What is Driving Turkey's Foreign and Security Policy Agenda?

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1. 

   E123 · 1 Jul 2026 · 39 min

   Geopolitics, Statecraft and the Changing Face of Organised Crime

   Organised crime no longer operates outside international politics. Criminal networks are increasingly present in spaces once associated with intelligence services, foreign policy and national security. In this edition of Global Security Briefing hosted by Cathy Heanlein, Director of Organised Crime and Policing at RUSI, we look at the blurring of boundaries between crime, statecraft and geopolitics. The discussion coincides with a new special issue of RUSI's flagship Journal on 'the Changing Face of Organised Crime'. The issue brings together leading experts to examine how crime is evolving…

2. 

   E122 · 17 Jun 2026 · 38 min

   Inside Russia's Wartime Economy

   What does the Russian wartime economy look like beneath the official data – and what are the implications for regime stability? In early June, President Putin took to the stage at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum – Russia's flagship annual showcase for investors and international media – and delivered a characteristically assured account of an economy not just surviving but adapting. Sanctions, he suggested, had been absorbed. Western predictions of collapse had amounted to little more than wishful thinking. But if we look more closely at the current state of the Russian…

3. 

   S1 · E121 · 3 Jun 2026 · 42 min

   No Easy Off-Ramp: Iran, the US and the Search for a Deal

   Are we seeing the potential for a diplomatic off-ramp in the latest phase of the Iran crisis, or just another pause in a much longer confrontation? The broad picture at the beginning of June 2026 is that the US and Iran appear to be trying to move from immediate crisis management to a more structured negotiation, but the process remains extremely fragile. A reported 60-day ceasefire extension would, in theory, create space for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing some economic pressure on Iran, and eventually addressing nuclear concerns. But the hardest issues remain unresolved:…

4. 

   S1 · E120 · 21 May 2026 · 49 min

   President Trump in Beijing: The Future of US-China Relations

   Dr Olivia Cheung and Lyle Morris join Philip Shetler-Jones to assess President Trump's Beijing visit and the future of US-China relations. President Trump's visit to Beijing comes at a pivotal moment in US-China relations, with strategic rivalry, economic tensions, and regional security concerns continuing to shape the world's most consequential bilateral relationship. In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Philip Shetler-Jones is joined by Dr Olivia Cheung, Lecturer in Politics, King's College London and Lyle Morris, Senior Fellow on Foreign Policy and National Security at Asia…

5. 

   E119 · 15 May 2026 · 52 min

   How is International Security Changing?

   Dr Neil Melvin and Dr Philip Shetler Jones discuss Brexit, European security, the Indo-Pacific and the changing global order. In his final episode as host of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin reflects on how international security has evolved in the period since the podcast launched in 2021 and what these changes mean for the United Kingdom and its allies. Joined by Dr Philip Shetler Jones, Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, the discussion examines the major geopolitical shifts reshaping Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the wider international system. Topics discussed…

6. 

   S1 · E117 · 4 Mar 2026 · 54 min

   The Regional and Global Significance of the US-Led Attack on Iran

   The US and Israel have launched major strikes on Iran, triggering retaliation across the region and raising fears of wider war. As tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz and across the region, the implications extend far beyond the Middle East. In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow, and Dr Roxane Farmanfarmaian, a specialist on Iranian and regional politics and an Associate Fellow with RUSI, to analyse the regional and global significance of the crisis. This episode explores: What the US and Israel are…

7. 

   25 Feb 2026 · 19 min

   Is Ukraine Any Closer to Peace After Four Years of War?

   Ukraine, its European backers and the United States have drawn closer to agreeing a blueprint for peace, but various questions remain. Can anyone accept Russian sincerity? How to treat Moscow's demands for territory in the Donbas , and beyond? And what is to be made of Russia's attitude towards security guarantees for Ukraine? In this bonus episode of GSB, we hear from a panel of experts on the prospects for peace, four years on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Their remarks were recorded during a RUSI event on Tuesday 24 February 2026: Recording: Ukraine: Prospects for Peace, Four Years…

8. 

   S1 · E116 · 18 Feb 2026 · 54 min

   Is the Trump Administration's 'Donroe' Doctrine Transforming Relations with Latin America?

   Following Washington's emphasis on the Western Hemisphere in its 2025 National Security Strategy, this episode examines Cuba, Venezuela and the intensifying US-China competition in Latin America. In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow for Latin American Security at RUSI, to assess how the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy is reshaping security and geopolitics across the Americas, and what the shift means for regional…

9. 

   28 Jan 2026 · 14 min

   Greenland: A Flashpoint in Transatlantic Relations

   The Greenland crisis has damaged goodwill and trust between the US and Europe and has undermined perceptions of US reliability and trustworthiness. Following the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, should Europe now pursue independence and begin to decouple from the US? In this bonus episode of Global Security Briefing, we hear from RUSI's Director-General Rachel Ellehuus as she discusses the state of the US-Greenland-Denmark discussions, and the potential lasting impact on the transatlantic relationship and NATO. Rachel's remarks were recorded during a RUSI webinar on Friday 23…

10. 

    S1 · E115 · 21 Jan 2026 · 57 min

    Can the Transatlantic Alliance Survive the Trump Presidency?

    As US–European relations face renewed strain under President Trump, this episode explores what the crisis means for NATO, European security and the United Kingdom. In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Distinguished Fellow Sir David Lidington to discuss the growing crisis in transatlantic relations, from the Greenland dispute and uncertainty over US security commitments to the wider impact of Russia's war in Ukraine and shifting US strategy, and to assess what these changes mean for Europe's security order and the UK's strategic choices. The discussion explores: - The resilience of…