One Decision

As the G20 was underway this week, global attention sharply focused on a tiny Polish village near the Ukrainian border. News came that a missile had killed two local residents. Russia insists it played no part in the incident, but as investigations progress, U.S. President Joe Biden, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and Polish President Duda all said preliminary findings indicate the explosion came from a Ukrainian air defense missile. What does this mean for Ukrainians, their supporters in the West, and Vladimir Putin? One Decision's Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6 considers how this conflict is increasingly at risk of spilling beyond Russia's and Ukraine's borders.

China's leader, Xi Jinping, now holds nearly limitless power and is largely in control of the country. This podcast explores Xi's political journey, his response to health and economic pressures, and his backstory. It also delves into the challenges to Xi's control, the fragilities in the Chinese system, and the potential for Western espionage in China. The podcast examines the consequences of the housing market collapse, the loyalty of Xi's appointees, and the seriousness of Chinese intelligence activities.

When the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union just one English-speaking member was left. Irish Minister of European Affairs Thomas Byrne says his small nation is increasingly playing a larger, more strategic role in international affairs. It currently sits on the United Nations Security Council and enjoys a closer relationship with Washington than many of their neighbors. Yet, it’s traditional neutrality has limited the support it provides to Ukraine and questions remain on how it’s border with Northern Ireland will get settled. The Minister provided an update on those backroom negotiations and whether his country is starting to see an economic boom from Brexit.

As the United States prepares to hold national elections for the first time since the January 6th Capitol riots, tensions are running extremely high. The Department of Homeland Security has warned that misinformation and conspiracy theories continue to fan the flames of domestic extremism. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was recently beaten with a hammer by an intruder, who told police he was on a “suicide mission” and had plans to attack other politicians.  One Decision sits down with the BBC's US Special Correspondent Katty Kay, recently returned from a tour of battleground states - where some people told her that if elections didn’t go their way, they would pick up their arms. America’s democracy and stability could hang in the balance next week.  

The former head of MI6 does not often take questions from the public. To mark One Decision’s first year, Sir Richard Dearlove agreed to take a few submitted by our listeners via social media and the web site. He provides analysis, intrigue and his behind-the-scenes insights on the issues that are on the top of your minds. We look back at pivotal points in recent history like the Iraq War and the role that intelligence played in the West’s decision to go to war. We look ahead to what China is likely to do on Taiwan. We look around at how the world is responding to the threats of climate change, changing demographics, and our polarizing political environment. This is a truly unique episode created by our audience across the globe.

The democratically-elected government he served was ousted in a military coup. Yet, he still refuses to give up or go home. Instead, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun remains in New York, pleading his people's plight on the world's most powerful stage at the United Nations. We first interviewed him just over a year ago, shortly after he gave an impassioned speech before his fellow diplomats, denouncing the overthrow of his country's legitimate leaders. How has he managed to keep going? What more needs to be done by the international community to help restore democracy and free political prisoners? He also shares how global powers like Russia and China continue to provide critical support to the junta. As new reports of gross human rights violations emerge, we explore how much worse the situation can get and what lessons can be learned on addressing authoritarian abuses from this dark period in Myanmar's history.

What does Liz Truss’ stunningly short term mean for the United Kingdom’s standing in the world? It comes at a time of tectonic transformations at home & unprecedented threats abroad. Queen Elizabeth’s passing and the rapid succession of three occupants at 10 Downing Street in as many months has shaken the country’s sense of stability. The former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove discusses the international implications of these chaotic days in British politics. He delves into what went wrong for the Tory leader and the bad options that remain for the Party in the coming months. An economy teetering on the brink of recession, confidence in national leaders at historic lows, the veteran spy reflects on how road ahead will undoubtedly be a risky and rocky one for the next Prime Minister.

As the world faces so much turmoil, we reflect on a moment just more than 30 years ago when Australia took a leading role brokering peace in Cambodia, helping to bring about the end of the infamous Khmer Rouge regime, behind the genocide now known as the Killing Fields. The man at the centre of that historic agreement is Australian former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans. What lessons for today can we draw from the past, and a conflict that saw China, Russia and the US on different and competing sides? We explore those issues and how these chess moves continue to play out today.

The United Nations General Assembly puts the most powerful leaders on the planet in one room. But, what do they really end up accomplishing during their time together? Critics say it is little more than a lot of grandstanding wrapped around a thin layer of grandiose ambitions that seldom produce much impact. We took the question to ambassadors and other senior officials. Is this expensive event effective for the people they represent and if so how? You will not want to miss their take on what is (and mostly what is not) working. We then look at what reform might involve for the body and its biggest global gathering with our resident analyst Sir Richard Dearlove, who formerly led the British intelligence agency MI6.

We sit down with Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani, elected as a reformer for a young and vulnerable country in a tough neighborhood. She talks on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meeting about her concerns not just for Kosovo, but for Europe more broadly. As more weapons flow into Serbia from China, she sounds the alarm on the ominous threat it represents to regional security. Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and host Julia Macfarlane also delve into Serbia's increasingly important role as Russia's outpost in Southern Europe, along with Kosovo's struggles at reconciling after years of war with its neighbor.