Independent Thinking

Bronwen Maddox discusses the attacks by Hamas on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza with Professor Yossi Mekelberg and Dr Elham Fakhor. Topics include the motives of Hamas, impact on peace deals, Saudi Arabia's role, Israel's security measures, Arab League reactions, Gaza's humanitarian crisis, and diplomatic challenges.

Bronwen Maddox speaks with Rory Stewart about the state of British politics in a world of populist leaders. Journalist Robert Peston meanwhile joins us from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Later in the show, Roxanne Escobales and Olivia O'Sullivan discuss whether Rory Stewart is right about the state of Britain, and whether his time in government was a success or failure. Don't miss our expertise: In conversation with The Rt Hon Rory Stewart President Biden should not rush a deal on Israel–Saudi normalization The future of the Republican Party Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty.

Bronwen Maddox speaks with Ambassador Roya Rahmani, Shaharzad Akbar and Tobias Ellwood MP about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and whether the West should engage with the Taliban. Read our expertise: Seizing MENA’s moment Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler.

World leaders met in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). All the P5 leaders bar America's Joe Biden stayed away however. Is the UN losing its relevance in international affairs? Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Mark Malloch-Brown, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Roger Boyes, Diplomatic Editor for The Times, and Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and Americas programme. Read our expertise: Rishi Sunak’s speech will make the UK harder to take seriously at COP28 If the SDGs are to survive, multilateral development banks must embrace reform Western policy towards Iran lacks both goals and goalposts Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler.

G20 leaders met in New Delhi this week to discuss economic cooperation. Underlying the summit however were wider international tensions and a sense of India on the rise.  Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Samir Puri, a visiting lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London, Chietigj Bajpaee, the new South Asia fellow at Chatham House, and Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the US and Americas programme. Read our expertise: US–India ties deepened at the G20. But domestic politics could pull the countries in different directions The G20 lives on, but mistrust between the West and China hampers progress The G20 showcases India’s growing power. It could also expose the limits of its foreign policy Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler.

September 16 marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman killed in police custody. Since her death Iran has been rocked by a year of protests in which over 500 people, many of them women, have been killed.  Joining Bronwen Maddox in the studio this week are former BBC journalist Rana Rahimpour, Dr Sanam Vakil, the Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme and journalist Michael Goldfarb. Read our expertise: Making climate an election issue risks undermining the UK’s international role The G20 showcases India’s growing power Whether 1.5°C is ‘alive’ or ‘dead’, a new climate plan will be required Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler.

Independent Thinking is back after a short summer break for the start of Season 2 of the podcast. This week, for our first episode, we’re returning to the much-discussed topic of Ukraine’s counter-offensive. Since June, the Ukrainian armed forces have been fighting hard to breach the defensive lines established by the Russian army in the east and south, the so-called ‘Surovkin Line’. Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show this week are Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the FT and the author of the book ‘The War Came to Us: Life and Death in Ukraine’ and Ulrike Franke, a Senior Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. Joining them in the studio here in London are James Nixey and Orysia Lutsevych, the director and deputy director respectively of our Russia and Eurasia programme. Read our expertise: US allies need to wake up to the Trump question Pushing Ukraine to negotiate now would be disastrous How to end Russia’s war on Ukraine Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler and Abdul Boudaif.

The podcast discusses China's perspective on the Ukraine invasion, its relationship with Russia, and how both countries view the EU, NATO, and the transatlantic alliance. It also explores China's official stance on the conflict, their economic interests, and potential for intervention. Additionally, it touches on China's view of the West, the rise of middle powers in the Ukraine invasion, and the decline in attendance at the Russia-Africa Summit.

On the show this week we discuss artificial intelligence, the hopes, and opportunities the technology may bring, as well as the challenges and even the risks it presents to governments and above all democracy. This week the United Nations Security Council, operating under the UK presidency, met for the first time to discuss the issue of AI, with UN officials and diplomats alike urging the world to take the emergence of this new technology seriously. Meanwhile in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to host the first global summit on artificial intelligence in the autumn.  Joining Bronwen Maddox on the show to help us understand the enormous implications of this subject are Dr Talita Dias, a Senior Research Fellow with our International Law Programme; Alex Krasadomski, a Senior Research Associate with our Digital Society Initiative; Dr Milly Zimeta, until very recently with the Open Data Institute and writer and journalist Carl Miller. Read our expertise: Why are we building AI? Artificial intelligence: hear from the experts The nuclear governance model won’t work for AI  Global AI governance: What is the UK’s role? Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty.

On the podcast this week we discuss the fallout from the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Turkey cleared the way for Sweden to join the alliance this week, and across Vilnius there were signs aplenty calling for F-16s for Ukraine, and of course, NATO membership. We discuss what was agreed at the summit, what was deferred and what the NATO joint communique means for President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Also, on the show this week we discuss the European Union and its relations with countries eager to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey and one that’s just left, namely the UK. Faced with the prospect of EU enlargement for the first time in over a decade, will Brussels and EU capitals be able to handle all the newcomers Joining Bronwen Maddox to help answer all these questions are Roland Oliphant, the Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent, Mariia Zolkina, the DINAM Fellow at the London School of Economics and Galip Dalay, an Associate Fellow with our Middle East and North Africa programme.  Read our expertise: How to end Russia’s war on Ukraine Ukraine is disappointed after the NATO summit – but not discouraged Divisions remain, but NATO is expanding. This will not sit comfortably in Moscow  Preparing NATO for climate-related security challenges Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Matthew Docherty and Abdul Boudiaf.