On the Record

Latest Episodes:

On U.S. National Defense Strategy Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby discusses the U.S. National Defense Strategy under the Donald Trump administration.

Background Reading:

In this article, seven CFR experts consider the implications of the National Security Strategy document released on December 5, 2025, by the Trump administration.

Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Elbridge A. Colby, Under Secretary of War for Policy, U.S. Department of War; CFR Member

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Conversation with Elbridge Colby

On the U.S. Vision for Ukraine Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, panelists explore three critical issues for securing Ukraine’s future: achieving a just and durable peace, ensuring long-term security, and helping the country rebuild and recover from the ravages of war.

Background Reading:

This article offers concrete recommendations by five CFR experts for securing the future of Ukraine and Europe.

Host: Jonathan Karl, ABC News chief Washington correspondent and co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos

Guests: Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (D); Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Member, Senate Armed Services Committee

Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator from North Carolina (R); Chair, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; Member, Senate Finance Committee

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The U.S. Vision for Ukraine

On International Economics Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, John C. Williams, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, discusses monetary policy and the economic outlook for the year ahead.

Background Reading:

This article highlights the trade policies four CFR experts will be monitoring this year.

Host: Abby Joseph Cohen, Professor of Business, Columbia Business School

Guests: John C. Williams, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: International Economics With John C. Williams

On America’s Grand Strategy for the Future of Global Leadership Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, experts discuss the new Council Special Report, America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership, which defines U.S. vital national interests, summarizes the history of U.S. grand strategy, and proposes an alternative that combines military strength with international legitimacy.

Background Reading:

This report outlines the conceptual pillars of five grand strategy schools and proposes a sixth based around resolute global leadership.

Host: Suzanne Nossel, Lester Crown Senior Fellow on U.S. Foreign Policy and International Order, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Guests: Robert D. Blackwill, Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, Council Special Report, America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership

Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., Senior International Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter; Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2016–18)

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership

On Sudan’s Humanitarian Emergency Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Since civil war erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Sudan has become the site of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than ten million people have been displaced, over half of the population needs humanitarian assistance, and over 750,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. In this episode, experts discuss ongoing humanitarian efforts, the challenges faced by aid workers, and potential solutions to mitigate the worsening crisis in Sudan.

Background Reading:

This article discusses Sudan’s devastating humanitarian crisis and how it’s not getting the international attention it deserves.

Host: Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Kholood Khair, Political Analyst; Researcher; Founding Director, Confluence Advisory

Kate Almquist Knopf, Senior Advisor, WestExec Advisors; former Assistant Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development

Susan Stigant, Director of Africa Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

On Congress’s Approach to China Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Senators Christopher Coons and Pete Ricketts—members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations—discuss the role of Congress in formulating, resourcing, and creating the institutional basis for China policy.

Background Reading:

This article outlines CFR President Michael Froman’s take on artificial intelligence competition between the United States and China

Host: Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative, CFR; Cochair, Washington China Forum

Guests: Christopher A. Coons, U.S. Senator from Delaware (D)

Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator from Nebraska (R)

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: China and Congress: Is There Still a Bipartisan Consensus?

On the 2026 Q1 World Economic Update Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

CFR’s World Economic Update highlights the quarter’s most important and emerging trends. This episode covers changes in the global marketplace, with a special emphasis on current economic events and their implications for U.S. policy.

Host: Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, CFR

Guests: Jan Hatzius, Chief Economist and Head of Global Investment Research, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates, LP

Natasha Sarin, Professor of Law, Yale Law School

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: 2026 World Economic Update

On Greenland and U.S. Strategic Interests in the Arctic Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, experts discuss the United States’ renewed interest in Greenland—which the Trump administration argues is vital to U.S. national security—and what it means for Arctic security, the NATO alliance, and great power competition.

Background Reading:

This article unpacks Trump’s increasingly assertive push to bring Greenland under U.S. control and what that means for the NATO alliance and the Arctic.

Host: David E. Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, New York Times; CFR Member

Guests: Heather A. Conley, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Foreign and Defense Policy; Former President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States; CFR Member

Rebecca Pincus, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute; Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security, German Marshall Fund of the United States; Former Director, Polar Institute, Wilson Center

Geoffrey Pyatt, Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources and U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Ukraine

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Greenland in the Geopolitical Spotlig

On the Best and Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

For two-and-a-half centuries, the United States has faced a challenging world. Some of its responses have made Americans proud. Others have not. CFR asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations what they considered the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions. In this episode, panelists discuss the results of the project and the evolution of America’s role in the world.

Host: David M. Rubenstein, Cofounder and Cochairman, The Carlyle Group; Chairman, Board of Directors, CFR

Guests: Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law; CFR Member

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Christopher M. Nichols, Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies and Professor of History, The Ohio State University

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: America at 250 Series: The Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy

On Iran's Protests Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, panelists discuss the latest unrest in Iran, the economic pressures that have sparked nationwide protests, and the implications for U.S. policy amid ongoing regional tensions.

Background Reading:

This article discusses how the Iranian regime is facing one of its largest protest movements in years, leading Tehran to shut down internet and telephone communications.

Host: Missy Ryan, Staff Writer, The Atlantic

Guests: Vali R. Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Ray Takeyh, Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, CFR

Sanam Vakil, Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Protests in Iran