shift in rhetoric lead to a change in policy from the White House? To discuss a dramatic week at the UN General Assembly meeting and the latest from the front lines in Eastern Ukraine, Oz Katerji is joined in Kyiv by security analyst Jimmy Rushton. Read Jimmy Rushton’s report on Ukraine’s defence

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38:52

Trump's economic warfare – Are there any winners?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/22

Trump’s economic policies have caused chaos globally and he’s made it clear he’s happy to use America’s financial might against his enemies – or help his friends. But, when it comes to security, who is this actually helping? In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill – we ask,how do tariffs and inflation in the US impact global security? Emma Beals is joined by Adam Posen, the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Read Adam Posen’s Foreign Affairs article ‘The New

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34:10

The Gen Z protests – Inside Nepal’s ‘Discord revolution’

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/18

How did Nepal’s ‘Discord revolution’ spark so quickly and bring in a new national leader chosen by online poll?On the 8th of September, a group of young Nepali gathered in Kathmandu to protest a social media ban they saw as a heavy-handed crackdown against an anti-corruption movement. A week later, the government has fallen, more than 70 people lie dead after protests were infiltrated by violent groups and the government responded with lethal force, and Nepal has a new Prime Minister, herself

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38:00

‘A cascade of dreaded events’: The conflicts...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/13

Israel’s targeting of Hamas in Qatar has further escalated the crisis in the Middle East, and follows Benjamin Netanyahu’s evacuation order for Gaza City as Israeli forces prepare to send in occupying forces.Joining Gavin Esler to discuss the latest from the Middle East. and whether the Arab states in the region may play a part in defusing this endless conflict, is Emile Hokayem, Senior Fellow for Middle East Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. • This episode of

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18:09

Russia, Poland and drones – What next for Putin and...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/11

NATO jets have scrambled to shoot down Russian drones after what Polish military command has called an ‘unprecedented violation’ of its airspace. As Europe reacts to Russian aggression crossing into NATO airspace and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk invokes Article 4 of the NATO treaty, Gavin Esler is joined for the latest from Warsaw by Ian Garner, assistant professor at the Center for Totalitarian Studies at the Pilecki Institute. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni

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30:03

Trump, Putin and Xi – Conflict or collusion?

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/09/04

As conflicts and tariff-led trade wars fracture an international order forged at the end of the Second World War, have we entered an era of great power competition? Joining Oz Katerji today to discuss whether the rise to prominence of autocratic ‘strongman’ leaders marks a new landscape of great power contest is Stacie Goddard, Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni the service that keeps your private information safe,

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32:23

Is China unstoppable? – How Beijing is fighting to...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler ·

2025/08/28

China is upping its pace in a race to dominate the world of technology. What will Beijing’s quest mean for its rivalry with the US and how will it shape the future? Gavin Esler is joined by Dan Wang, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, to discuss China’s ambitions. Buy Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund This is Not a Drill by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support

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