Talking Geopolitics
Episodes
The Geopolitics of Space
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The return of humans to space with the Artemis II's orbit around the moon has captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world. While explor...
Iran Update: The Strait of Hormuz Crisis and the Future of War
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As we enter the second month of war in the Middle East, bombs continue to fly, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens a global crisis. On ...
China, Iran and the Future of Taiwan
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With the long-awaited meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping delayed until May, all eyes are on the two giants and the long sha...
The Evolution of the Iran War
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The US-Israeli war with Iran has no end in sight as strikes on both sides continue. With Iran's capitulation failing to materialize and the IRGC's tru...
Hezbollah's End Game: Hilal Khashan Reporting from Lebanon
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As war rages in the Middle East, the future of Iran remains an open question. The same can be said for Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbol...
George Friedman on America's Real Iran Goals: Regime Change or Regional Reset?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began over the weekend, come after a protracted period of tension, negotiations and military build-up. T...
Where We Are in the Storm | ClubGPF Clip with George Friedman
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Americans are deeply divided, passions are running high, and many fear the Republic is failing. But is any of this actually new? In our recent ClubGPF...
Why Trump Is Not to Blame for Europe's Predicament
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Following the 2026 Munich Security Conference, the transatlantic alliance appears to be at a crossroads. With the Russian threat failing to manifest a...
Between Giants: The Middle Power Paradox
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At January's World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that the old world order is not coming back. He went on to say ...
Ukraine Peace Talks: Will Putin Accept a Loss?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, leaders from Russia, Ukraine and the United States will meet in Abu Dhabi for another round of peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukrai...
Why US-China Relations Will Define the Next Generation (2026 Forecast Preview)
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, Geopolitical Futures released its annual Forecast, which focuses on the most critical changes to the international order in the ye...
Unrest in Iran: A Tipping Point for the Middle East?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Widespread anti-government protests in Iran have been growing for weeks now in Iran, and the government crackdown has turned deadly. While protests he...
George Friedman on Why the US Cares About Venezuela, Cuba and Greenland
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With the new U.S. National Security Strategy published by the White House only a month ago, we're already seeing what America's vision for prioritizin...
Venezuela, Cuba, and the New Western Hemisphere Strategy
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America's new National Security Strategy reflects a fundamental change in U.S. policy. It prioritizes America maintaining its preeminence in the Weste...
George Friedman on Why the New U.S. National Security Strategy is Here to Stay
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America's new National Security Strategy reflects a fundamental change in U.S. strategy. The policy, published at the end of last week, prioritizes Am...
America's Next Crisis: George Friedman on Immigration, Technology and the Workforce
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his book, The Storm Before the Calm, Geopolitical Futures chairman and founder George Friedman explained the challenges that low birth rates and lo...
George Friedman on the Trump-Putin Peace Plan: Is It Now Or Never?
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If the peace proposal currently under negotiation to end the war in Ukraine feels like déjà vu, you're not alone. Throughout the year, hopes for a d...
George Friedman on the Trump-Putin Peace Plan: Is It Now Or Never?
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
[REUPLOAD] If the peace proposal currently under negotiation to end the war in Ukraine feels like déjà vu, you're not alone. Throughout the year, ho...
Ukraine Isn't the Only Frontline In Russia's War Against the West
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Russia's war with Ukraine is about to enter yet another winter. Meanwhile in the US, Donald Trump is turning his attention to Russia's southern border...
Defending the Pacific: George Friedman on Australia, Japan and the coalition against China
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian defense minister said this week that China's military defense build up required a response. China's defense spending has increased 13 f...
The 'Great Game' of our Era: The US, China and Russia
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The United States, China and Russia are the three main powers of the current era that are vying for dominance on the global stage, all with their own ...
Redefining the US-China Relationship: George Friedman on Geopolitical Shifts in East Asia
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Twelve out of ten." That's how President Trump described this week's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping—a bold rating for one of the most co...
US Forces Off the Coast of Venezuela: What's Really Going On?
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In recent weeks, tensions between the US and Venezuela have been growing. Several US military strikes have targeted boats in the Caribbean allegedly c...
Why America's Crisis Is Predictable: George Friedman on US Cycles & Trump's Role
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As GPF Chairman George Friedman has written about in recent months, the United States is trying to reduce its exposure in foreign conflicts. With the ...
Will Trump's Gaza Plan Work? George Friedman on Israel, Palestine and the Geopolitics of Peace
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two years ago this week, Hamas' October 7 attacks stunned Israel and the world. And now for the first time there is palpable excitement that the war i...
Putting George Friedman's Turkey Predictions to the Test: Kamran Bokhari on The Next 100 Years
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his 2009 book, The Next 100 Years, GPF Chairman George Friedman forecasted that Turkey would become the major power in the Middle East. As Trump dr...
George Friedman on Putin's NATO Provocations and Poland's Emerging Power
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Already this month, Russia has violated the airspace of three NATO countries: Estonia, Romania and Poland - twice. What is Russian President Vladimir ...
Israel's Pursuit of Strategic Depth | ClubGPF Preview with Kamran Bokhari
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
GPF contributor Kamran Bokhari recently wrote that massive geopolitical change has come to the Middle East in the form of the attack on Gaza, a weaken...
George Friedman on Israel's Attack on Hamas in Qatar, a US Ally
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In what could prove to be a pivotal moment for the Middle East, Israel has bombed Hamas leaders in Qatar. It is the first time Israel has struck in Qa...
George Friedman Unpacks Xi's Coalition of Anti-Western Powers
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, the leaders of countries like China, Russia, India and Pakistan arrived in Tianjin, China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ...
George Friedman on Why Trump's Tariffs on India Are Part of a Wider Geopolitical Game
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The impending 25 per cent tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil appears bold. While the US said its primary motivation was to h...
Will the US Face a Major War in the Next Decade? George Friedman on US Naval Readiness
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The United States military has gone through many evolutions, from technological to structural, over the decades. Maintaining dominance in the Atlantic...
George Friedman on the Real Stakes of the Trump-Putin Alaska Summit
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A long-awaited meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin is slated for this Friday in Alaska. The summit, which comes after three and a half years of...
Drug Wars: George Friedman on Why the Cartels Are So Hard To Destroy
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the Venezuelan group the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. President Trump has long considered ...
What does a desperate Putin do? George Friedman on Russia, Trump and Peace
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before he was elected for his second presidential term, Donald Trump promised to end the Ukraine war in one day. Last week, Trump gave Vladimir Putin ...
Are Xi Jinping's Days Numbered?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode of Talking Geopolitics, we turn our attention to China, where President Xi Jinping has been busy intensifying a crackdown on high-ran...
George Friedman on the Iran Strike: A New War or the End of One?
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Saturday US time, 7 B2 Spirit Bombers dropped more than a dozen Bunker Buster Bombs on Iran as part of a coordinated strike on three nuclear sites ...
Can Turkey and Saudi Arabia Be Friends? | ClubGPF Preview with Kamran Bokhari
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rivalry and alliances in the Middle East go back centuries and have shaped the geopolitics of this region in a major way. On this clip of a recent Clu...
Should Europe Fear Russia? George Friedman and Antonia Colibasanu from Romania
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. decision to recuse itself from European security has created something of a crisis on the continent. America wants European countries to pick...
From Turkey to Israel: US Imperatives in the Middle East | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman and Hilal Khashan
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to find a region facing as much widespread turmoil as the Middle East, both historically and in the modern world. As Geopolitical Futures' c...
After the Tariffs: What's Next for US-China Security and Economic Relations?
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The return of Donald Trump to the White House was always going to mean a new showdown between the world's two largest economies. But, after spiraling ...
George Friedman: What's Next for Russia, Ukraine and Europe?
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US-Ukraine minerals deal is done but a Russia-Ukraine peace deal is seemingly out of reach. Now the US is looking to scale back its involvement in...
Neighbors No More? The Shifting Ties of North America
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Like much of the world, North American geopolitics looks very different to six months ago. Tariffs, border issues and suggestions of US troops in Mexi...
Who's the Next Global Superpower? | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The next great power is in the making. Could the United States make room for the likes of China or even Iran as the next superpower? As GPF Chairman G...
America's Tariffs and Today's Global System | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the U.S., to Europe, China, the Middle East and Russia, relationships are being restructured due to changing geopolitical forces. As GPF Chairman...
George Friedman on How Geopolitics Drives Trump's Tariffs
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariffs, pushing the world's two biggest economies, ...
America in Transition: Trump's First 50 Days
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As we edge over the halfway point of Donald Trump's first 100 days in his second term in office, it's possible we're seeing the start of America's ter...
China's Power Projection: A Message to Donald Trump
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the world watches the Transatlantic Alliance continue to strain, America's allies to the West are wondering what it all means for them. Analysts Vi...
George Friedman: Why Putin Has Lost the War in Ukraine
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Oval Office bust up, you might think the war in Ukraine is going rather well for Vladimir Putin. But, acc...
George Friedman: Trump is Just Reacting to Changing Global Realities
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One month into Donald Trump's second term, even those who closely followed his first time in office have struggled to keep up. Foreign policy shifts a...
George Friedman: World Without an Anchor
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historically, nations did not conduct themselves without aligning with or getting their bearings in relation to a power system that drove the world; a...
Poland's Emerging Power | ClubGPF Podcast+ Bonus with Antonia Colibasanu
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few decades, Poland has seen its economy grow and its military expand. With Donald Trump returning to the White House next month and the...
What's Next for Iran? ClubGPF Bonus with Kamran Bokhari
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Israel's decimation of Hezbollah's leadership and war-making capabilities has paved the way for a massive altering of the geopolitical landscape in th...
George Friedman on Trump, Europe, and the Shifting World Order
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From London to Warsaw, Paris to Kyiv, last week's election of Donald Trump for a second time in the U.S. has sent European leaders scrambling. With th...
Shadows of Power: George Friedman on Russia, the Middle East, and the Rise of Non-State Actors
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At GPF we have a distinct method for looking at the world, and every day we see this model play out in real time, like in the current conflicts in the...
Beyond Borders: Migration and Europe's Far Right Surge | ClubGPF Bonus with Ronan Wordsworth
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The European far right has had one of their best electoral years since the Second World War. What could it mean for European geopolitics, and how does...
Fragile Alliances: America, Hungary, and a History of European Conflict
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In order to survive generation after generation, the nation of Hungary has had to maintain a unique balancing act within Central Europe. In our recent...
Israel and Hezbollah Escalation | ClubGPF Podcast+ Bonus with Hilal Khashan
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will the Israel-Hamas War spread across the region? After months of Hezbollah and the IDF exchanging fire, attacks have escalated in recent weeks. Mid...
The Future of French Geopolitics | ClubGPF Podcast+ Bonus with Antonia Colibasanu
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With a unique position both geographically and economically in Europe, France remains an important player on the world stage. Although it has key role...
Global Security Challenges – A U.S. Military Perspective | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman and Colonel Scott Leonard
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From the war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and the potential for conflict in the Pacific, the U.S. military is involved to a certain deg...
AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific | ClubGPF Podcast+ Bonus with Ronan Wordsworth
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the geopolitical implications of the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States? In our most recent Podcas...
The Changing Landscape of Threats | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman and Rear Admiral Doug Fears
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Geopolitical and national security threats are constantly changing and evolving, sometimes it's hard to keep up. In this ClubGPF live discussion, Rear...
ISIS Threats and Hindu Nationalism in India | ClubGPF Podcast+ Bonus with Kamran Bokhari
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's on the horizon for the world's largest democracy? In our most recent Podcast+ episode for ClubGPF members, GPF contributor Kamran Bokhari joine...
Turmoil in the Middle East | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman and Hilal Khashan
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Middle East expert Hilal Khashan wrote in his January 23rd piece titled 'The Middle East as a Powder Keg' that resolving the region's issues will be o...
The Challenges of Intelligence | ClubGPF Preview with George Friedman
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do intelligence failures happen? What are the ramifications for such failures? In our recent ClubGPF discussion, GPF Chairman George Friedman exam...
Geopolitics in the 21st Century | The Emerging World Order Bonus with George Friedman
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman and host Christian Smith recently sat down to focus in on the big picture of geopolitics. There is a new order coming, but un...
Geopolitics in the 21st Century | The Rise of Geoeconomics Bonus
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic in many ways caused shifts in the global economic system. Are we still living in pandemic economics? GPF's Antonia Colibasanu broke down ...
Special Edition: Israel at War | George Friedman on Where the Conflict Goes from Here
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the world reels from the shocking violence in Israel and Palestine, Geopolitical Futures brings you a special edition of Talking Geopolitics. GPF C...
Geopolitics in the 21st Century | Tensions Across Eurasia Bonus Clip 2
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talking Geopolitics host Christian Smith recently sat down with GPF Chairman George Friedman for a deeper look at the current movements, motives and p...
Geopolitics in the 21st Century | Tensions Across Eurasia
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talking Geopolitics is back with a subscriber-only limited series on some of the key issues in geopolitics today. Today we're sharing a clip of this m...
The Geopolitics of Natural Disasters
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the geopolitical impacts of natural disasters? On this free preview of our ClubGPF podcast+, Dir. of Analysis Allison Fedirka and COO Antonia...
Listen Again: Understanding China
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are revisiting one of our most popular episodes to date. Chairman George Friedman explores China's relationship with both the United Stat...
Lebanon's Bleak Future; Midterm Forecast Report Card
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A year removed from a massive explosion in Beirut, Middle East expert Hilal Khashan discusses the dire situation in Lebanon and its larger impact on t...
The Importance of Cuba; A Central Asian Shuffle
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman discusses the recent protests in Cuba and dives into the past, present, and future of its geopolitical importance. Analyst Ek...
Money Talks in the EU; Giants Set Up Camp in the Himalayas; The Great Game Returns?
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman analyzes the debate surrounding the future of the European Central Bank's emergency coronavirus bonds program and how it stri...
Curiosity in the Middle East; Africa's Shifting Geopolitics
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How secure is the new Middle East power balance ushered in by the Abraham Accords? How much does the U.S. care? Chairman George Friedman explains how ...
Echoes of the Congress of Vienna; Implications of a Unified European Army
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman explains how, following the defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna shaped an entire continent and why its reflection can ...
Belarus Takes a Risk; Alliances in the Western Pacific; The Future of South American Trade
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman explains why necessity is the mother of alliances for the US, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines in the Pacific. Eurasia...
Special Episode | The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Past, Present and Future
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman and Senior Analyst Hilal Khashan explore the geopolitics behind the violence in Gaza and its potential strain on the region. ...
Germany Then and Now; Nuclear Deals and Iran's Proxies
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the anniversary of VE Day, Chairman George Friedman discusses his recent article on Germany and explains why the nation's desire to fly under ...
Russia - Bully, Trickster or Victim?
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talking Geopolitics dives deep into Russia's geopolitics. Chairman George Friedman explains modern Russian foreign policy and the historic attitudes s...
Understanding China
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chairman George Friedman explores China's relationship with both the United States and Russia, as well as its tendency towards isolation. East Asia Ex...
The Ripple Effect of the Alhambra Decree; Cycles of American Society and Politics
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Managing Editor Cole Altom and Director of Analysis Allison Fedirka discuss the Alhambra Decree and its ties to Colonialism. Chairman George Friedman ...
A Guide for Geopolitical Analysis; Consistency in Foreign Policy
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith discusses Geopolitical Futures' Chief Operating Officer Antonia Colibasanu's new book, Co...
The Rise and Fall of Nations; The Future of Rare Earths
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith discusses the geopolitics of rare earths with East Asia expert Phillip Orchard; Managing ...
Cuba Back in the Spotlight; Fundamentals of Geopolitics
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Geopolitics is our bread and butter. It's also a term easily thrown around without accurately conveying its meaning. On this first episode of the new ...
Introducing Talking Geopolitics: Series Trailer
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talking Geopolitics is a bi-monthly non-partisan podcast brought to you by Geopolitical Futures, an online publication founded by internationally reco...
Leighton Smith and George Friedman on The Storm Before the Calm
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
NewsTalk NZ's Leighton Smith talks with Geopolitical Futures Chairman George Friedman on his new book, The Storm Before the Calm: America's Discord, t...
The Precarious Germany-Russia Relationship
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since the end of the Cold War, Germany and Russia have tried to balance a robust economic relationship with contradicting political agendas in Europe....
The State of the Middle East Amidst US-Iran Tensions
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
GPF founder George Friedman, Hezbollah expert Hilal Khashan and analyst Caroline Rose examine the ramifications of the US escalating tensions with Ira...
India and Iran's Water Problem
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jacob Shapiro and Xander Snyder are back at it to talk climate change, water scarcity in India and Iran, and the future of the Arctic. Sign up for fre...
George Friedman on the Leighton Smith Podcast
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Newstalk ZB's Leighton Smith brings GPF Chairman George Friedman back on his podcast to discuss the latest geopolitical events in China as push comes ...
Podcast test
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Latest on North Korea and Iran
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jacob L. Shapiro welcomes Xander Snyder and Phillip Orchard onto the podcast to discuss the latest on U.S. relations with North Korea and Iran. Sign ...
Podcast test
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=9512804
The Geopolitics of Deadwood
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Join Cole, Jacob, and Phillip on this auspicious April Fools' Day for a discussion of the Geopolitics of Deadwood. No unauthorized cinnamon. To rea...
The Brexit That Never Ends
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cole hosts Phillip, Jacob, and Ryan to talk about the latest developments on the Brexit soap opera. Other exciting topics include Turkey's economy and...
Is Democracy Failing?
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
CEO George Friedman joins the podcast to talk about whether democracy is failing in the United States and in Europe.
The New Silk Road Runs Through Italy?
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jacob, Cole and Xander discuss why the Belt and Road Initiative isn't China's Marshall Plan, what is and is not boring about Brexit, and ho...
Leighton and George, Part II
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After focusing on China in Part I, George and Leighton are at it again, this time talking about the US, Brexit, and a host of other important geopolit...