U.S. President Joe Biden hosts South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for a state visit, marking the seventy-year U.S.-South Korean alliance; people worldwide celebrate Earth Day with pledges to take environmental action; and the UN Security Council discusses its mission to Haiti and plans to stabilize the turbulent country.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Earthday.org

Rocio Cara Labrador and Diana Roy, “Haiti’s Troubled Path to Development,” CFR.org

Scott Snyder, “How to Prepare for the Future After Seven Decades of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/biden-hosts-south-koreas-president-earth-day-un-addresses-haiti-and-more

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group wrap up their joint spring meetings, where the focus is on restructuring debt for low-income countries; expected Republican presidential candidates convene at a National Rifle Association Leadership Forum amid ongoing mass shooting concerns; and the United Nations discusses the prospects for national elections in Libya, as the country continues to grapple with sharp divisions.

Mentioned on the Podcast

“A Conversation With David Malpass” 

Brad W. Setser, “The World Bank Stepped Up During the Pandemic,” CFR.org

Ian Shapira, “Before Trump’s Wild Shifts on the NRA, Ronald Reagan Took on the Gun Lobby,” Washington Post

“The IMF Faces a Nightmarish Identity Crisis,” The Economist

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/imf-and-world-bank-spring-meetings-nra-ila-leadership-forum-un-libya-and-more

China’s President Xi Jinping woos France’s President Emmanuel Macron, while Macron urges Xi to bring “Russia back to reason” on Ukraine; Northern Ireland’s Good Friday peace agreement turns twenty-five; and as Iran celebrates National Nuclear Technology Day, its enriched uranium stocks grow. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Steven Erlanger and Matina Stevis-Gridneff, “china-embassador-russia-fu-cong.html">China’s Ambassador to the E.U. Tries to Distance Beijing From Moscow,” New York Times

Barak Ravid, “Scoop: U.S. Discussing Freeze-for-Freeze Approach to Iran Nuclear Program,” Axios

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/macron-goes-china-good-friday-agreement-turns-25-irans-nuclear-technology-day-and-more

Turkey’s presidential candidates officially kick-off their campaigns ahead of May elections; Russia begins its term as president of the UN Security Council; and Walt Disney World wraps up its fiftieth anniversary celebration amid legal disputes with the Florida state government. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Will Freeman and Ariana Rios, “How Peru’s Crisis Could Send Shockwaves Through the Region,” CFR.org

Rone Tempest, “xpm-1992-06-27-mn-837-story.html">Protesters Block Euro Disneyland : France: Irked by U.S. Trade Policies, Farmers Use Tractors to Keep Cars and Buses Out of the Park,” Los Angeles Times

“​​U.S. Immigration Policy, With Edward Alden,” The President’s Inbox

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/turkish-presidential-campaigning-begins-russias-cloudy-security-council-presidency-disney

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China to discuss Brazil-China economic ties; millions of people around the world switch off their lights for 60 minutes to celebrate Earth Hour; and the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia co-host the second Summit for Democracy.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report 

Michelle Gavin, “Zimbabwe Limps Toward Elections,” CFR.org

Joshua Kurlantzick, “Thailand’s Parliament Has Been Dissolved: Elections Loom, But Will They Be Free?,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/brazils-lula-visits-china-earth-hour-second-summit-democracy-and-more

The UN Security Council decides whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan; on its twentieth anniversary, Americans and Iraqis take stock of the U.S. invasion of Iraq; and the future of the Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Grain Initiative, a vital food export agreement, is decided.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Max Boot, “What the Neocons Got Wrong,” Foreign Affairs

Peter Feaver, Christopher Gelpi, and Jason Reifler, “The Strange Case of Iraq Syndrome,” Foreign Affairs

Sebastian Mallaby, “What the Silicon Valley Bank Bailout Teaches Us,” Washington Post

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/un-afghanistan-twenty-years-us-invasion-iraq-black-sea-grain-initiative-and-more

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss migration, trade, security, and other issues; the world enters the fourth year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic; and Academy Award-nominated films spotlight international issues.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Colm Bairéad, The Quiet Girl

Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front

Lukas Dhont, Close

Sara Dosa, Fire of Love

Stanley Kubrick, Paths of Glory

Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front

Santiago Mitre, Argentina, 1985

Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Daniel Roher, Navalny

Jerzy Skolimowski, EO

Simon Lereng Wilmont, A House Made of Splinters

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/uk-france-summit-3-years-covid-19-pandemic-foreign-films-oscars-and-more

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss U.S.-German security cooperation in NATO and in the Indo-Pacific; China’s National People’s Congress begins its legislative session; Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha awaits the verdict of his treason trial as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s authoritarian grip tightens; and political tensions rise in Nigeria as the country reacts to Bola Tinubu’s presidential win.

Mentioned on the Podcast

"naval-base-02222023085732.html">Satellite Photos Show Expansion of Chinese-funded Naval Base in Cambodia," Radio Free Asia

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/german-chancellor-scholz-visits-washington-chinas-congress-convenes-cambodian-opposition

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, holds its presidential election; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reaches the one-year mark; U.S. President Joe Biden’s new restrictions on migrants seeking asylum spurs fury from immigration activists.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Michelle Gavin, “The Continental Implications of Nigeria’s Elections,” CFR.org

Ebenezer Obadare, “What’s at Stake in Nigeria’s General Elections?,” CFR.org

“The Invasion That Shook the World,” Council of Councils

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/nigerias-election-one-year-russia-invaded-ukraine-us-asylum-restrictions-and-more

World leaders attend the Munich Security Conference, a high-level event focusing on global challenges; U.S. President Joe Biden visits Poland to reinforce NATO’s resolve for supporting Ukraine; and tens of thousands protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed changes to powers of the judiciary branch.

Mentioned on the Podcast

“Biden’s SOTU, Blinken Visits China, EU Bans Russian Petroleum Products, and More,” The World Next Week

Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World

Olaf Scholz, “The Global Zeitenwende: How to Avoid a New Cold War in a Multipolar Era,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/munich-security-conference-biden-visits-poland-israels-judiciary-overhaul-and-more

Turkey and Syria struggle to respond to devastating earthquakes; Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, puts forward possible pardons for thousands of protesters; and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, DC. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Relief organizations among those involved in the massive response to Turkey and Syria:

• Ahbap
• Akut
• CARE
• BRAND.DWB-GS-GS-ALL-DWBBrand.All-BO-ALL-RSA-RSARefresh.1-MONTHLY&gclid=Cj0KCQiA54KfBhCKARIsAJzSrdrATYiE5C5KS-ZaQyn21Fv1DDYEyHX4lBXqdp9Zr_EuyUOimv8v9xcaAoOGEALw_wcB">Doctors Without Borders
• The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
• The International Rescue Committee
• The Karam Foundation
• Save the Children
• The White Helmets

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at:  https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/turkey-syria-earthquake-aftermath-khameneis-pardon-lula-visits-washington-and-more

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing to try to stabilize U.S.-China relations; and the European Union’s embargo on Russian refined oil  products is scheduled to go into effect. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Richard Haass, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens

Ana Swanson, “japan-china-chips.html">Netherlands and Japan Said to Join U.S. in Curbing Chip Technology Sent to China,” New York Times  

Recommended Reading

James M. Lindsay, “Ten Facts About the State of the Union Address,” The Water’s Edge  

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/bidens-sotu-blinken-visits-china-eu-bans-russian-petroleum-products-and-more

Pope Francis visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan during his fourth visit to Africa; Russia reacts to Western pledges to send tanks to Ukraine; and the United Nations works to counter the Taliban’s discrimination against women amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.

Mentioned on the Podcast

“The Power of the Pope,” Why It Matters

Qin Gang, “The Planet’s Future Depends on a Stable China-U.S. Relationship,” Washington Post

“The World Next Year: What to Watch in 2023,” The World Next Week

This is Jim’s last episode as a regular co-host of The World Next Week. Revisit a live taping that marked the tenth anniversary of the show, in which Jim and Bob were joined by NPR journalist Deborah S. Amos: “2019 Back to School and Live Taping of The World Next Week Podcast.”

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/pope-visits-democratic-republic-congo-russia-responds-western-tank-offers-un-presses

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discusses Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; China grapples with a sharp influx of COVID-19 cases amid Lunar New Year travels; and NATO concerns rise over tensions between Greece and Turkey. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

“China’s Covid Surge, With Yanzhong Huang and Zongyuan Zoe Liu,” The President’s Inbox

Steven A. Cook, “What Everyone Gets Wrong About Turkey,” Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/high-level-us-visit-israel-chinas-covid-clouded-new-year-greece-turkey-tensions-and-more

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confronts the challenges posed by riots in the capital, Brasília; Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio visits U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss U.S.-Japan security cooperation; and the Czech Republic votes for a new president. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Benjamin H. Bradlow and Mohammad Ali Kadivar, “How Brazil Can Prevent an Authoritarian Resurgence,” Foreign Affairs

“Constitutional Change in Japan,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at:  https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/attack-brazils-capital-japans-pm-visits-washington-czech-presidential-election-and-more

The 118th U.S. Congress gets off to a rocky start; U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador meet in Mexico City for the tenth North American Leaders’ Summit; and China relaxes its strict COVID-19 border policies amid a surging COVID caseload. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Qin Gang, “The Planet’s Future Depends on a Stable China-U.S. Relationship,” Washington Post

Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/118th-us-congress-north-american-leaders-summit-china-reopens-and-more

In this special year-end episode, CFR Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to review the biggest events of 2022 and the stories to keep an eye on next year. They discuss precarious U.S.-China relations, climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran’s protests, the state of democracy globally, and more. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Alice C. Hill, “COP27 Didn’t Make Enough Progress to Prevent Climate Catastrophe,” CFR.org

Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World

Beza Tesfaye, Climate Change and Conflict in the Sahel

“Harris-Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf">National Security Strategy [PDF],” The White House

“Renewables 2022 [PDF],” International Energy Agency

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/world-next-year-what-watch-2023

Tunisians will vote in the first elections since the adoption of a new constitution that critics say is antidemocratic; the U.S. Congress rushes to pass a spending bill to avert a government shutdown; and Argentina and France compete in the World Cup final as host Qatar faces international scrutiny.  

Mentioned on the Podcast

Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tunisias-election-us-congress-seeks-avert-shutdown-world-cup-ends-and-more

Russia celebrates its Constitution Day as President Vladimir Putin manages the messaging around his war in Ukraine; the European Union’s top political leaders discuss possible expansion of the bloc and energy and security concerns amid the Ukraine war; and President Joe Biden hosts the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to boost cooperation on trade, food security, COVID-19 responses, and other issues.  

Mentioned on the Podcast

Charles A. Kupchan, “Is Bosnia on the Verge of Conflict?,” CFR.org

James McBride, “Russia’s Influence in the Balkans,” CFR.org 

Stephen Sestanovich, “It’s Time to Debunk Putin’s Existential Fallacy,” Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/russias-constitution-day-eu-mulls-enlargement-us-africa-summit-and-more

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) takes place in Montreal, Canada; the European Union and Group of Seven (G7) plan to implement price caps and partial embargos on Russian oil to respond to the war in Ukraine; and the Chinese Community Party reacts to nationwide protests over its zero-COVID policy. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Oliver Holmes, “China Censors Maskless Crowd Footage in World Cup Broadcasts,” The Guardian

Yanzhong Huang, “Can Xi Jinping Reopen China?,” Foreign Affairs

Ian Johnson, “Xi Versus the Street,” Foreign Affairs

James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon, “U.S. Midterm Results, G20 Summit, Prospects for Russia-Ukraine Diplomacy, and More,” The World Next Week

“Russia Is Using Energy as a Weapon,” The Economist

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/un-biodiversity-conference-russian-oil-sanctions-chinas-covid-protests-and-more 

The UN Human Rights Council meets for a special session on the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters; the COP27 conference draws to a close amid calls from developing countries to increase funding for climate damages; and the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Doha, Qatar, even as controversy lingers.

The United States takes stock of the midterm election results; geopolitical tensions loom over the Group of Twenty summit in Bali, Indonesia; and conversation swirls around possible diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

“The Chinese City That COVID Forgot,” The Economist

Brad Dress, “Russia Says Nuclear War ‘Must Never Be Fought’ Despite Fiery Rhetoric,” The Hill

Charles A. Kupchan, “ukraine-negotiation.html">It’s Time to Bring Russia and Ukraine to the Negotiating Table,” New York Times

Egypt hosts the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt; Americans vote in closely watched midterm elections; and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, kicks off a month of summitry in Asia. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Renewing America, Council on Foreign Relations

Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva face off in Brazil’s presidential runoff; the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party selects Rishi Sunak to be the new prime minister; and Israel holds general elections, with Benjamin Netanyahu looking to make another political comeback. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Sebastian Mallaby, The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future

Investors and high-ranking officials land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Future Investment Initiative, dubbed the ‘Davos of the Desert;’ the German Group of Seven (G7) presidency and the European Commission host experts to discuss Ukraine’s postwar recovery, reconstruction, and modernization; and U.S. import controls on chips take effect, with major consequences for China’s technological growth.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Edward Alden, “Washington Raises Stakes in War on Chinese Technology,” Foreign Policy

Steven A. Cook and Martin S. Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact 

John Hudson and Widlore Mérancourt, “U.S. backs sending international forces to Haiti, draft proposal says,” The Washington Post

Diana Roy and Sabine Baumgartner, “Crossing the Darien Gap: Migrants Risk Death on the Journey to the U.S.,” CFR.org

The Iraqi parliament meets to choose a new president; Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate power at the Twentieth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; and Israel and Lebanon prepare to finalize a historic agreement on a disputed maritime border. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Estimate: Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to U.S. National Security Through 2040 

The White House, Biden-Harris Administration's National Security Strategy

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory; thousands of participants gather in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Arctic Circle Assembly; and the United Nations marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

“Child Marriage,” CFR.org

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The West Holds Firm,” Foreign Affairs

Barbara Herz and Gene B. Sperling, What Works in Girls’ Education 

“U.S. Policy Toward Russia, With Derek H. Chollet,” The President’s Inbox

Meighan Stone and Rachel B. Vogelstein, “Investing in Girls’ STEM Education in Developing Countries,” CFR.org

European leaders investigate the sudden leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, suspecting sabotage; Brazil holds its presidential election amid strong partisan tensions; and Iranians continue their anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

The Council on Foreign Relations, “Deforestation in the Amazon,” CFR.org

Italians vote in a snap general election with an expected populist surge; occupied territories in Ukraine stage referendums on whether or not to join Russia; and the Joe Biden administration holds a summit with Pacific Island leaders to counter growing Chinese influence. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Jason Horowitz, “meloni-italy-right.html">Giorgia Meloni May Lead Italy, and Europe Is Worried,” New York Times

World leaders gather for the seventy-seventh session of the UN General Assembly; NATO’s senior military authority meets in Estonia to discuss the war in Ukraine; and the U.S. Federal Reserve plans another interest rate hike to combat inflation.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Richard Haass, “syndicate.org/commentary/ukraine-war-goals-economic-costs-by-richard-haass-2022-09">Ukraine’s Coming Winter of Decision,” Project Syndicate

James M. Lindsay, “Ukraine’s Counteroffensive, With Max Boot,” The President’s Inbox

James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon, “Secretary Blinken Visits Mexico, Sweden’s Election, Big Power Summitry in Uzbekistan, and More,” The World Next Week

David Scheffer, “Survival Governance at the UN General Assembly,”CFR.org

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Mexico with an economics-focused agenda; Swedes head to the polls for a general election that’s expected to be a close race between the ruling left-wing bloc and right-wing opposition; and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi join leaders from across Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to discuss regional stability, food security, and trade at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Shannon K. O’Neil, Two Nations Indivisible, Oxford University Press

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visits the recently shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russia-occupied Ukraine; the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party chooses the country’s next prime minister; and Chileans vote on a more progressive constitution. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Lillian Posner, “Russian Roulette at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” Think Global Health

The United States marks one year since its military withdrawal from Afghanistan; China goes through a severe drought, with repercussions for agriculture, energy, and supply chains; and French President Emmanuel Macron travels to Algeria to try to mend relations.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Alice C. Hill and Madeleine Babin, “What the Historic U.S. Climate Bill Gets Right and Gets Wrong,” CFR.org

Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

Albert Camus, The Plague

Albert Camus, The Stranger

The United States and South Korea hold joint military drills amid mounting tough rhetoric from North Korea; nuclear deal negotiations continue as Iran responds to the European Union’s most recent draft of a revived agreement; and Ukraine marks its Independence Day six months after the Russian invasion began.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Max Boot, “Why Kyiv’s ‘Thousand Bee Sting’ Strategy is Costing Russia Dearly,” Washington Post

Jessica Chen Weiss, “The China Trap,” Foreign Affairs

Steven Cook and Martin Indyk, “The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact,” Council on Foreign Relations

Nicholas Pelham, “MBS: Despot in the Desert,” The Economist

Karim Sadjadpour, “america-nuclear-policy.html">What the U.S. Gets Wrong About Iran,” New York Times

Stephen Sestanovich, “Putin’s Strategy in Ukraine,” The President’s Inbox

Scott Snyder, “Why North Korea Might Reject Yoon Suk-yeol’s Audacious Initiative,” CFR.org

In this special episode of The World Next Week, Heather A. Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the podcasts they’re listening to for fun this summer. (This is a rebroadcast.)

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Heather’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Jim’s Picks

Michael Mandelbaum, The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy (2022)

Richard Cohen, Making History: The Storytellers Who Shaped the Past (2021)

Laszlo Montgomery, The China History Podcast, Teacup Media

Bob’s Picks

Catherine Belton, Putin’s People (2020)

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois (2021)

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, Gastropod, Vox Media Podcast Network

Heather’s Picks

Greg Behrman, The Most Noble Adventure: The Marshall Plan and How America Helped Rebuild Europe (2007)

Patrick Radden Keefe, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (2018)

Todd Schulkin, Inside Julia’s Kitchen, Heritage Radio Network

Additional Books, Podcasts, and Shows Mentioned on the Podcast

Karen Dewisha, Putin’s Kleptocracy (2014)

Aaron L. Friedberg, Getting China Wrong (2022)

Joseph Marion Jones, The Fifteen Weeks (1965)

Michael Kimmage, The Abandonment of the West (2020)

Sebastian Mallaby, The Power Law (2022)

George Mitchell, Making Peace (1999)

Yascha Mounk, The Great Experiment (2022)

Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War (2019)

Ali Wyne, America’s Great-Power Opportunity (2022)

Heather A. Conley, “How Will Biden Handle Russia?” The President's Inbox, December 1, 2020

David Crowther, The History of England

Mike Duncan, The History of Rome

Jamie Jeffers, The British History Podcast

Michael Mandelbaum, “America’s Rise to Power,” The President's Inbox, May 7, 2022

Robin Pierson, The History of Byzantium

Julia, HBO Max (2022)

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Sochi; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Cambodia, the Philippines, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda; and Kenya elects a new president amid a severe drought and the global inflation crisis.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Rachel Chason and Rael Ombuor, “A wild-card candidate in Kenya is sparking an African debate about weed,” Washington Post

A Moscow court considers the case of Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian reporter who protested the invasion of Ukraine; China celebrates the ninety-fifth anniversary of its People’s Liberation Army amid growing tensions with the United States; and UN member states meet in New York to discuss the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Ely Ratner, “Twelfth Annual South China Sea Conference: Lunch Keynote,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, July 26, 2022

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “Why Putin Underestimated the West: And How to Sustain Its Newfound Unity,” Foreign Affairs, April 7, 2022

“Keeping the Nuclear Peace, With Michael Krepon,” The President’s Inbox, January 11, 2022

Mike Chinoy, “What Does Nancy Pelosi Think She’s Doing in Taiwan?,” Foreign Policy, July 26, 2022

Pope Francis travels to Canada seeking forgiveness from Indigenous communities for Catholic Church abuses; President Volodymyr Zelensky must respond to a petition for same-sex marriage in Ukraine; and President Kais Saied hopes to ratify a controversial new constitution in Tunisia.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Stewart M. Patrick, Reflecting Sunlight to Reduce Climate Risk Priorities for Research and International Cooperation, April 2022

Alice Hill, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19, 2021

Alice Hill, Building a Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption, 2020

Protesters in Sri Lanka storm government buildings as the president flees; Russia declares an “operational pause” in its invasion of Ukraine; the Farnborough Airshow spotlights the future of flight; and the James Webb Space Telescope inspires galactic wonder.

Mentioned on the Podcast

“The Long War in Ukraine, With Michael Kofman,” The President’s Inbox, July 12, 2022

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope 

U.S. President Joe Biden visits Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia and prepares for a meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom reacts to the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast

Michael Stott and Christine Murray, “Why Mexico is missing its chance to profit from US-China decoupling,” Financial Times, July 3, 2022

The January 6 committee hearings generate new interest, Hong Kong observes the twenty-fifth anniversary of its handover to China, and migrant smuggling gets new scrutiny after dozens were found dead inside a truck in Texas.

Books and Articles Mentioned 

Keith B. Richburg, “Hong Kong Was Not Supposed to Look Like This” (2022)

Diana Roy and Sabine Baumgartner, “Crossing the Darien Gap: Migrants Risk Death on the Journey to the U.S.” (2022)

Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer de Pinto, Fred Backus, and Kabir Khanna, “CBS News poll: Half say Trump tried to stay in office through illegal means, should be charged with crimes” (2022)

Summits of the Group of Seven (G7) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will kick off with discussions on critical issues including the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and the climate crisis. Also, the United Nations will vote on a vital humanitarian aid channel between Turkey and Syria. 

Blog Post Mentioned on the Podcast 

Stewart M. Patrick, “The G7, NATO, and the Future of the West” (2022)

In this special episode of The World Next Week, Heather A. Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the podcasts they’re listening to for fun this summer.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Heather’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Jim’s Picks

Michael Mandelbaum, The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy (2022)

Richard Cohen, Making History: The Storytellers Who Shaped the Past (2021)

Laszlo Montgomery, The China History Podcast, Teacup Media

Bob’s Picks

Catherine Belton, Putin’s People (2020)

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois (2021)

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, Gastropod, Vox Media Podcast Network

Heather’s Picks

Greg Behrman, The Most Noble Adventure: The Marshall Plan and How America Helped Rebuild Europe (2007)

Patrick Radden Keefe, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (2018)

Todd Schulkin, Inside Julia’s Kitchen, Heritage Radio Network

Additional Books, Podcasts, and Shows Mentioned on the Podcast

Karen Dewisha, Putin’s Kleptocracy (2014)

Aaron L. Friedberg, Getting China Wrong (2022)

Joseph Marion Jones, The Fifteen Weeks (1965)

Michael Kimmage, The Abandonment of the West (2020)

Sebastian Mallaby, The Power Law (2022)

George Mitchell, Making Peace (1999)

Yascha Mounk, The Great Experiment (2022)

Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War (2019)

Ali Wyne, America’s Great-Power Opportunity (2022)

Heather A. Conley, “How Will Biden Handle Russia?” The President's Inbox, December 1, 2020

David Crowther, The History of England

Mike Duncan, The History of Rome

Jamie Jeffers, The British History Podcast

Michael Mandelbaum, “America’s Rise to Power,” The President's Inbox, May 7, 2022

Robin Pierson, The History of Byzantium

Julia, HBO Max (2022)

The United States hosts the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, Ukraine marks one hundred days since the Russian invasion began, and the EU Foreign Affairs Council convenes in Brussels to talk trade.

Events and Speeches Mentioned on the Podcast

Antony Blinken, “The Administration’s Approach to the People’s Republic of China,” delivered at The George Washington University, May 26, 2022

“Russia's War in Ukraine: How Does it End?” Council on Foreign Relations, May 31, 2022

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveils the Biden administration’s China strategy, Colombians go to the polls for a presidential election, and Foreign Affairs magazine debuts its first podcast.

Articles and Speeches Mentioned on the Podcast

Antony Blinken, “The Administration’s Approach to the People’s Republic of China,” delivered at The George Washington University, May 26, 2022

Deborah Elms, “IPEF: The Party Few Wanted to Attend,” Asian Trade Centre, May 23, 2022

Stephen Kotkin, “Russia’s Perpetual Geopolitics,” Foreign Affairs (May/June 2016)

Julie Turkewitz, “presidential-election-gustavo-petro.html">Will Colombia Elect Its First Leftist Leader?” New York Times, May 26, 2022

Podcasts Mentioned

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, The Foreign Affairs Interview, Foreign Affairs

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan and Stephen Kotkin, “What Putin Got Wrong About Ukraine, Russia, and the West,” The Foreign Affairs Interview, May 26, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden visits Japan and South Korea, the seventy-fifth World Health Assembly takes place in Geneva, and Australians vote in a general election.

Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast

Sheila A. Smith and Scott A. Snyder, “President Biden’s Japan and South Korea Trip,” The President’s Inbox, May 17, 2022

James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon, “Finland and Sweden Talk NATO, Biden Hosts ASEAN Leaders, and More,” The World Next Week, May 12, 2022

Finland and Sweden intensify the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership process, U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders for a special summit in Washington, DC, and Lebanon holds parliamentary elections.

Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast

Steven A. Cook, “The Middle East’s Reaction to the Invasion of Ukraine,” The President’s Inbox, May 10, 2022

The Philippines holds a general election, a vote for a new chief executive happens in Hong Kong, and foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations meet in Germany.

Articles and Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast

Derek H. Chollet, “U.S. Policy Toward Russia,” The President’s Inbox, May 3, 2022

Josh Kurlantzick, “A Marcos Presidency Will Be Bad News for the Philippines’ Democracy,” World Politics Review via CFR.org, April 15, 2022

Josh Kurlantzick, “The Philippines’ High-Stakes Election: What to Know,” CFR.org, April 21, 2022

Books and Reports Mentioned

Alice C. Hill, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19 (2021)

Stewart Patrick, Reflecting Sunlight to Reduce Climate Risk (2022)

The U.S. Federal Reserve is poised to raise interest rates, the United States assumes the presidency of the UN Security Council, and Japan marks Constitution Memorial Day as the country makes changes to its defense and security policy.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast

Kali Robinson, “How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Amplify Food Insecurity in the Mideast,” CFR.org, April 21, 2022

Experts and Interactives Mentioned

Sheila Smith, CFR

Sheila Smith, “Constitutional Change in Japan,” CFR.org, March 11, 2021

U.S. officials visit the Solomon Islands to discuss China, voters in France head to the polls for a presidential runoff, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson travels to India.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast 

Matthias Matthijs, “Macron vs. Le Pen: What’s at Stake in the French Election?,” CFR.org, April 20, 2022

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank convene for their annual Spring Meetings, rumors fly of a North Korean nuclear test on the one-hundred-and-tenth anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth, and COVID-19 cases surge across China. 

Articles and Reports Mentioned on the Podcast

Europe and Central Asia Economic Update: War in the Region, The World Bank, April 10, 2022

Michelle Nichols, "U.S. pushes U.N. to cut N.Korea oil imports, ban tobacco, blacklist Lazarus hackers,” Reuters, April 13, 2022

France has the first round of its presidential election, Warsaw holds a global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons, and Pakistan faces a constitutional crisis.

Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast

Audrey Kurth Cronin, “War in the Digital Age,” The President’s Inbox, April 5, 2022

Russia-Ukraine peace talks continue in Istanbul, Turkey, officials from the European Union (EU) and China convene for a virtual trade summit, and Hungary holds closely watched general elections.

Blogs Mentioned on the Podcast

Michelle Gavin, Africa in Transition, CFR.org

U.S. President Joe Biden travels to Poland as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters a new phase, leaders from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and its allies convene virtually to discuss oil production, and international themes abound at the Ninety-Fourth Academy Awards.

Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast

Charles A. Kupchan, “TPI Special: The War in Ukraine,” The President’s Inbox, February 25, 2022

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders meet in Brussels as Russia’s attacks in Ukraine continue, and ministers from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries discuss the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

The destruction of Ukraine continues as countries ramp up pressure on Russia, the world marks two years since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), and Colombians vote in parliamentary elections.

Reports Mentioned on the Podcast

Chris Boulton, et al, “Pronounced loss of Amazon rainforest resilience since the early 2000s,” Nature Climate Change (March 2022)

“Ukraine Refugee Situation,” The UN Refugee Agency, 2022

Russian forces ramp up assaults on Ukrainian cities, Chinese leaders gather for their annual “Two Sessions” meeting, and South Koreans head to the polls for a presidential election.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast 

Christian Shepherd, "China not emerging as lifeline for sanction-slammed Russian economy," Washington Post, March 2, 2022

Scott Snyder, "South Korea's Presidential Election: What to Know," CFR.org, March 3, 2022

Resources Mentioned

"Global Conflict Tracker," Center for Preventive Action, CFR.org

Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine with wide-ranging consequences for international order.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast

Robert Kagan, “What we can expect after Putin’s conquest of Ukraine,” Washington Post, February 21, 2022

Events and Speeches Mentioned

Crisis in Ukraine, Council on Foreign Relations, February 23, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s address on Ukraine, via Bloomberg News, February 24, 2022

The Munich Security Conference is the stage for crisis diplomacy amid high tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, the world marks the fiftieth anniversary of former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to China, and the UN Environment Programme issues its annual Frontiers report.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast

Margaret MacMillian, Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World (2007)

Reports and Statements Mentioned

Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches, UN Environment Programme, February 17, 2022

Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development, The Kremlin, February 4, 2022

tech-report.html">2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, February 15, 2022

Iran nuclear talks resume in Vienna, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Kyiv and Moscow, and some countries start to loosen COVID-19 restrictions.

Articles and Statements Mentioned on the Podcast

Thomas Bollyky et al., “Pandemic preparedness and COVID-19,” The Lancet, February 1, 2022

Claire Felter, “The World Still Hasn’t Agreed on a Pandemic Playbook,” CFR.org, February 4, 2022

Senator Ted Cruz’s letter on Iran nuclear deal [PDF], February 7, 2022

Podcasts Mentioned

Ian Johnson, “China’s Domestic Challenges,” The President’s Inbox, February 8, 2022

The Winter Olympics kick off in Beijing, the African Union (AU) holds its annual heads of state summit in Addis Ababa, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House.

Articles and Statements Mentioned on the Podcast

Yanzhong Huang, “China welcomed the world the last time it hosted the Olympics. Not now.” Washington Post, February 3, 2022

Ian Johnson, “The Games Nobody Wants: How the Winter Olympics Became a Headache for China,” CFR.org, February 1, 2022

“Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany,” The White House, January 27, 2022

Podcasts Mentioned

Gabrielle Sierra, “Hey, Remember the Olympics?” Why It Matters, July 15, 2020

The humanitarian crisis deepens in Afghanistan, international diplomacy intensifies over Russian-Ukrainian tensions, and Myanmar marks one year since the military coup.

Articles Mentioned in the Podcast

“Afghanistan Food Security Update” [PDF], World Food Programme, December 8, 2021

Joshua Kurlantzick, “Myanmar Is a Failing State—and Could Be a Danger to Its Neighbors,” CFR.org, September 16, 2021

Supply chain challenges reverberate again, high-stakes diplomacy continues with Russia over Ukraine, and Hondurans inaugurate a new president.

Articles Mentioned in the Podcast

Shannon K. O’Neil, “Why the Supply Chain Slowdown Will Persist,” Foreign Affairs, December 21, 2021

The European Parliament elects a new president, COVID-19 case rates surge across the globe, and diplomacy continues over Russian security demands in Europe.

Articles Mentioned in the Podcast

Mary Beth Sheridan, “Mexico has refused to close its borders during the covid-19 pandemic. Does that make sense?” Washington Post, January 12, 2022

Stephen Sestanovich, “The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A Scorecard on Biden’s Response,” CFR.org, December 23, 2021

Adam Tooze, “Chartbook #68 Putin’s Challenge to Western hegemony - the 2022 edition,” January 12, 2022

Top officials from the United States and Russia meet in Geneva to discuss nuclear arms control and the crisis in Ukraine, Americans mark one year since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and the CES trade show wraps in Las Vegas.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast

Stephen Sestanovich, “The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A Scorecard on Biden’s Response,” CFR.org, December 23, 2021

In this special year-end episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Shannon K. O’Neil, CFR vice president, deputy director of studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies. They discuss this year’s historic elections and the state of democracy in Latin America and beyond, the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, and U.S. President Joe Biden’s first year in office.

Articles Mentioned on the Podcast

Lauren Sloss, “travel-documents-covid.html">The Documents You Need to Travel Abroad Now,” New York Times, December 10, 2021

Christopher Troeger and Thomas J. Bollyky, “Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic Hinges on Trust,” Think Global Health, November 30, 2021

Podcasts Mentioned

Richard Haass, Nine Questions for the World, Council on Foreign Relations

Anne Appelbaum and Richard Haass, “Can Democracy Survive?,” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021

Michelle McMurry-Heath and Richard Haass, “Can Biotech Be Harnessed?,” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021

Fareed Zakaria and Richard Haass, “Does World Order Have a Future?,” Nine Questions for the World, December 16, 2021

The United States announces a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, former President Donald Trump kicks off his History Tour, and Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual Constitution Day address amid rising Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Articles and Statements Mentioned on the Podcast

Barton Gellman, “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun,” The Atlantic, December 6, 2021

Robert Kagan, “Our constitutional crisis is already here,” Washington Post, September 23, 2021

Jen Psaki, Remarks on the U.S. diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, The White House, December 6, 2021

Vladimir Putin, “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” The Kremlin, July 12, 2021

“The Ukrainian army has got better at fighting Russian-backed separatists,” The Economist, November 30, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a virtual Summit for Democracy, the omicron variant begins to spread worldwide, and Germany is expected to elect Olaf Scholz as its next chancellor.

Articles and Statements Mentioned in the Podcast

Anatoly Antonov and Qin Gang, “Russian and Chinese Ambassadors: Respecting People’s Democratic Rights,” The National Interest, November 26, 2021

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “An Alliance of Democracies,” Washington Post, May 23, 2004

Jennifer Hillman, “The Transatlantic Relationship Could Make or Break Biden’s Summit for Democracy,” CFR.org, December 1, 2021

“The Summit for Democracy,” U.S. Department of State, November 2021

Chile holds a general election, Venezuelans vote in closely observed local and regional elections, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks on the alliance’s future.

Documents and Podcasts Mentioned in the Podcast

“London Declaration” North Atlantic Treaty Organization, December 4, 2019

Gabrielle Sierra, “Hyperventilating Over Hypersonics,” Why It Matters, November 12, 2021

Ethiopia declares a state of emergency as its civil war intensifies, China holds a crucial meeting of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, and Sudan moves toward a new power-sharing deal to reverse last week’s coup.

Blog Mentioned on the Podcast

Michelle Gavin, Africa in Transition, CFR.org

The Group of Twenty (G20) holds a pivotal summit in Rome, Japanese citizens head to the polls for parliamentary elections, and the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP26) begins in Glasgow.

Articles Mentioned in the Podcast

Alice Hill, “A World Overheating,” CFR.org, October 18, 2021

Steven Mufson et al. “Russia allows methane leaks at planet’s peril,” Washington Post, October 19, 2021

Sheila Smith, “Japan’s Hard Choices,” Foreign Affairs, October 28, 2021

Podcasts Mentioned

Sheila Smith and Robert McMahon, “Quad Leaders Gather, Germany Holds Elections, and More,” The World Next Week, September 23, 2021

Reports Mentioned

Emissions Gap Report 2021, UN Environment Programme, October 28, 2021

Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, August 9, 2021

Americans remember former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Israeli and Russian leaders hold a summit in Sochi, and China undergoes a World Trade Organization policy review.

Articles Mentioned in the Podcast

Richard Haass, “Colin Powell: An American Life,” CFR.org, October 18, 2021.

Adam Posen, “The Price of Nostalgia,” Foreign Affairs 100, no. 3 (May/June 2021).

Ray Takeyh, “The Bomb Will Backfire on Iran,” Foreign Affairs, October 18, 2021.

Podcasts Mentioned

Adam Posen, “Trade Protectionism,” The President’s Inbox, September 21, 2021.

Matt Pottinger, “Beijing’s Grand Strategy,” The President’s Inbox, October 19, 2021.

Memos, Reports, and Speeches Mentioned

David Brisbee, “Trade Policy Review of the People’s Republic of China,” U.S. Mission to Geneva, October 20, 2021.

João Aguiar Machado, “EU Statement at the 8th Trade Policy Review of China,” Permanent Mission of the European Union to the WTO, October 20, 2021.

George Mina, “Australia’s Statement on China’s Trade Policy Review,” Twitter, October 20, 2021.

Colin Powell, Address to the United Nations on Iraq, Washington Post, February 5, 2003.

Katherine Tsai, “Remarks As Prepared for Delivery of Ambassador Katherine Tai Outlining the Biden-Harris Administration’s ‘New Approach to the U.S.-China Trade Relationship,” Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, October 4, 2021.

Resignation letter of Harold Hongju Koh [PDF], Politico, October 2, 2021.

WTO Secretariat’s report for China’s Trade Policy Review, September 15, 2021.

World Food Day is marked amid a rise in global food insecurity, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers convene in Brussels, and a Libya in turmoil notes the tenth anniversary of Muammar al-Qaddafi’s assassination.

The World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund hold their annual meetings, the Czech Republic holds closely watched elections in the wake of the Pandora Papers leak, and the Group of Twenty (G20) convenes for an emergency summit on Afghanistan.

European Union and Balkan leaders hold a summit amid rising Kosovo-Serbia tensions, the U.S. Congress reaches a critical budget deadline, and the postponed Expo 2020 kicks off in Dubai.

The first in-person summit of the Quad—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—takes place; Germany’s general election is set to produce a successor to Angela Merkel; and Japan’s ruling party holds a leadership election.

The United Nations General Assembly holds its annual debate, Canadians vote in a close federal election, and U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a summit on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Americans mark twenty years since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) convenes for a summit to discuss security in Afghanistan, and Norway holds general elections.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hold integration talks, Germany’s election season ramps up, and U.S. and Mexican officials hold a high-level economic meeting.

United States combat troops are set to fully withdraw from Afghanistan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House, and Iraq hosts a regional summit.

Afghans await what will follow the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul, foreign capitals grapple with the consequences of the collapse of Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government, and recriminations fly in the United States over the Taliban’s return to power.

The world reacts to a grim report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Taliban forces advance across Afghanistan as the United States completes its withdrawal, and Ethiopia’s civil conflict worsens.

In this special episode of The World Next Week, CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the books they’re reading for fun. (This is a rebroadcast.)

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Jim’s Picks:

This is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arm Race, by Nicole Perlroth

Objects of Desire, by Clare Sestanovich

Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter—Then, Now, and Forever, by John McWhorter 

Bob’s Picks:

Missionaries, by Phil Klay

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, Geraldine Brooks

“Power of the Powerless” in Living in Truth, by Vaclav Havel

Carla’s Picks:

The Price of Peace: Money , Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, by Zachary D. Carter

The Transparency of Time, by Leonardo Padura

George Smiley Novels, by John le Carré

Iran’s next president, Ebrahim Raisi, takes office; the suspension of the United States’ debt ceiling ends; and the summer wildfire season sets new records.

The Tokyo Olympic Games kick off in COVID-19’s shadow, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, and South Africans deal with the fallout from days of deadly rioting.

Jordanian King Abdullah II visits U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial for bribery charges resumes in Jerusalem, and world leaders convene virtually for an emergency Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro faces COVID-19 corruption charges, Haitians confront political uncertainty in the wake of President Jovenel Moise’s assassination, and China-EU talks heat up in Brussels.

The deadline for President Joe Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent of Americans passes, the UN Security Council votes to maintain aid deliveries between Turkey and Syria, and the world marks UFO Day.

In this special episode of The World Next Week, CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the books they’re reading for fun.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Jim’s Picks:

This is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arm Race, by Nicole Perlroth

Objects of Desire, by Clare Sestanovich

Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter—Then, Now, and Forever, by John McWhorter 

Bob’s Picks:

Missionaries, by Phil Klay

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, Geraldine Brooks

“Power of the Powerless” in Living in Truth, by Vaclav Havel

Carla’s Picks:

The Price of Peace: Money , Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, by Zachary D. Carter

The Transparency of Time, by Leonardo Padura

George Smiley Novels, by John le Carré

World leaders meet for summits of the Group of Seven (G7) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). U.S. President Joe Biden convenes with European Union leaders, and sits down separately with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mexico holds pivotal midterm elections, Hong Kongers attempt to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and Peruvians vote in a divisive presidential runoff.

Belarus faces global condemnation after grounding an airplane to arrest a dissident journalist; West Africa braces for the fallout from Mali’s second coup in nine months; and the United States marks Memorial Day and one hundred years since the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Rome hosts the Global Health Summit online, South Korean President Moon Jae-in visits the White House, and the UN Security Council discusses prospects for Syria as the country holds a presidential election.

Israeli-Palestinian violence raises fears of a bigger conflict, Chile prepares for a historic election, and Washington looks to improve its cyber defenses after a major fuel pipeline was hacked.

A major fuel pipeline from Canada to the United States could be shut down, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) meet virtually to discuss migration concerns, and the European Union and India are expected to revive trade talks.

India struggles with the world’s largest COVID-19 surge, Somalia’s president addresses Parliament after dropping a bid to extend his term, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan gets underway ten years after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

A U.S. advisory panel considers whether to lift the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, U.S. President Joe Biden addresses Congress, and international films are judged for the ninety-third Academy Awards.

The United States sets in motion a complete military withdrawal from Afghanistan, dozens of world leaders are invited to a U.S.-led climate summit, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meets with President Joe Biden at the White House.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is slated to travel to Israel; talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal continue in Vienna, Austria; and Peru holds a general election.

Top security officials from Japan and South Korea meet with the new U.S. national security advisor, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank host their annual Spring Meetings virtually, and European Union officials convene with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.