FP Live

On Aug. 22 at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris will take the stage to officially accept her party’s nomination. After a week of speeches, will a new Democratic foreign policy take shape? FP’s Ravi Agrawal was joined by Anne-Marie Slaughter, the CEO of New America and a former head of the U.S. State Department’s policy planning team, and Matt Duss, a former foreign-policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

From Northern Ireland to Syria, Barbara F. Walter has studied the genesis of civil wars around the world. The conditions that foment conflict are predictable, she says—and there are signs that those conditions are growing increasingly visible in the United States. Can citizens and institutions stave off violence? Walter joined FP Live to lay out lessons for the United States in a crucial election year.

The United States has undergone a dramatic change in its China policy in the last decade. How does that play out in day-to-day diplomacy? Nicholas Burns has served as the U.S. ambassador to China since 2022. He will sit down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal in a rare long-form interview to discuss the state of the U.S.-China relationship, encompassing trade, technology, Taiwan, and more.

How do the economic policy agendas of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump compare? Economist Adam Posen joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss how the next president of the United States will impact the global economy.

Fears of all-out conflict in the Middle East have grown since Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in an Iranian guesthouse on July 31. With a new president only recently inaugurated in Tehran, how will Iran respond? Leading Iran scholar Trita Parsi joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal in conversation to discuss new threats of escalation, as well as the regional implications. 

If Republican nominee Donald Trump becomes the next president of the United States, how will he design his foreign policy? Which advisors will he lean on? Elbridge Colby was a Pentagon official under former President Trump. Today, he argues that the Biden administration’s foreign policy isn’t delivering. Instead, he contends, U.S. foreign-policy strategy should put Americans first. Colby joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an in-depth conversation.

Few countries in the world are as adept at interpreting China’s foreign policy as Singapore. At this year’s Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, FP’s Ravi Agrawal sat down with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen. The two discussed the U.S.-China relationship as well as American soft power in Southeast Asia.

Amid Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, most NATO members are upping their defense spending to a minimum of 2 percent of their respective GDPs. Canada is increasingly seen as lagging behind. FP’s Ravi Agrawal asked Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair about his nation's spending.

Whether you know it or not, you’ve seen the work of portrait photographer Platon. Gracing magazine covers and protest signs, his photos of world leaders and cultural icons capture the truth behind the cliche “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Platon sits down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to describe what drives his art and how he connects with his subjects, no matter how powerful they may be.

Ahead of the NATO summit that begins on July 9, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski will join FP Live to discuss the war in Ukraine, the future of Europe, and the continent’s alliance with the United States. Sikorski also contributed to FP's latest issue, which will address the issue at the heart of this conversation: Can Europe fend for itself?

After 2024's first presidential debate, FP's Ravi Agrawal sat down with two foreign observers of American politics to process Joe Biden and Donald Trump's performance and how it's seen globally.

What went wrong with capitalism? Author Ruchir Sharma argues that by simultaneously serving as regulator, borrower, and spender, the government has distorted the economy and created a system of “socialized risk.” He joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an in-depth conversation about his book.