Podcasts
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November 23, 2025: Russia Reacts to Trump’s Peace Plan
November 23, 2025: Russia Reacts to Trump’s Peace Plan Vesti Nedeli, Russia’s Channel 2 news program, opens the week by declaring “Kupyansk is ours” and discussing what it pointedly calls the “Trump peace plan” for Ukraine. Why is Moscow suddenly emphasizing flexibility while keeping its distance from a proposal that could force Russia to part
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Introducing Russia Decoded
Russia Decoded explains how the Kremlin shapes its narrative of current domestic and international events through tightly curated state news broadcasts. Co-hosts Andy Kuchins, a senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, and Chris Monday, a professor of economics at Dongseo University in Busan,
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Iraqi Elections (w/ Tamer al-Badawi)
Iraqi Elections (w/ Tamer al-Badawi) Iraq will go to the polls on November 11 in an election likely to be dominated by the Iran-backed parties of the Shi‘a Coordination Framework. Although Moqtada al-Sadr is boycotting the election, he is likely weighing his options in both the short- and medium-term. That may mean quietly supporting independent
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The Yemeni Conflict in a Global Context (w/ Khaldoon Bakahail)
The Yemeni Conflict in a Global Context (w/ Khaldoon Bakahail) The decade-long conflict in Yemen has settled into a fragile stalemate, with neither the internationally recognized government nor the Houthi movement able to secure a decisive victory. What role have Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran played in sustaining or shaping the war—and how are
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Iran After the 12-Day War (w/ Farid Mirbagheri)
Iran After the 12-Day War (w/ Farid Mirbagheri) Iran is militarily weakened and politically divided. It is unlikely to restore the pre–12 Day War status quo with Israel, particularly as its regional proxies struggle to recover. Many Iranians have lost confidence in their government and would welcome fundamental change. Yet even under a new regime,
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