The World Unpacked

Kosovo and Serbia are trying to negotiate the end of their old and frequently bloody conflict. A solution could pave the way for both countries to join the EU. Jen Psaki talks to Bekim Çollaku, chief of staff to Kosovar President Hashim Thaçi, who explains Kosovo’s goals and parameters in the negotiations. Carnegie’s Judy Dempsey, who has covered the Balkans for years, shares her view on what comes next for the region. Bekim Çollaku is chief of staff to President of the Republic of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi Judy Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and editor in chief of the Strategic Europe blog. She is also the author of the book The Merkel Phenomenon. We want to hear from you! Write to us at diplopod@ceip.org, or call us at 202-939-2247. Leave us a voicemail and we might use your question on a future episode. You can also talk to us on twitter using #DiploPod. And follow Jen! She’s @jrpsaki. Go Deeper: More about Judy Dempsey: https://carnegieeurope.eu/experts/693 Read Judy’s op-ed on the proposed Kosovo-Serbia land swap: https://carnegieeurope.eu/2018/09/19/kosovo-and-serbia-are-talking-about-redrawing-their-borders.-it-s-terrible-idea-pub-77291 Read Judy’s blog post on the failed Macedonian name referendum: https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/77393 Follow Judy on Twitter: @Judy_Dempsey

Jen Psaki sat down with Stanford professor Francis Fukuyama to talk about his new book, "Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment." They discussed Fukuyama’s views on the current trajectory of identity politics in the United States and around the world, and what he sees as a new essential American identity. Go deeper: More about Francis Fukuyama: https://fukuyama.stanford.edu/ Watch Fukuyama in discussion with Thomas Carothers: http://carnegieendowment.org/2018/09/18/global-rise-of-identity-politics-event-6951

Jen Psaki kicks off a new season of Carnegie's flagship podcast, DiploPod, one-on-one with Carnegie scholar Marwan Muasher, who is the former foreign minister of Jordan and has been through many rounds of Middle East peace talks. They discussed the fading prospects of the two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, the problematic prospect of integrating both communities in a one-state option, and the impact of the Trump administration’s move to sideline Palestinian interests by moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, cutting off funding for aid for Palestinian refugees, and closing the PLO office in Washington. Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Mauasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications. Go deeper: + About Marwan Muasher - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/563 + Read Marwan’s Op-Ed on Trump’s Israel-Palestine plan: https://ceip.org/p-77282 + Read Marwan’s Report - https://ceip.org/p-77269

The Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Iran this week, following U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Sanctions expert and Carnegie Senior Fellow Jarrett Blanc joined Jen Psaki to talk about the consequences of reimposing sanctions and what Trump is trying to accomplish with his Iran policy. Jarrett Blanc was previously the deputy lead coordinator and State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, responsible for the full and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, including Iranian and U.S. commitments on sanctions. (More on Blanc - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1343)

Jen Psaki sat down with Carnegie scholar and Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour to discuss the impact of this week’s Twitter war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials, the future of Iran’s leaders, and President Trump’s approach to Iran policy. Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East. He is a regular contributor to the Atlantic, and has also written for Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, the Economist, and the Washington Post. (More on Sadjadpour - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/340)

The Helsinki meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded with a tumultuous press conference filled with jaw-dropping statements on both sides. Carnegie experts Andrew Weiss and Alexander Gabuev joined Jen Psaki to dissect the summit and what it means for US-Russia relations going forward. Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research in Washington and Moscow on Russia and Eurasia. Prior to joining Carnegie, he was director of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Russia and Eurasia and executive director of the RAND Business Leaders Forum. (More on Weiss -https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/824) Alexander Gabuev is a senior fellow and the chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. His research is focused on Russia’s policy toward East and Southeast Asia, political and ideological trends in China, and China’s relations with its neighbors—especially those in Central Asia. (More on Gabuev - https://carnegie.ru/experts/1017)

What do recent and upcoming elections in Latin America reveal about the region’s changing political and economic landscape? Are the rise of populism and concerns about corruption having destabilizing effects that outside actors can exploit? Carnegie visiting scholar Julia Gurganus, filling in for Jen Psaki, sat down in the DiploPod studio with Mark Feierstein, special assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs on the National Security Council. They discussed the upcoming presidential election in Mexico, outside influence in the region, countries’ responses to that external influence, and the impact on U.S. policy in the region. Mark Feierstein is a Senior Advisor with ASG’s Latin America practice, where he advises clients on entry and growth strategies throughout the region. Most recently, Mr. Feierstein served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs on the National Security Council. (More on Feierstein - https://www.albrightstonebridge.com/team/mark-feierstein) Julia Gurganus is a visiting scholar with the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on trends in Russian foreign policy and Russia-U.S. relations. (More on Gurganus - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1424)

Ambassador Michael McFaul helped launch the Obama administration’s reset in U.S.-Russian relations, which fostered new and unprecedented collaboration between the two countries. As U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, he had a front-row seat as the relationship began to unravel in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency. In his new book, From Cold War to Hot Peace, he talks about what happened and what went wrong. McFaul sat down in the DiploPod studio with Lauren Dueck to discuss his new book, U.S.-Russian relations, and where Putin’s foreign policy is headed.

Daniel Ellsberg may be best known for his role in exposing the realities of the Vietnam War by releasing the Pentagon Papers, but he also has a new book out, The Doomsday Machine, that lays out a stark depiction of nuclear war planning within the government. He joined Jen Psaki in the DiploPod studio to talk about the threat of nuclear war today, the importance of leaks, and the escalation of tensions with North Korea.​

Frederic Wehrey has a new book out this month — The Burning Shores, Inside the Battle for the New Libya. Based on nearly two years of reporting, it tells the stories of Libyan lives upended by turmoil, sheds new light on the country’s afflictions, and provides valuable lessons for the future. For the latest episode of DiploPod, Jen Psaki discussed with him what broke down in Libya post Qaddafi, the role of the United States and other international partners, and the future of Libya. (More on Wehery - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/709)