One Decision

In this week's One More Decision, former Director of Global Engagement in the Obama White House, Brett Bruen is joined by Nikkei's Diplomatic Correspondent Ken Moriyasu from the G7 summit venue in Hiroshima to discuss Japan's agenda as it plays host to world leaders in the city that suffered the first nuclear attack in the world. They discuss what will come from the high-stakes gathering, China's aggressive posturing towards Taiwan, the buildup of Japan's own military defenses, and how world leaders are reacting to United States President Joe Biden cutting a dinner and his Asia trip short to focus on negotiations to avoid a potential catastrophic debt default in the United States.International Intrigue is a <5min daily newsletter written by former diplomats. They scan over 600 sources a day so you don't have to. Sign up to join 50,000 global thinkers.

Venezuela is known to have the world’s biggest reserves of crude oil - but more than 90% of its citizens live in poverty. Millions of people have fled the country since 2015, in what the United Nations has described as the second biggest displacement disaster in the world. The policies of the Hugo Chavez government live on in the Bolivarian regime and leadership of Nicholas Maduro - but can the communists be ousted? One Decision speaks with former United States Ambassador to Caracas Patrick Duddy and exiled opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez to consider what is at stake and whether the opposition can chart a route forward before elections in 2024. And former President Juan Guaidó sits down exclusively with One Decision's Brett Bruen for his first interview in Washington as an exile to talk about the details of his family's flight from Venezuela and why he felt it was no longer safe to stay.International Intrigue is a <5min daily newsletter written by former diplomats. They scan over 600 sources a day so you don't have to. Sign up to join 50,000 global thinkers.

En un episodio especial de One Decision en español Brett Bruen, exasesor del presidente Obama, entrevista a Juan Guaidó en su primera visita como exiliado a Washington D.C. El expresidente venezolano reflexiona sobre las lecciones aprendidas, las sanciones y hasta hace una autocrítica de la gestión del gobierno interino. Revela la influencia rusa en el país asentado sobre las mayores reservas de petróleo del planeta, la presencia china y cómo la nación latinoamericana se ha convertido en un santuario de grupos irregulares como el ELN, la FARC y el narcotráfico.In a special episode of One Decision in Spanish, Brett Bruen, former adviser to President Obama, interviewed Juan Guiadó on his first visit as an exile to Washington D.C. The former Venezuelan President reflects on the lessons learned, the sanctions and even makes a self-criticism of the interim government. It reveals the Russian influence in the country seated in the largest oil reserves on the planet, the Chinese presence and how the Latin-American nation has become a sanctuary of irregular groups such as the ELN, FARC and arms and drug trafficking. One Decision's Julia Macfarlane and Sir Richard Dearlove are back for our regular episode dropping on Thursday.

Judges in Pakistan have ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from custody after his dramatic arrest in Islamabad on what his supporters claim are trumped up charges of corruption. The Supreme Court has ordered Khan be freed on protected bail, meaning he cannot be re-arrested on the same charges for another two weeks. The country has seen waves of violence after his supporters who have protested his arrest clashed with the police and the military. Several people have died and thousands have been arrested. Authorities shut down internet and cellphone networks to try and quell the unrest. One Decision's Sir Richard Dearlove, who ran MI6, reflects on his past dealings with the country's powerful military and intelligence services, and why many are speculating that Khan's ouster last year from office and his current troubles are to do with him running afoul of Pakistan's powerful army and intelligence chiefs.International Intrigue is a <5min daily newsletter written by former diplomats. They scan over 600 sources a day so you don't have to. Sign up to join 50,000 global thinkers.

Turkey’s longtime leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing what many describe as his toughest election yet. On Sunday, May 14th polls will open for presidential and parliamentary elections, and amid a dire economic crisis in the country, his prospects are in doubt. His leading rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu is a mild-mannered and bookish elderly lawmaker who is presenting himself as a man of the people, and the polar opposite to the incumbent. Unlike Erdogan - the poster boy for populist politics - who has shunned closer ties with the European Union and the West and courted Vladimir Putin, Kilicdaroglu could lead Turkey in a different direction. As one of the mightiest armies in NATO, straddling Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Turkey is a strategically important nation, and how the country votes could have implications for us all. One Decision’s Julia Macfarlane and Sir Richard Dearlove, along with the former United States Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield and Turkish academic and author Gonul Tol discuss what’s at stake. International Intrigue is a <5min daily newsletter written by former diplomats. They scan over 600 sources a day so you don't have to. Sign up to join 50,000 global thinkers.

The United States and Ukraine have strongly denied any involvement in an alleged drone assassination attempt against Vladimir Putin this week. According to Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, two drones were reportedly downed by Russian air defences above the Kremlin, the fortress which is the heart of the government. One Decision’s Julia Macfarlane and Sir Richard Dearlove analyze the incident, the possibility it could be a false flag operation by Russia to escalate the war, and how Moscow could retaliate against Kyiv.

One Decision's Sir Richard Dearlove was a guest of the Kyiv government during the last week of April - coinciding with the day that Russia launched its biggest air strikes on Ukraine in two months. Sir Richard reveals the details of his unfortunate night spent in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, what he learned from conversations on the ground with high-level government officials, Ukraine's focus on NATO's upcoming summit in Vilnius, preparations for the long awaited 'spring offensive' and why the Discord intelligence leaks worked to Ukraine's advantage.

Former Director of Global Engagement in the Obama White House, Brett Bruen joins to host our weekly special One More Decision to provide analysis on President Joe Biden's announcement—that at 80 years old he will seek another term as president setting up a potential Trump vs. Biden rematch in 2024. Brett speaks with Johanna Maska, the former Director of Press Advance at the White House during the Obama administration. Maska shares an insider view on the personal side of Joe Biden, what makes him tick, insights on his campaign style and how staffers made sure he stayed on script. And how will the world view a potential Biden vs Trump rematch, and if a divisive presidential election poses the greatest threat to the US.

If Donald Trump were to return to office in 2025 he would find that NATO, the target of so many of his scathing comments, is now more closely resembling the kind of alliance the former President said he wanted. It is more muscular, fed by bigger budgets paid for by its constituent European parts. And as NATO changes, Japan and Germany have shifted away from their postwar military restraint in the face of a raging war in Europe and the growing threat from China. One Decision sits down with Trump’s NATO Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison for her view on its dramatic transformation, if she thinks the US or Europe deserves the credit and how a divisive 2024 presidential election could affect Europe’s security.

Former Director of Global Engagement in the Obama White House Brett Bruen joins to host our weekly special One More Decision to provide analysis on the violent clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force (RSF). Brett speaks with Ambassador Cameron Hume who ran the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum for his inside take on foreign influence in the conflict, whether sanctions would make a difference, and the logistics behind evacuating thousands of people amid intense fighting between Sudan's warring factions.