About this episode

The episode discusses escalating tensions between the U.S. and various nations, including Cuba and Iran, while highlighting significant investments in technology in the Indo-Pacific region.

This week, the United States and Iran traded airstrikes as peace negotiations continued, while Israel intensified strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the recent ceasefire extension. In the Indo-Pacific, Nvidia pledged an annual $150 billion investment in Taiwan while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India in an attempt to shore up ties within the Quad framework. In transatlantic relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov advised the U.S. to pull its citizens and diplomatic staff out of Kyiv amid the threat of intensified Russian strikes, while European NATO countries bolstered defenses in the Baltics. In the Americas, China delivered 15,000 tons of rice to Cuba as part of a humanitarian relief package, and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly planning military action in the event of a possible regime collapse by the end of the summer.

More episodes of New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

• How Do We Measure Illicit Economies? | Crime Beat Conversations featuring Henry Ziemer · May 28, 2026 · 25 min
• Global Hotspots: Putin Meets Xi in Beijing and a new Ebola Strain in DRC · May 22, 2026 · 28 min
• Global Hotspots: Trump Meets Xi in Beijing · May 15, 2026 · 21 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts podcast page.