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Great Power Podcast

by American Foreign Policy Council · English · News

Interested in defending America’s interests in an age of great power competition? Join host American Foreign Policy Council senior vice president Ilan Berman as he explores insights from foreign policy experts, journalists, and policymakers to help craft a solid foundation for America’s grand strate

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 1 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026 · 30 min

Unfinished Business In The Middle East

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with longtime Middle East hand Ambassador Dennis Ross regarding the next steps in America’s confrontation with Iran, what changes the war has wrought in the Persian Gulf, and how the current conflict is reshaping America’s approach to great power politics. BIO: Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Amb. Ross played a leading role in…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

21 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Rise Of The "New Spartas"
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Melinda Haring and Daniel Kimmage of Kensington Global, authors of a recent piece on emerging powers, about their concept of “new Spartas” and what it means for today’s global order. MATERIALS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: -- “Rise of the New Spartas,” Jerusalem Strategic Tribune , July 2026, https://jstribune.com/rise-of-the-new-spartas/ BIOS: Melinda Haring is CEO of Kensington Global LLC, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, and a senior advisor at Razom for Ukraine. Daniel Kimmage is a former senior…
12 Jun 2026 · 23 min
Counterterrorism And Great Power Competition
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman talks to Dr. Colin Clarke of The Soufan Center regarding the growing sophistication of extremist groups, the Trump administration's new counterterrorism strategy, and the intersection with America's Great Power Competition with China, Russia and other powers. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: - Colin P. Clarke, "The New Shape Of Global Jihadism," Statecraft and Strategy no. 1, Spring 2026, https://www.statecraftandstrategy.com/the-new-counterterrorism-terrain/the-new-shape-of-global-jihadism/. - Clara Broekaert and Colin P. Clarke,…
6 May 2026 · 30 min
China's Changing Population... And Why It Matters
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman talks with Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute about China's growing demographic problems, and what they signify for the PRC's future - and for Beijing's strategic rivalry with Washington. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: -- The PRC's Chinese New Year robot demonstration can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUmlv814aJo BIO: Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes extensively on international security…
2 Apr 2026 · 25 min
Back To The (Ukraine) Front
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman talks with Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about the current state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and its implications for the U.S. campaign against Iran and Great Power rivalry more broadly. BIO: Michael Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military, Ukrainian armed forces, and Eurasian security issues. Prior to joining Carnegie in 2023, he served as director of the Russia Studies Program…
19 Mar 2026 · 31 min
The Dynamics - And The Stakes - Of Trump’s New War
In this episode, host Ilan Berman talks to Jonathan Schanzer, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about how the war with Iran is reshaping the Middle East - and what it means for “great power competition” writ large. MATERIALS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: -- "Regime Change Without Nation Building," Commentary , April 2026, https://www.commentary.org/articles/jonathan-schanzer/regime-change-iran-america-trump/ BIO: Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is the executive director at FDD, where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism…
26 Feb 2026 · 34 min
Future Frontiers For China Competition
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Randy Schriver and Mike Kuiken, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, about the USCC's latest report to Congress, and what they see as the future domains of our unfolding competition with the PRC. MATERIALS REFERENCED: -- The Commission's 2025 Annual Report to Congress (available here: https://www.uscc.gov/annual-report/2025-annual-report-congress) BIOGRAPHIES: Randall Schriver is the Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security (IIPS) and a partner at…
5 Feb 2026 · 37 min
New Middle East Flashpoints
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Dana Stroul of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the changing shape of the new Syria, and what we can expect in terms of the looming showdown between the United States and Iran. BIO: Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, positions she assumed in February, 2024. She rejoined the Institute after serving from 2021-2023 as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, the Pentagon’s top civilian official…
15 Jan 2026 · 30 min
Making Sense Of What Happened In Venezuela
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Kamran Bokhari of the New Lines Institute regarding the Trump administration's unexpected early January operation to apprehend Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and the larger strategic implications of that move. BIO: Dr. Kamran Bokhari is Senior Director and a key founder of the New Lines Institute for Strategy & Policy. Previously, Dr. Bokhari served as Director of the Institute’s Analytical Development Department and played a pivotal role in establishing its M.A. program in Strategy & Policy, where he teaches three…
22 Dec 2025 · 39 min
Iran Is Down... But It Isn't Out
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with intelligence veteran and Iran expert Norman Roule about the state of Iran's strategic programs after the "Twelve Day War" with Israel, its mounting domestic troubles, and the durability of its strategic partnerships with Russia and China. BIO: Norman Roule served for 34 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to the Middle East in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. He held multiple senior intelligence assignments in Washington, as well as during over 15 years of overseas work. He…
11 Dec 2025 · 39 min
How China Stole Our Secrets
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with David Shedd, intelligence veteran and author of the new book The Great Heist , about China's systematic efforts to penetrate the U.S. economy and steal intellectual property. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: -- David R. Shedd and Andrew Badger, The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets (HarperCollins, 2025), https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-great-heist-david-r-sheddandrew-badger?variant=43738689273890. BIO: David R. Shedd is the former deputy director and acting director of the Defense…
13 Oct 2025 · 32 min
An Accelerating AI Arms Race
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Priyank Mathur of Mythos Labs regarding the growing global focus on artificial intelligence, where America stands currently, and what it means for our Great Power rivalry with the PRC. BIO: Priyank Mathur is Founder and CEO of Mythos Labs, a company that uses AI and strategic communications to combat global security threats. He advises senior leadership of governments, the United Nations and technology companies on AI and emerging technologies. Previously, Mr. Mathur served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary…
30 Sep 2025 · 31 min
The Ongoing Trouble With TikTok
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow (and former host) Michael Sobolik about the new deal over wildly popular social media app TikTok - and why national security concerns surrounding the Chinese platform still persist. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: — The White House, “Executive Order: Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security,” September 25, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/saving-tiktok-while-protecting-national-security/ . BIO: Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute.…
1 Sep 2025 · 28 min
The Scramble For The Arctic
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with AFPC Senior Fellow Alexander Gray about China's growing activities and interest in the Arctic region - and their implications for American security. BIO: Alexander Gray is a Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council, where his work focuses on U.S. security and defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific, U.S.-China competition globally, and U.S. defense strategy and modernization. He is also the CEO of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm he co-founded…
13 Aug 2025 · 27 min
China's Inroads In The Americas
China's Inroads In The Americas In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War College about what China (as well as Russia and Iran) is up to, politically and strategically, south of the U.S. border. BIO: Dr. R. Evan Ellis is Latin America Research Professor with the U.S. Army War College, where his research is focused on China's engagement with Latin America and other regional security issues. In the first Trump administration, he served on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff as the official responsible for Latin America and…
20 Jun 2025 · 25 min
How Israel’s Iran War Is Reshaping The Middle East
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Israeli Brigadier General (ret.) Eran Ortal regarding Israel’s long-running “shadow war” with Iran, its current campaign to eliminate the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, and what it might mean for the region - and for Great Power Competition. BIO: Brigadier General Eran Ortal is a visiting scholar at the American Foreign Policy Council. He is the former commander of The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He is also the founder of the Dado Center journal, a publication…
5 Jun 2025 · 29 min
Africa As Battleground
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Joseph Asunka of Afrobarometer regarding political trends in Africa, and how the continent has become a vital arena of Great Power Competition between the U.S. and China. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: -- Afrobarometer's African Insights 2024 flagship report ( https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/african-insights-2024-democracy-at-risk-the-peoples-perspective/ ) BIO: Joseph Asunka has served as CEO of Afrobarometer since April 2021. He was previously program officer in the Global Development and Population…
16 May 2025 · 28 min
Dissecting China’s “Neighborhood Diplomacy”
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Eric Olander of the China-Global South Project about how Beijing is intensifying its engagement with South and Southeast Asia as part of a growing focus on its immediate periphery. BIO: Eric Olander is Editor-in-Chief of the China-Global South Project ( www.chinaglobalsouth.com ), a non-profit independent multimedia organization dedicated to exploring every aspect of China’s engagement with the Global South. He is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience reporting, producing, and managing newsrooms for some of the…
17 Apr 2025 · 27 min
Maneuvering In The Middle East
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Amb. Ryan Crocker, former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, among other places, about how Great Power Competition intersects with a changing Middle East. BIO: Amb. Ryan Crocker served as U.S. ambassador to Lebanon (1990–1993), Kuwait (1994–1997), Syria (1998–2001), Pakistan (2004–2007), Iraq (2007–2009) and Afghanistan (2011–2012). He is a member of the Afghanistan War Commission, a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International…
29 Mar 2025 · 28 min
The View From New Delhi
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America, about how an emerging and increasingly ambitious India sees China, Russia, Iran, America and its own place in the world. BIO: Dhruva Jaishankar is Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America), which he helped establish in 2020, and is the author of Vishwa Shastra: India and the World (Penguin India, 2024). He previously held positions or affiliations with Brookings India, the German Marshall Fund, and the…
11 Mar 2025 · 30 min
Navigating The New Transatlantic Divide
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Andrew Michta of the Atlantic Council on the growing divisions between the U.S. and Europe, and what it might mean for Ukraine, Russia and beyond. BIO: Andrew A. Michta is a senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the former dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. He holds a PhD in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. His areas of expertise include…
19 Feb 2025 · 35 min
Fighting Back Against Digital Authoritarianism
In this episode, a rebroadcast of the most recent DISINFORMATION WARS, host Ilan Berman speaks with Laura Cunningham, President of the Open Technology Fund, about how authoritarian regimes are improving their censorship game - and how technology is helping free media fight back against this growing digital authoritarianism. MATERIALS REFERENCE IN THIS EPISODE: — “Does Bypassing Internet Censorship in China Change Individual Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviors?” Stanford University China Brief, May 1, 2023 (…
5 Feb 2025 · 31 min
The Limits Of The “No Limits” Partnership
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Michael Kimmage of the Kennan Institute about the dynamics of, and potential problems with, the burgeoning strategic alliance between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Xi Jinping’s China. BIO: Michael Kimmage is the director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He was previously a Professor of History at the Catholic University of America and a Non-resident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2014 to 2016, he served on the Secretary's Policy…
31 Jan 2025 · 5 min
New Year, New Host... Expanded Focus
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, new host Ilan Berman introduces himself, and makes the case for taking a broader view of the "great power" challenge confronting the United States.
S1 · E42 · 31 Dec 2024 · 47 min
Moving on...
In his final episode as host of GREAT POWER PODCAST, Michael Sobolik says goodbye to AFPC and to the podcast's listeners, and offers a retrospective of recent counter-Chinese Communist Party policy developments in Washington, DC.
S1 · E41 · 12 Dec 2024 · 46 min
China and Supply Chains
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Niklas Swanström about America’s supply chain dependencies on Beijing, related threats to national security, and what it would take to build out alternative supply chain networks. Guest biography Dr. Niklas Swanström is the Director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, and one of its co-founders. He is a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political…
S1 · E40 · 22 Oct 2024 · 1 hr 4 min
World on the Brink
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik interviews Dmitri Alperovitch about his book World on the Brink , how Russia's war in Ukraine impacts Taiwan's political future, and how America should compete to win "Cold War II" with the Chinese Communist Party. Guest biography Dmitri Alperovitch is currently serving as the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a non-profit think tank focused on advancing American prosperity and global leadership in the 21st century and beyond. Alperovitch is the author of a new book World on the Brink: How America…
S1 · E39 · 6 Sep 2024 · 57 min
Where is America's "Sputnik Moment" with China?
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik interviews Jerry Hendrix about the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957, the popular and governmental response to it, and what this history means for America's new cold war with Beijing today. Guest biography Dr. Henry J. “Jerry” Hendrix, PhD is a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute. He is also a retired Navy Captain, having served 26 years on active duty following his commissioning through the Navy ROTC program at Purdue University. During his career Hendrix served in a variety of maritime patrol aviation…
S1 · E38 · 14 Aug 2024 · 37 min
What does "America First" actually mean?
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik chats with Alex Gray, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council, about "America First," President Trump's foreign policy, and America's relationship with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Guest biography Alexander B. Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm that he co-founded with former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. In addition to the day-to-day management of the firm, Mr.…
S1 · E37 · 27 Jun 2024 · 53 min
Big Tech's China Addiction
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Geoffrey Cain about Big Tech in America, how these corporate giants have enabled Beijing's rise, and what policymakers should do to reign them in. Guest biography Geoffrey Cain is an award-winning foreign correspondent, author, technologist, and scholar of East Asia. His first book, Samsung Rising: The Inside Story of the South Korean Giant That Set Out to Beat Apple and Conquer Tech , from a decade of his coverage of the world’s largest technology conglomerate, was longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey…

About Great Power Podcast

Great Power Podcast is a English news podcast from American Foreign Policy Council. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: American Foreign Policy Council
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 1 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1593214289
Rights: American Foreign Policy Council

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