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Global Security Briefing — Government
Global Security Briefing

Global Security Briefing provides regular insights from leading international experts to help you make sense of the far-reaching changes affecting international security around the globe. Hosted by analysts from RUSI’s International Security Studies team, the podcast looks at how the UK can best shape its foreign and security policies in an increasingly dynamic international environment.

The Global Security Briefing channel is also host to a back-catalogue of episodes from the concluded RUSI podcasts ‘Bridging the Oceans’ and ‘Mind the Gulf’.
Running from 2020 to 2023, ‘Bridging the Oceans’ aimed to create a platform to discuss the key defence and security questions of the world’s most dynamic region: the Indo-Pacific. Hosted by Veerle Nouwens, it explored what the Indo-Pacific is, where its limits lie, and what the fast-evolving defence and security issues are in this dynamic part of the world.
Running from January to May 2022, the ‘Mind the Gulf’ Podcast Series explored how the Iranian nuclear programme – and international diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon – interacts with regional security dynamics and the wider Middle East.

The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.

Copyright: © RUSI

Latest Episodes:

No Easy Off-Ramp: Iran, the US and the Search for a Deal Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

Are we seeing the potential for a diplomatic off-ramp in the latest phase of the Iran crisis, or just another pause in a much longer confrontation?

The broad picture at the beginning of June 2026 is that the US and Iran appear to be trying to move from immediate crisis management to a more structured negotiation, but the process remains extremely fragile. A reported 60-day ceasefire extension would, in theory, create space for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing some economic pressure on Iran, and eventually addressing nuclear concerns. But the hardest issues remain unresolved: Iran's enriched uranium, the future of its nuclear programme, sanctions relief, security guarantees, and the sequencing of who moves first.

In this episode, Professor Ali Ansari, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, International Security at RUSI, joins host Dr Burcu Ozcelik, to explore the following topics:

- What Tehran wants from the current round of talks.

- Understanding Iran's insistence that Lebanon be included in the ceasefire.

- How much room does the Iranian leadership have to compromise, after war and economic pressure, in the renewed negotiations with Washington?

- After spending decades studying the way the US fights wars, has Iran read the US more accurately than Washington and Israel have read Iran?

President Trump in Beijing: The Future of US-China Relations May 21, 2026

Show notes

Dr Olivia Cheung and Lyle Morris join Philip Shetler-Jones to assess President Trump's Beijing visit and the future of US-China relations.

President Trump's visit to Beijing comes at a pivotal moment in US-China relations, with strategic rivalry, economic tensions, and regional security concerns continuing to shape the world's most consequential bilateral relationship.

In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Philip Shetler-Jones is joined by Dr Olivia Cheung, Lecturer in Politics, King's College London and Lyle Morris, Senior Fellow on Foreign Policy and National Security at Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, to examine the significance of the visit, what each side hoped to achieve, and what the meetings reveal about the future trajectory of relations between Washington and Beijing.

This episode explores:

- The historical and geopolitical context behind President Trump's visit to China.

- China's priorities and how Xi Jinping may be approaching relations with the United States.

- What each side achieved politically, economically and strategically during the visit.

- The implications for Taiwan and US allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

- What the meetings reveal about the future direction of US-China relations.

- Wider implications for global security, international order, and partners such as the United Kingdom.

How is International Security Changing? May 15, 2026

Show notes

Dr Neil Melvin and Dr Philip Shetler Jones discuss Brexit, European security, the Indo-Pacific and the changing global order.

In his final episode as host of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin reflects on how international security has evolved in the period since the podcast launched in 2021 and what these changes mean for the United Kingdom and its allies.

Joined by Dr Philip Shetler Jones, Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, the discussion examines the major geopolitical shifts reshaping Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the wider international system.

Topics discussed include:

Brexit and the UK's changing security role in Europe.
Russia's war against Ukraine and its impact on Europe.
The future of US and European security relations.
The UK's Indo-Pacific strategy and 'Global Britain'.
US-China competition and global security.
Multipolarity, BRICS and the Global South.
Arctic and High North security.
The key security challenges facing the UK over the next five years.

The episode also marks Neil Melvin's final appearance as host of Global Security Briefing after nearly 120 episodes exploring regional and international security developments. Stay tuned for future Global Security Briefings coming soon.

What is Driving Turkey's Foreign and Security Policy Agenda? Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

As the Middle East is facing grave uncertainty against the backdrop of what is being called the 'Third Gulf War', Ankara is managing an uneasy relationship with Iran.

Turkey is projecting itself as a more consequential regional actor across a variety of regional security spaces and is often described as a 'middle power'. In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Dr Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow, to analyse Turkey's relationship with Iran and the main limits of Turkey's regional approach to diplomacy.

This episode explores:

· How Turkey approaches peacebuilding in the Middle East.

· What Turkey's regional role is across different theatres in the Caucasus, Somalia and Iran.

· The limits of eastern Mediterranean security architecture that excludes Turkey.

· What British and European policymakers should learn from Turkey's approach to diplomacy.

This podcast episode is part of a policy series for the 'Turkey's Peacebuilding in a Disordered Middle East' project of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) network.

The Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin is funded by Stiftung Mercator and the Federal Foreign Office. CATS is the curator of the CATS Network, an international network of think-tanks and research institutions working on Turkey.

The Regional and Global Significance of the US-Led Attack on Iran Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

The US and Israel have launched major strikes on Iran, triggering retaliation across the region and raising fears of wider war.

As tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz and across the region, the implications extend far beyond the Middle East. In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow, and Dr Roxane Farmanfarmaian, a specialist on Iranian and regional politics and an Associate Fellow with RUSI, to analyse the regional and global significance of the crisis.

This episode explores:

What the US and Israel are seeking to achieve, and how Iran is responding.
Whether the strikes could threaten the survival of Iran's political system established in 1979.
The risks of escalation and miscalculation across Iraq, Lebanon, the Gulf, and the Red Sea.
The prospects for leadership disruption, succession dynamics, and elite cohesion inside Iran.
The potential roles of Russia and China as diplomatic or strategic actors.
The UK's response and whether it has adopted the right approach.
Key scenarios for how the conflict may evolve in the coming days.

Is Ukraine Any Closer to Peace After Four Years of War? Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Ukraine, its European backers and the United States have drawn closer to agreeing a blueprint for peace, but various questions remain. Can anyone accept Russian sincerity? How to treat Moscow's demands for territory in the Donbas, and beyond? And what is to be made of Russia's attitude towards security guarantees for Ukraine? In this bonus episode of GSB, we hear from a panel of experts on the prospects for peace, four years on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Their remarks were recorded during a RUSI event on Tuesday 24 February 2026: Recording: Ukraine: Prospects for Peace, Four Years After Russia's Invasion | Royal United Services Institute. In an hour-long discussion, the RUSI panellists, including Dr Neil Melvin, Director of International Security, Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences, Dr Maryna Vorotnyuk, Associate Fellow and Dr Jonathan Eyal, Associate Director, tackled a wide range of questions relating to:

What a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might look like.

The role of the rest of Europe in supporting Ukraine and applying pressure to Russia.

Key challenges and opportunities for rebuilding Ukraine's post-war infrastructure.

Become a RUSI member today to access the full recording: Membership.

Is the Trump Administration's 'Donroe' Doctrine Transforming Relations with Latin America? Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Following Washington's emphasis on the Western Hemisphere in its 2025 National Security Strategy, this episode examines Cuba, Venezuela and the intensifying US-China competition in Latin America.

In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow for Latin American Security at RUSI, to assess how the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy is reshaping security and geopolitics across the Americas, and what the shift means for regional stability and US global priorities.

This discussion explores:

· The elevation of the Western Hemisphere to the top tier of US national security priorities.

· Cuba's re-emergence as a strategic concern, including energy pressure, migration controls and intelligence considerations.

· Venezuela's uncertain transition following US intervention and the risks of proxy competition.

· The expansion of bilateral security agreements and US military deployments in the Caribbean basin.

· The implications of this hemispheric focus for US alliances and global commitments.

· Whether Latin America is becoming an arena for US-China strategic rivalry.

Greenland: A Flashpoint in Transatlantic Relations Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

The Greenland crisis has damaged goodwill and trust between the US and Europe and has undermined perceptions of US reliability and trustworthiness.

Following the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, should Europe now pursue independence and begin to decouple from the US?

In this bonus episode of Global Security Briefing, we hear from RUSI's Director-General Rachel Ellehuus as she discusses the state of the US-Greenland-Denmark discussions, and the potential lasting impact on the transatlantic relationship and NATO.

Rachel's remarks were recorded during a RUSI webinar on Friday 23 January 2026: https://my.rusi.org/resource-library-search.html?information_type=members-event-recordings

In an hour-long discussion, the panellists, including Rachel Ellehuus, the Director General of RUSI, Oana Lungescu, a RUSI Distinguished Fellow and former long-serving NATO spokesperson and Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow for European Security at RUSI, focus on the diplomatic, military and geopolitical fallout from the Greenland crisis for the transatlantic relationship. Become a RUSI member today to access the full recording: https://my.rusi.org/membership.html

Can the Transatlantic Alliance Survive the Trump Presidency? Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

As US–European relations face renewed strain under President Trump, this episode explores what the crisis means for NATO, European security and the United Kingdom.

In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Distinguished Fellow Sir David Lidington to discuss the growing crisis in transatlantic relations, from the Greenland dispute and uncertainty over US security commitments to the wider impact of Russia's war in Ukraine and shifting US strategy, and to assess what these changes mean for Europe's security order and the UK's strategic choices.

The discussion explores:

- The resilience of Europe's security order amid transatlantic tension.

- The implications of the Greenland crisis for NATO and European unity.

- How NATO, the EU and smaller groupings are adapting to a harsher security environment.

- The future of the Ukraine war and its impact on European security.

- Whether NATO and the transatlantic relationship can endure.

- How the UK should position itself in a changing Euro-Atlantic landscape.

Recorded on Tuesday 20 January 2026.

How Will German Rearmament Shape European Security? Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Dr Claudia Major joins Neil Melvin to discuss Germany's rearmament drive and its implications for European and transatlantic security.

Germany is undertaking the most significant overhaul of its defence and security policy in decades, moving from long-standing restraint to large-scale rearmament and military reform.

In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin speaks with Dr Claudia Major, Senior Vice President, Transatlantic Security at the German Marshall Fund, about what Germany's changing approach means for Europe's future security.

This episode explores:

- Germany's rearmament strategy, spending priorities and capability timelines.

- The domestic political, public and institutional challenges to sustained defence investment.

- The role of conscription, recruitment and societal defence in Germany's plans.

- How the German defence industry is adapting to unprecedented demand.

- What Germany's emergence as Europe's largest defence actor means for European security.

- How Berlin's rearmament affects relations with European partners, the European Union and the United States.

- Whether Germany's strategic culture is undergoing lasting change.

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