One Decision

What decision had the most international impact in 2023? The war in Ukraine continued to loom large among Western nations’ foreign policy priorities. The sudden, shocking resurgence of war in the Middle East quickly dominated the global agenda, raised questions about how long the Israeli-Hamas conflict could drag on and whether peace there can even be achieved. One Decision's annual roundtable of top world affairs reporters takes stock of 2023 and what big decisions are coming up next year. One major moment the whole world will be watching is the outcome of the United States presidential elections, which could potentially see the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Host Julia Macfarlane is joined by The Independent's Bel Trew, Semafor's Prashant Rao, and Foreign Policy's Robbie Gramer.

The team behind the top global affairs podcast, One Decision, brings you "Power Decisions," a new energy series that explores the world's energy sources and the politics and power behind the clean transition. On this episode, guest host and journalist Rhana Natour speaks with Daniel Yergin, one of the world's leading experts on energy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Vice Chairman at S&P Global. They discuss his takeaways from the COP28 climate summit—the historic deal marking the first time countries have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels, skepticism over the leadership of United Arab Emirates oil executive Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, and the concerns he's hearing about financing climate goals. Yergin also discusses the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on oil prices, and the challenges posed by China's dominance over critical mineral supply chains.

Renowned Russia expert Dr. Fiona Hill discusses Putin's playbook and the implications of a Trump return as commander-in-chief. Topics include Putin's strategy in the conflict with Ukraine, Russia's desire for negotiation, and the psychological impact of treating the war as a victory. The chapter also explores the motives behind US isolationism and the Russian approach to grey warfare and information warfare techniques.

Alexander Kamyshin is in charge of arming Ukraine's defense industries, and gathering military hardware from allies to sustain the country's defense against a Russian invasion. This week he is in the American capital meeting with lawmakers and business leaders alongside his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was the guy who led Ukrainian railways and went viral for his success at keeping the country's train network running punctually during the early days of the war. He managed to not only deliver millions of Ukrainians safely, but also transport the leaders of the free world in and out of Kyiv. One Decision's Sir Richard Dearlove met Kamyshin in Ukraine earlier this year and joins with his thoughts on the logistical leader’s efforts and the state of his supply chain.

What happens in a world where mankind has failed to implement the urgent changes needed to tackle climate change, and temperatures rise above the pre-industrial average? What will our world look like? One Decision asks Gaia Vince, author of the book "Nomad Century," in which she envisions worst-case scenarios of a world with dangerous rising temperatures. Sir Richard Dearlove discusses Henry Kissinger's foreign policy legacy and the New York Times report claiming the Israeli military obtained a document called "Jericho Wall," which detailed the blueprints of the October 7th attack and was initially dismissed as aspirational by Israeli officials.

Senator Chris Murphy, who sits on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called for a conversation on American aid to Israel—and what kind of conditions should be a part of it. He, along with other Democratic colleagues, has spoken out against the high death toll in Gaza, which Murphy now calls “unsustainable.” A mammoth aid package is working its way through Congress for both Israel and Ukraine—but Republicans have demanded that border security restrictions and funding be tacked on to the final bill. The race is now on for Congress to work out the details to move forward on a vote before the holidays. Senator Murphy discusses this and the latest on the war in Ukraine with One Decision’s Julia Macfarlane and Sir Richard Dearlove. 

The team behind the top global affairs podcast, One Decision, brings you "Power Decisions," a new energy series that explores the world's energy sources and the politics and power behind the clean transition. As the COP28 climate conference kicks off this week in the United Arab Emirates, we examine the growth and development of emerging clean energy technologies with guest host Marie Harf, who served as State Department Spokesperson in the Obama Administration, and her former colleague United States Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. They discuss the latest trends and emerging clean technologies, the emerging nuclear energy innovations, and how prepared we are for a transition from fossil fuels.

Twenty-four hostages were released by Hamas following their capture during the October 7th invasion of Israel. But how do the two warring sides find common ground and arrive at an agreement in the midst of a war? Gershon Baskin, a writer and activist from Israel, has carried back-channel messages to and from Hamas for seventeen years and was deeply involved with the prisoner exchange for former Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit ten years ago. In this special episode of One Decision, Baskin tells us what it takes to secure such a complicated, multi-layered agreement, as well as how the latest hostage deal and temporary ceasefire has been received by the public in Israel.

Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu of Moldova sits down with One Decision in New York to talk about the various efforts that Russia is allegedly committing to destabilizing the tiny and young European nation, preventing it from joining the European Union. Russian soldiers and separatists already occupy a large part of the country, and it's an area that is very close to the strategic Ukrainian port city of Odesa, which Moscow has long coveted for its key position on the Black Sea. Fears that the occupied parts of Moldova could be used as a launchpad to attack Odesa may have waned but not disappeared entirely. Plus, One Decision's resident spymaster Sir Richard Dearlove gives his verdict on a leaked FSB document that purportedly revealed a plot to destabilize the country. 

President Xi and President Biden meet face-to-face for the first time since tensions frayed over a visit to Taiwan by the United States Speaker of the House of Representatives and the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon enraged Washington. America’s allies in the South China Sea are watching closely—will Biden and Xi patch things up, and what does that mean for Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints? Also, One Decision’s Sir Richard Dearlove reacts to the news that former Prime Minister David Cameron, who has been promoting projects for China’s Belt and Road Initiative has made a sudden comeback as the new Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.