The Inside Story Podcast

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Will Trump get his way with Greenland? Jan 12, 2026

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US President Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to take over Greenland — an idea rejected by most people living there. There's alarm in Denmark, which owns the world's biggest island, and in the EU and NATO too. So, could Trump really get his way?

In this episode:

Pele Broberg, Chairman of Naleraq, a pro-independence political party in Greenland
Peter Nielsen, retired Colonel in the Danish Armed Forces who specialises in NATO readiness
Greg Swenson, Chairman of Republicans Overseas UK

Host: Imran Khan

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How volatile is the situation in Iran? Jan 11, 2026

Show notes

Widespread unrest, killings and arrests in Iran during protests sparked by a collapse in the local currency. The leadership says it will listen to demonstrators but rioters face the death penalty. As the US warns against a crackdown, how volatile is the situation?

In this episode:

Mehran Kamrava, Head, Iranian Studies, Arab Center for Policy Studies and Research.
Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Professor, Modern Middle East Politics, University of Cambridge.
Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Host: James Bays

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What are Saudi Arabia's plans in southern Yemen? Jan 10, 2026

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What are Saudi Arabia's plans in southern Yemen? Riyadh says it will soon host a dialogue between the main players. It comes after the Southern Transitional Council issued a statement saying it had disbanded. But will the new realities on the ground serve long-term Saudi goals in Yemen?

In this episode:

Khaled Batarfi, Political analyst
Farea Al Muslimi, Research Fellow at Chatham House's MENA Programme
Matthew Bryza, Adviser to the Southern Transitional Council and a former U.S. ambassador

Host: James Bays

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What is the impact of US withdrawal from dozens of international agencies? Jan 09, 2026

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What is the impact of the US withdrawal from dozens of United Nations and international agencies? Washington says the organisations threaten its sovereignty. But the UN says the US has a legal obligation to fund them. So, where does this all leave the multilateral global order?

In this episode:

Adolfo Franco, Republican strategist and former adviser to U.S. Senator John McCain
Andrew Gilmour, Former UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights
Matthew Duss, Executive VP of the Center for International Policy and a former foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders

Host: James Bays

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Can the tension in Aleppo be contained? Jan 08, 2026

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Renewed clashes in the Syrian city of Aleppo between the army and Kurdish fighters are undermining efforts to achieve national unity. The violence erupted after a failure to implement a deal on incorporating fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the army. Can tension be contained this time?

In this episode:

Labib Nahhas, Syria analyst
Omer Ozkizilcik, Nonresident fellow for the Syria Project in the Atlantic Council's Middle East Program
Rob Geist Pinfold, Lecturer in International Security at King's College London

Host: James Bays

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Can the security guarantees by Ukraine's Western allies be implemented? Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

The so-called Coalition of the Willing says it is going to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees if a peace deal is agreed with Russia. The UK and France pledged boots on the ground once the agreement takes effect. But is that enough? And would Russia accept foreign troops in Ukraine?

In this episode:

Oleksiy Goncharenko, politician and member of the Ukrainian parliament
Marina Miron, military analyst and researcher at King's College London
Pavel Felgenhauer, defence and Russian foreign policy analyst

Host: Adrian Finighan

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What are the implications for Cuba after the capture of Maduro? Jan 06, 2026

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Venezuela's closest ally, Cuba, is on edge after the capture of president Nicolas Maduro and US politicians' warnings to Havana. US President Donald Trump says Cuba is near collapse. So what are Washington's plans? And what's the thinking in Havana?

In this episode:

Liz Oliva Fernandez, independent Cuban journalist
John Suarez, Executive Director, the Center for a Free Cuba
Michael Shifter, senior fellow, Inter-American Dialogue and adjunct professor, Georgetown University

Host: Adrian Finighan

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How will Maduro's capture affect Russia and China? Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

The capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro by the US came despite his country's long-standing alliance with both China and Russia. Both have criticised the US attack but have taken no action. What are the implications for Russia and China?

In this episode:

Andrey Kortunov, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council
Chris Weafer, Chief Executive Officer of Macro-Advisory
Shaun Rein, Founder & Managing Director of the China Market Research Group in Shanghai and author of The Split

Host: Adrian Finighan

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Does the US attack on Venezuela signal a new aggressive strategy? Jan 04, 2026

Show notes

The US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has been sharply criticised by his allies, but not by Western nations despite questions about its legality. So, does the attack on Venezuela signal a new aggressive US strategy? What might be its global impact?

In this episode:

Charles Shapiro, Former US Ambassador to Venezuela under President George W. Bush.
Stefan Wolff, Professor, International Security, University of Birmingham, UK.
Ernesto Castaneda, Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University in Washington DC.

Host: Adrian Finighan

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What are the implications of Trump capturing Nicolas Maduro? Jan 03, 2026

Show notes

US special forces capture Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro - in a daring attack that's taken the country and the world by surprise. He'd denied accusations by president Donald Trump of heading a narcotics cartel. So, what are the implications of Washington's actions?

In this episode:

Phil Gunson - senior analyst for the Andes Project at the International Crisis Group.
Richard Weitz - a U.S. security analyst and Senior Fellow at the NATO Defense College.
Temir Porras - former Foreign Policy Advisor to President Hugo Chavez and the former Chief of Staff for President Nicolas Maduro.

Host: James Bays

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