Three Questions

Nine months after the US seizure of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has largely slipped from the headlines. Oil production in the country is steadily rising, however, and talks over a political transition are inching forward under the government of Delcy Rodríguez. The stakes could hardly be higher: Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves. But is this oil-driven recovery actually reaching ordinary Venezuelans? Can the country's politics hold together if a true democratic transition remains on a distant horizon? And can Washington use its leverage to build a lasting partnership, or will it miscalculate, pressing for terms that Venezuelans find unacceptable?In this episode, Paul Saunders speaks with Richard Sanders, Senior Fellow for the Western Hemisphere at the Center for the National Interest. Sanders is a former member of the Senior Foreign Service. He served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Mark A. Milley from 2016-18. Prior to that, he served as Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, from 2013-14 and as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2014-16. Earlier assignments include service in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Spain.Music by Sonican from Pixabay.

A cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover last year cost the British economy £2 billion. Had a Russian drone bombed a British oil refinery at a fraction of that damage, NATO would have invoked Article 5. But because a cyber attack isn't kinetic, it doesn't count. That gap between how much damage hostile states can do and what states are prepared to call an "act of war" is now the cheapest, fastest exploit in so-called "hybrid" warfare, and the hackers conducting these attacks are often teenagers. What happens when hostile states can recruit the world's most capable hackers faster than western democracies? And why are democracies moving so slowly to recognize and deploy ethical hacking?In this episode, Paul Saunders speaks with Fergus Hay, the CEO and Co-Founder of The Hacking Games, a platform that is reshaping the future of cyber talent by redirecting teens from cybercrime to deploying their skills in ethical hacking. Hay is also Director of the Defence and Security Forum and one of the architects of The Resilience Imperative (non-profit) focused on rebuilding the UK's national security infrastructure.Music by Sonican from Pixabay.

In late August, President Trump sent the US-Saudi 123 agreement for civil nuclear cooperation to Congress, beginning a 90-day legislative countdown after which the deal enters into force. The deal — signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in July — establishes a framework for American companies to sell nuclear technology to Riyadh. In the process, Saudi capital would help finance America's own nuclear buildout, including the domestic enrichment capacity needed to wean US dependence on Russian fuel. But the agreement arrives at a fraught moment. As the war with Iran drags on, America’s Gulf partners are growing increasingly uncertain about Washington’s commitment and capabilities in the region. Is nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the national interest? Should Washington condition the deal on Saudi normalization with Israel, as Trump suggests? And does the agreement make nuclear weapons proliferation more likely?In this episode, Paul Saunders makes the case that the agreement is worth having on both commercial and strategic grounds. Saunders is the president of the Center for the National Interest and an expert with more than three decades of experience in foreign policy. He previously served in the George W. Bush Administration from 2003 to 2005 as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs.Music by Sonican from Pixabay.

Over four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies have begun issuing public warnings about the threat of a Russian escalation against NATO before the end of the decade. With Washington seeking to reduce its conventional forces on the continent and weapon delivery timelines slipping beyond 2030, these intelligence assessments have raised urgent and uncomfortable questions: what does Europe still need from the US, and what capabilities can it now do on its own? Are Europe's militaries in worse shape than they believe, or better? And what will it actually take to deter Russia?In this episode, Paul Saunders speaks with Joshua Huminski, Senior Vice President for National Security and Intelligence at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPC). Huminski is also the Director of the Mike Rogers Center for Intelligence & Global Affairs at CSPC, founded by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers. He is revising his first book manuscript, tentatively titled "Continental Drift: Trump and the Crises of European Defense," which is slated for publication in spring of 2027.Music by Sonican from Pixabay.

The era of corporate activism is fading. On most issues, this shift toward political neutrality is welcome, but not when the issue is China. Virtually every major global firm now carries dependencies on both Washington and Beijing, and in a genuine crisis, both governments will move to leverage those dependencies to their own advantage. Companies that imagine neutrality will preserve their independence will find there is no sideline to stand on. Which sectors are most exposed to U.S.-China competition? Is foreign ownership of U.S. companies something we can live with, or is it a problem Washington should address? And can regulation ever move fast enough to keep pace with the competition it is meant to manage?In this episode, Paul Saunders speaks with Isaac Stone Fish, the CEO and founder of Strategy Risks. Formerly a Beijing correspondent for Newsweek, Stone Fish spent seven years living in China. He is the author of a recent piece in The National Interest, "Companies May Become Neutral on US-China Competition Again. That's a Bad Thing."Music by Sonican from Pixabay.