World Class

Even though China is the main global competitor to the United States, has there been sufficient planning in Washington on how the U.S. might respond to aggression against the island of Taiwan by Beijing? Eyck Freymann wants to make sure there is. He joins Colin Kahl on World Class to discuss his new book, "Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China," which outlines how the U.S. can integrate its military strength, economic leverage, technological leadership, and diplomatic influence into a single, coherent plan to prevent war.

H.R. McMaster and Jake Sullivan, the respective national security advisors of the first Trump administration and the Biden administration, join Colin Kahl to sort through everything that has happened in U.S foreign policy since the start of the year, from Venezuela and Iran to Greenland and strain on U.S.-European alliances, and the ever-present competition with China and Russia, and how all of these issues may affect the rest of 2026.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, former minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, and host Michael McFaul discuss the roller coaster of emotion that has surrounded developments in the war of Ukraine, how to understand the real picture of what's happening, and what actions must be taken to ensure there are concrete strategies in place to support Ukraine for the long-term.

Michael McFaul moves out of the host seat to let Professor Jim Goldgeier interview him about his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats, which traces the evolution of great power competition between China, Russia, and the United States, and offers strategies for how America can remain competitive in a new era of geopolitics.

Sanctions are the go-to tool for imposing costs on bad actors on the global stage. But what happens when the sanctions cause humanitarian crises? Ruth Gibson joins World Class to discuss the latest research into how sanctions impact child and maternal mortality, and the stability of the global order as a whole.

Unclear negotiations over the war in Ukraine; uncertainty about the unity of NATO; increased transatlantic mistrust. Jim Goldgeier joins Michael McFaul to discuss the growing divide in U.S.-European relations, what's causing it, and what it means for the future of security on both sides of the Atlantic.

Three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains a sovereign democracy. But changes in the U.S. and shifts in the international security landscape could drastically impact the trajectory of the war and Ukraine's future. Former ambassador Steven Pifer joins Michael McFaul to discuss what's been happening and how it may affect Kyiv, Europe, and the world order more broadly.

Former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza joins Michael McFaul to discuss why he believes the long-term stability of Europe depends on the existence of a free, fair, and democratic Russia, and what can be done now to start preparing for that future.

Climate change, Russia and Ukraine, China, the Middle East, global democracy: how are we doing on some of the biggest challenges facing the world today? Michael McFaul talks to a panel of experts to assess what progress has been made and what more can be done to tackle these issues.

Estonia's Ambassador to the U.S. Kistjan Prikk joins Michael McFaul to discuss his country's view on Russia's military, Putin's nuclear threats, and the long-term impact the war in Ukraine will have on European security.

A world that is not safe for some is a world not safe for anyone. On this episode, Michael McFaul brings you remarks from Oleksandra Matviichuk, an accomplished human rights lawyer, who explains what's at stake if democracies fail to stand by their values and win wars against autocracies.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Two years later, Ukrainians are still valiantly fighting to preserve their rights to freedom, democracy, and self-determination. To commemorate this tragic milestone, World Class host Michael McFaul is joined by four Ukrainian civic and governmental leaders from Kyiv to share their experiences of how the war continues to impact daily life in Ukraine, and to give their perspectives on what Russia’s aggression means both for Ukraine's future and the vitality of the global democratic order. This audio is adapted from an event originally hosted on February 23, 2024 by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

To understand why the conflict in Gaza is so complex, you have to understand the history of Israel's relationship with Palestine and Hamas well before October 7, 2023. In this episode of World Class, we bring you a conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari, two experts on the Middle East, who help contextualize the current situation in Gaza, offer a framework for how to understand the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and share their thoughts on what it will take to bring stability to the region. Their discussion is moderated by Janine Zacharia, a lecturer in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. Ghaith al-Omari, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship, is the former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. He served as advisor to the negotiating team during the 1999–2001 permanent-status talks in addition to holding various other positions within the Palestinian Authority. If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates.