Loading...

PODCAST

Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction is the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s flagship network of podcast series examining the political, security, economic, and social trends shaping our world. Throughout the year we are talking with experts about developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the new European security order, defense and geopolitical issues in the Baltic States, as well as current and future national security challenges and opportunities in the technology and space sectors. Join us each month for: Bear

news social sciences

All Episodes

44:21

Translating Scholarship Into Statecraft

Chain Reaction ·

2026/10/02

How can political science scholarship effectively inform real-world foreign policy during moments of global crisis?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Larry Rubin and Rachel Whitlark sit down with Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes, President of the National Democratic Institute. Drawing on her distinguished career spanning academia, think tanks, and high-level government service—including roles as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Arab uprisings and Director of

en

52:20

Thinking About the Second Nuclear Century

Chain Reaction ·

2026/09/16

In this episode of Shifting Ground, hosts Nikolas Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Dr. Austin Long, Senior Nuclear Fellow at MIT, and Dr. Rachel Whitlark, Associate Professor at Georgia Tech and Associate Editor of Orbis, to explore the strategic landscape of the second nuclear century. Grounded in Dr. Long's recent commentary for Orbis, the conversation examines how emerging autonomous technologies and AI reshape nuclear deterrence, the concept of "conceal vs. reveal" capabilities, and the

en

50:40

The Architecture of Leadership

Chain Reaction ·

2026/07/23

What prepares a leader for the high-pressure environment of the US government?In this episode of Shifting Ground, co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin sit down with The Hon. John Tien, Distinguished Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Drawing on his extensive career spanning the military, the private sector, and high-level government service—including a tenure as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security—Tien offers unique insights from

en

41:44

Intelligence, Strategy, and the Reality of Modern...

Chain Reaction ·

2026/07/02

In this episode of Shifting Ground, Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Phil Wasielewski, a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. A veteran of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and the US Marine Corps, Phil brings a lifetime of experience—from the end of the Soviet era to the frontlines of Afghanistan—to a wide-ranging discussion on the nature of strategy in an unpredictable world. The conversation touches on the role of intelligence in modern warfare, the enduring need

en

39:54

American Grand Strategy in West Asia

Chain Reaction ·

2026/06/08

In this episode of Shifting Ground, Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Mohammed Soliman, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. Soliman challenges our traditional geopolitical mental maps, arguing that the term “Middle East” no longer explains the realities of today’s integrated political and economic landscape. Instead, he proposes viewing the region from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean as a single,

en

22:36

Understanding Germany's Defense Strategy

Chain Reaction ·

2026/06/03

Welcome back to The Ties That Bind, a project of the Foreign Policy Research Institute examining the past, present, and future of NATO and the transatlantic relationship.This season we examine how Western European NATO members like Germany are shifting their defense policies, pursuing rearmament, and what lies ahead for the future of European security.This week we are pleased to feature a conversation with FPRI President Aaron Stein and Roderich Kiesewetter, a Member of the German Bundestag

en

44:46

Cyber is War

Chain Reaction ·

2026/05/20

In this episode of Shifting Ground, hosts Larry Rubin and Nick Gvosdev are joined by Dmitri Alperovitch, Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, co-founder of CrowdStrike, and author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. Alperovitch discusses the collision of cybersecurity and international affairs, arguing that the cyber “problem” is fundamentally a geopolitical issue driven by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Get full access to FPRI Insights at

en

23:01

The Strategy for Affordable Missiles: A Conversation...

Chain Reaction ·

2026/05/14

Aaron Stein, President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), talks with James Swartout, VP of Strategy at Ursa Major Technologies, about his career in national security and how his company is revolutionizing aerospace and defense.Explore more from Behind the Front here. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

en

46:07

The Weaponized Economy

Chain Reaction ·

2026/05/05

Geo-economic and country risk expert Rachel Ziemba joins Nick and Larry to discuss the intersection of government policy and global commerce. This episode explores how sovereign balance sheets and coercive tools like sanctions have become primary instruments of modern statecraft, fundamentally shifting the landscape of global commerce.Related Reading: * Rachel’s portion of the Global Order After Ukraine Symposium here: ⁠Reassessing Sanctions Amid Shifting Global Order: Responding to Experimentation*

en

36:14

Geopolitical Cycles and the Fragility of the Global...

Chain Reaction ·

2026/04/16

On this episode of Shifting Ground, Admiral James “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr. (ret.) introduces his concept of the “global operating system” (GOS)—which includes the rules-based international order and the global economy—explaining that its foundation of international stability is at risk of catastrophic failure due to geopolitical cycles, political polarization, and the overextension of the prevailing power.Read Admiral Winnefeld’s essay ⁠The Principle Challenge: Arresting the Decline of the Global

en

48:01

A Blueprint for Deterrence with Adm. Rob Bauer and...

Chain Reaction ·

2026/04/08

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind, a project of the Foreign Policy Research Institute examining the past, present, and future of NATO and the transatlantic relationship.We often assume our safety is a “government problem,” but guests Admiral Rob Bauer, the former Chair of the NATO Military Committee, and Strategic Communications Advisor Eleonora Russell argue that this mindset is our greatest vulnerability. Drawing from their 2025 book, If You Want Peace, Prepare for War: A Blueprint for

en

37:51

Technology, Trust, and the Accelerants of Global Crisis

Chain Reaction ·

2026/03/30

In the inaugural episode of Shifting Ground, the Hon. Stacey Dixon joins Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin to discuss the US government’s challenge of balancing national security interests by restricting sensitive technology exports with the need for American companies to compete globally and influence international technology standards. The conversation highlighted “accelerants” like the democratization of conflict technology and the erosion of public trust due to misinformation, recommending that the

en

17:35

Understanding Berlin's Security Environment

Chain Reaction ·

2026/02/20

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind, a project of the Foreign Policy Research Institute examining the past, present, and future of NATO and the transatlantic relationship.This season, we examine how Western European NATO members like Germany are shifting their defense policies, pursuing rearmament, and what lies ahead for European security.This week, we are pleased to feature a conversation with FPRI President Aaron Stein and Roland Theis, a Member of the German Bundestag (CDU/CSU) who sits on the

en

37:10

The Islamic Republic Teeters

Chain Reaction ·

2026/01/13

Iran is facing massive protests and the regime is facing a significant challenge to its grip on power. The regime has unleashed the military, killing hundreds on the country’s streets. President Trump had threatened air strikes, raising questions about the future of the regime. What is the future of Iran?Aaron sat down with Saeid Golkar, an Iranian-American political scientist, and UC Foundation associate Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Hamed Behravan, Vice President at

en

52:03

Never Again Alone | Finland in NATO

Chain Reaction ·

2025/12/18

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind.This week, we go even further north, to Finland, one of the alliance’s newest members. Like the other frontline states we’ve visited this season, Finland shares a turbulent and complicated history with Russia that has long molded its security and foreign policy. But unlike the other frontline states, it was not a member of NATO at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. February 24, 2022, proved to be a lynchpin moment for how Finnish society viewed

en

26:54

Understanding Unmanned Naval Systems

Chain Reaction ·

2025/12/08

We have spent a lot of time talking about Combat Collaborative Aircraft, or CCA. On this episode, Aaron sat down with Billy Byrne, the Director of Strategy for Defense at Saildrone. The two talked about the future of unmanned naval systems, the lessons learned from Ukraine’s operations in the Black Sea, the challenges of operating in the Indo-Pacific, and the need to have both endurance and to “pack a punch” in naval combat.Explore more from Behind the Front here. Get full access to FPRI Insights

en

59:45

Windows of Opportunity | Latvia in NATO

Chain Reaction ·

2025/11/28

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind.This week, we go back North to the shores of the Baltic Sea for the perspective from Latvia.In this episode, we’ll hear from three Latvian experts on the evolution of the country’s defense posture, NATO cooperation, and its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We’ll also hear about what’s happening on the domestic front, with the evolution of national and municipal civilian defense programs, Latvia’s infrastructure investments, and how the country’s public

en

63:03

On the Coasts of Conflict | Romania in NATO

Chain Reaction ·

2025/11/06

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind. This week, we are looking further south along NATO’s eastern flank at Romania.Romania has long advocated for increased NATO and US presence in the Black Sea. Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the importance of the Black Sea and Romania’s role have been reflected in an increased NATO presence and multiple defense and infrastructure investments. The country has been a critical actor in helping the Ukrainian war effort, serving as a logistics and military

en

32:36

The Multipolar, the Merrier: US Foreign Policy in a...

Chain Reaction ·

2025/11/04

In a rapidly evolving world where Washington might not have the same sway it used to, how should the US best position itself? Who are the “schools” or “camps” contesting the direction of foreign policy. In this episode of The Continent, Emma Ashford joins Aaron Schwartzbaum to talk about American grand strategy and her recent book First Among Equals: US Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

en

61:25

For Our Freedom and Yours | Poland in NATO

Chain Reaction ·

2025/10/28

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind.This season, we are looking at NATO from a bit of a different vantage point, specifically that of the frontline states. How are frontline states investing in and planning for their defense? How are they thinking about their role and contributions in the Alliance and on the world stage? How have their historical experiences shaped how their governments and societies think about defense, countering disinformation, and changing economic realities? And how are they

en

202 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

Kan Hourly News כאן רשת ב חדשות - מהדורת השעה

Mr. Mp3

City Cast Denver

City Cast

Sweden in Focus

The Local

Tulsa News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!

The Daily News Now!