The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series

Latest Episodes:

China's Hold on Congolese Cobalt || Peter Zeihan Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Cobalt is critical for modern batteries, but with over half of global production coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, it represents one of the great geopolitical vulnerabilities.

China controls most of the Cobalt mining in the Congo through coercive labor systems, so if China's system continues on its current path...Cobalt production will crash. Filling China's shoes in Congo is no easy feat. Foreign stabilization and oversight are difficult and aren't likely to come from Western governments. So, Cobalt supplies will collapse.

Either the world will find a way forward with less Cobalt, or we'll get really good at recycling it. The scariest piece is that Cobalt isn't the only critical material that's vulnerable, so the era of easy tech advancement powered by cheap, abundant inputs is coming to an end.

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Prize Courts Revived for Iran Seizures || Peter Zeihan Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

The U.S. military has been seizing Iranian shadow fleet vessels at the instruction of the Trump administration. But until now, they couldn't do anything with that seized cargo. Fear not, the prize court system is here to save the day.

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How to Work Together Like Early Rome || Peter Zeihan Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

As the global order breaks apart, countries and communities that can incorporate the learnings from early Rome can weather the storm much better than others. We're talking about integrating economies, infrastructure, and security.

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Can AI-Driven Robots Save Japan? || Peter Zeihan Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Japan has long been a pioneer in methodologies and technologies to save society from a demographic crisis. Japan's next endeavour is developing AI-powered robots for industrial, agricultural, healthcare, and logistics applications.

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What Is Zelensky's Political Future? || Peter Zeihan Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Volodymyr Zelensky’s historical legacy is still being written. Sure, he's remained highly popular as a wartime leader and would likely be reelected if elections were held tomorrow. But a lot of his legacy depends upon the outcome of the Ukraine War.

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The Democrats Are Screwed, Too || Peter Zeihan Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

We discussed the problems with the Republicans; now let's move on to the Democrats. They've got a different set of problems, but make no mistake, they are just as screwed.

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What Does Life After Donald Trump Look Like? || Peter Zeihan Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Trump has adopted a leadership style similar to that of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. That means power is solely concentrated around him, and the party ideology and institutional foundation have been weakened. Without Trump, the Republican Party has no life force.

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Does the Trump Administration Know What's Going On? || Peter Zeihan Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

On the whole, most presidential administrations have limited awareness of things like demographics, trade, geopolitics, and industrial policy. Naturally, government officials view things through a narrow lens corresponding to their background, such as business or academia. So, that's the baseline here.

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Back to the Glory Days of the Spice Trade || Peter Zeihan Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Global trade was once fragmented into many regional economies. Goods like spices traveled overland through countless intermediaries before reaching the gateway cities of Venice, Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi. So, what can we learn from the glory days of the spice trade?

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Project Vault Doesn't Solve the Mineral Problem || Peter Zeihan Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Project Vault, the Trump administration's initiative to stockpile critical minerals, is just a small step in the right direction. Sure, buying mineral-rich waste helps the U.S. build reserves, but it's a classic case of giving the man a fish vs. teaching him how to fish.

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