One Decision

The United States' longest foreign war came to an end as the last American troops departed Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base on August 15, 2021. On the same day, Taliban forces breached the walls of Kabul, taking full control of the country as President Ashraf Ghani fled. One Decision sits down with the former Vice President of the National Assembly, Fawzia Koofi, and former U.S. Marine and investor in the country, Jake Cusack, who also helped to rescue hundreds fleeing the extremist group's return to power. They delve into President Biden’s much-criticized decision to proceed with pulling out American troops and consequences it has had on the country, as well as America's standing around the world. Resident analyst Sir Richard Dearlove, who led the British intelligence agency MI6, also weighs in on what may lie for Afghans under Taliban rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Browder was the largest foreign investor in Russia until 2005, when he was denied entry to the country for exposing corruption in Russian state-owned companies. Browder's colleague Sergei Magnitsky uncovered a massive tax scam totalling hundreds of billions of dollars, and the officials he accused of stealing the funds threw him into jail, where he was beaten, tortured, and then died in custody in 2009. Browder decided to act, pushing for accountability of those involved in Magnitsky’s death. Browder’s activism has led to the passing of the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the US government to sanction international government officials believed to be behind human rights violations. Julia Macfarlane sits down with Browder to discuss his work targeting corrupt Russian officials while Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's Mi6, shares his insight on the complex trails of Russian money, who's hiding it, and who has access to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taiwan has leaders worldwide concerned that it will provoke China and lead to a potential military conflict with the United States. One Decision's Julia Macfarlane and former Head of British Intelligence Sir Richard Dearlove sit down to analyze the motives and possible dangers of the visit. Sir Richard reveals why he thinks the trip is more than just a symbolic message and under what circumstances the rhetoric between the US and China could lead to a potential military conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a wave of European support for Ukraine, Hungary has emerged an outlier; refusing to send weapons to Kyiv or cut off Russian oil supply. Newly re-elected Prime Minister Viktor Orban has openly spoken of his admiration for Russia’s President Putin, and described himself as the leader of “an illiberal democracy.” So does that leave Budapest more closely aligned with Brussels or Moscow? Guest co-host Helena Humphrey sits down with Klara Dobrev, a Hungarian left-wing politician and MEP, to talk about her recent decision to put her hat in the ring, and challenge Orban himself. Meanwhile One Decision's Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's Mi6, shares his insight on Orban's true motives, who his real friends are among the looming potential energy crisis, and predicts the future of Britain's leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NATO's former Director General of Military Staff, General Hans-Werner Wiermann sits down on this bonus episode for a look back on the tumultuous times he and the Alliance have endured over the last several years. From the American withdrawal from Afghanistan to China's increasingly aggressive posture, the General shares some of the lessons he learned and the threats the West will likely face over the next decade. He also delves into Russia's strategy in Ukraine and what it will take to push Putin's forces back to their side of the border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While foreign correspondent Laura Haim is on assignment in Paris reporting on the effects of the war in Europe, she's also been following the story of a small coastal village in the South of France that's drawn Russians for years - and not just wealthy Russians, but some of the world's most notorious Russian oligarchs. However, with the war in Ukraine, the town is in a state of flux. With sanctions in place, many Russians' have had their assets frozen - making it hard to maintain their estates. For these oligarchs, where they are headed now has been the subject of growing speculation and reporting. Laura sits down with Louise Shelley, director of the transnational crime and corruption center at George Mason University, who is an expert witness on how Russian money is laundered through real estate, and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's Mi6, to discuss where Russian oligarchs are fleeing to and why, what countries are letting them in, and the potential of corruption in Ukraine during rebuilding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US President Joe Biden promised to make a “pariah” out of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is widely held responsible overseas for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the brutal war in Yemen, a rise in mass executions and other human rights abuses in the Kingdom. But at a time when inflation is soaring, global oil prices are surging and China is courting the Gulf - can Biden and the US afford to isolate Saudi Arabia and ignore the Middle East? One Decision's Julia Macfarlane and former head of Britain's MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, sit down with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, Axios’ political reporter Hans Nichols, and Washington DC’s Director of Human Rights Watch, Sarah Yager, to unpack what really happened on Biden’s trip and its global implications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, China has been marking the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, from British rule back to China. For many Hong Kongers, this was not a day of celebration - including for Samuel Chu, a Hong-Kong born American activist, founder and President of the non-profit group Campaign for Hong Kong. His father, a retired pastor, was one of the leading figures behind the Occupy Central movement, the pro-democracy mass movement that sparked the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong back in 2014. As the first foreigner wanted by China under China's National Security Law, Samuel joins Julia Macfarlane to discuss how China’s actions in Hong Kong may inform Taiwan’s future, while Sir Richard Dearlove reveals new details about the negotiations and his scepticism of China during this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago, Charlene Chu, dubbed the 'rockstar of Chinese debt analysis' sent shockwaves across the world by sounding a warning over China's escalating debt problem and the risk it presented to the global financial system. Today, two years after the outbreak of the covid pandemic, in the midst of a war in Europe, and a worldwide supply-chain and energy crisis, President Xi is grappling with his zero-covid policy and easing China back into business. But one of the biggest worries that senior analysts like Chu have, is the precarious property bubble that threatens to burst - potentially taking much of the Chinese, and even global, economy with it. Chu sits down with One Decision to give her forecast and warnings for 2022 and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Better late than never? As Nato members scramble to organize support and aid for Ukraine, Nato command has pledged to beef up the Eastern Flank - the Alliance's frontier against Russia. With the potential addition of Sweden and Finland - which may yet be stymied by Turkey - Nato's border with Russia looks set to double. For the countries on the edge, of what's known as the 'Eastern Flank', Nato needs to do more than just send more troops and hardware. Our team at the Nato summit in Madrid spoke to a number of leaders, ministers and representatives from across these nations. These are their views. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latvia, along with its fellow Baltic nations Estonia and Lithuania, has long raised the alarm on Russia’s expansionism. This week in Madrid, NATO heard its call. One Decision gets an exclusive interview with the President of Latvia Egils Levits, who tells us that Russia tends to respond to weakness - not strength. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia Macfarlane is in Madrid for the historic NATO summit as it’s considered to be the most important gathering of the alliance in a generation. One Decision secured exclusive interviews with world leaders, foreign ministers, ambassadors to discuss NATO’s new strategic concept, the reclassification of Russia as the greatest threat to the Euro-Atlantic area, and also the need for member states to invest in Defense as war returns to Europe once again. Together with her co-host Sir Richard Dearlove, former chief of Mi6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, they break down the biggest decisions coming out of Madrid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vladimir Putin's efforts to prevent NATO’s expansion suffered a dramatic setback this week as Finland and Sweden were formally invited to join the seventy-three-year-old alliance. Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, joins host Julia MacFarlane on this special edition of One Decision recorded at this week's historic NATO Summit to discuss why the Nordic country decided to abandon its decades old policy of neutrality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the start of what’s being billed as the most important Nato gathering in a generation, One Decision hosts a panel with former Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Director of Chatham House Robin Niblett, and The Times Defense Editor Larisa Brown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode before the NATO Summit Julia Macfarlane & Sir Richard Dearlove consider Bob Gates’s opinion that America is the biggest national security threat to itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Defense Secretary and Director of the CIA, Dr. Robert Gates, sits down exclusively with One Decision and shares his prediction on how Beijing is likely to apply the lessons Russia learned in Ukraine. Gates began his years as an expert on the Soviet Union, and led the Agency after the fall of the USSR. With host Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of MI6 and host Julia Macfarlane, Gates weighs in on the current conflict, with a warning for the west. While Macfarlane pushes both Gates and Dearlove on whether Iraq can be considered a success, and the consequences of our failure to secure the peace in Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is finding itself pulled in different directions - by Russia, one of its major trading partners. By the west, working to isolate Russia. All while navigating a tricky relationship with China, which has competing interests in the region. Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, discusses India’s options with One Decision's Julia Macfarlane who later gets the unfiltered analysis from host and former Chief of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The blockading of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa is having disastrous consequences, not just on Ukraine. Millions of people around the world live in countries that are overwhelmingly reliant on Ukrainian exports. The country, known as the breadbasket of Europe, ships cereals, grain and fertilizer around the world - as does Russia. The disruption of these goods flowing out of the region is impacting places in the African continent which are already struggling due to drought and failed crop harvests. One man can possibly put a stop to this - Vladimir Putin. We speak to two journalists covering Europe and global population and demographics - Maria Tadeo of Bloomberg and Stephanie Hegarty of the BBC. And of course with the smart takes of former Chief of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ukraine's under an unprecedented assault, on the ground, but also online. We spoke to the man in charge of protecting Ukraine's digital infrastructure, Victor Zhora, about how the country continues to fight Russian troops on the battlefield, and Russian hackers in cyberspace. Guest host Helena Humphrey speaks with Sir Richard Dearlove, who himself revealed on One Decision that he has been the subject of a personal targeted cyber-attack by the Russians, and his analysis on where Russian cyber warriors may next take aim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Admiral James Stavridis faced formidable threats from Russia while commanding NATO's forces in Europe. The former Supreme Allied Commander shares his insight into the critical decision facing the alliance's leaders as they prepare to meet in Madrid. He looks at how Putin is likely to respond to their latest moves and co-host Sir Richard Dearlove, who led the British intelligence service MI6 makes a major revelation about how Moscow has recently personally targeted him and other former national security leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sanctions have made it increasingly hard for Western firms to do business in Putin's Russia. But the Kremlin has warned companies from so-called “unfriendly states” may see their assets expropriated and nationalized, if they chose to cease operations. McDonalds, Shell, Mercedes, Koch Industries are among those grappling with their Russian operations. The former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove weighs in on why this may leave the former KGB officer in an even tougher spot economically and uncharacteristically shares how long he thinks the Russian leader can hang on to power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward speaks to One Decision after getting back from deployment in Ukraine, witnessing first hand how civilians have taken up arms and risen to the threat of Russian invasion with remarkable unity and grit. Putin's invasion so far is not going to plan - so where does she think he will be headed next? With analysis from co-host Sir Richard Dearlove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UK and US governments have declassified unprecedented intelligence on Moscow’s bloody campaign in Ukraine. Lifting the veil on Putin’s strategy and how it is playing out is having an impact on events on the ground - and has taken the Kremlin by surprise. Two perspectives from two veterans of Western intelligence. John Sipher served three decades in the CIA’s Clandestine Service, and during his career he was posted on the ground in Moscow, before eventually running the Agency’s Russia operations. He also served as Chief of several stations abroad. And our regular co-host Sir Richard Dearlove was the former Chief of MI6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lithuanian MP Matas Maldeikis speaks to One Decision about how the small Baltic country has triggered fury in Beijing with the decision to open a de facto embassy to Taiwan. Plus he gives us the view from Vilnius as the war next door between Ukraine and Russia rages on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

World-renowned author and expert Daniel Yergin joins Sir Richard Dearlove and Julia Macfarlane to discuss who holds the most cards when it comes to energy security and hard power. In the 70s, the west controlled the biggest stocks of fuel - now the majority comes from developing nations. As the Russia-Ukraine crisis exacerbates an already painful fuel crisis in Europe, One Decision examines how the big players use their resources as weapons of influence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Serbia receives a fresh delivery of Chinese weapons, One Decision explores Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic's recent reelection, his cozy relationship with Russia, and the tight-rope he's been walking on the path to EU accession. His decisions on which way Serbia turns could affect the stability of the region. Guest host Milena Veselinovic sits down with former US Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter and our resident analyst Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6 weighs in on the geopolitical importance of the former Yugoslav Republic at this critical time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Richard Dearlove who predicted Brexit and Trump has a feeling in his stomach far right candidate Marine Le Pen will beat current President Emmanuel Macron. Together with guest co-host Suzanne Lynch, co-author of Politico Brussels Playbook, they speak with Journalist and former spokesperson to Macron Laura Haim about what that might do for the future of France - and for Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Elders' Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland. She has spent decades fighting climate change. One Decision's Julia Macfarlane gets her take on China, Biden, & whether a world weary from COVID can rally the strength to make the sacrifices necessary to reduce carbon emissions. Plus the former head of the British spy agency Sir Richard Dearlove on the serious security and stability implications we are likely to see emerge from environmental issues in the coming years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been two years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the virus has quickly been replaced by two increasingly concerning crises that are redrawing the political and diplomatic map. The Washington Post’s Shane Harris and New Lines’ Hassan Hassan join Sir Richard Dearlove to consider how Putin’s gamble in Ukraine, coinciding with a global energy crisis that is battering households worldwide, is putting pressure on governments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Russian war on Ukraine has western leaders looking once again to the Middle East to ramp up oil supplies to bring relief at the gas pump as they try to squeeze Russia’s economy. But energy giant Saudi Arabia and its crown prince Mohammed bin Salman have so far been cool to western efforts to get him to pump more oil to get gas prices down. And the Arab Gulf states as well as Israel have been cautious to date about declaring allegiance in the struggle between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the West. Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Justin Scheck, co-author of a book on the Saudi crown prince: Blood & Oil: Mohammed bin Salman’s Ruthless Quest for Global Power, joins former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, and guest host Laura Rozen, to discuss how MBS and the Middle East are trying to navigate a world reshaped by the war in Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood used to rule. But now, American blockbusters often cannot break even without breaking into the Chinese box office. Not only that, sharp Chinese film executives who have studied decades of American success on the silver screen, are beating them at their own game. Erich Schwartzel has taken a deep dive on the growing links between Hollywood and China, the impact on freedom of expression, and how Beijing is weaponizing the arts to support its global strategic priorities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas speaks exclusively to One Decision on what it’s like being a small FSU state on the border with an increasingly aggressive Russia. As PM, he lobbied for Nato to step up its presence in the Alliance’s east - and secured Nato troop deployments in the Baltics for the first time in 2016 after the annexation of Crimea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Donald Trump quit the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showered him with praise. But now, a series of former Israeli security chiefs says the decision was a catastrophe. “The worst mistake of the last decade,” former Israeli Defense Minister Yaalon said. Former Israeli military intelligence Iran analyst Danny Citrinowicz says Israel didn’t really have any plan B for what to do after the US pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and Iran responded by growing its nuclear program with few constraints. He talks about how Israel and the United States cheered each other on to make a terrible mistake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vladimir Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine - sending shockwaves around the world. As Russian forces have shelled schools, administrative buildings and residential blocks, civilians on both sides have expressed horror at the sudden turn of events. As detention centers in Moscow and St Petersburg fill up with detained anti-war protesters, the casualties in Ukraine - and among the Russian Armed Forces - is beginning to grow. The EU, which until recently was accused of being divided and unable to respond cohesively to the threat, has sprung into action, imposing sanctions on oligarchs and cutting off Russia and its banking institutions from global finance. Even neutral Switzerland is freezing Russian assets, and Germany suddenly transformed its defence policy overnight - with Chancellor Olaf Scholz announcing a more than $100 billion fund to modernize Germany's defense forces. For now, Ukraine is holding off advancing forces - but things may change. Former Chief of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove considers Putin's options, and how the West ought to respond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last July, the President of Haiti was gunned down in his bedroom. The assassination plunged the already fragile country further into turmoil. Ambassador Daniel Foote, America's Special Envoy to Haiti quit his post just a few months later in protest at how the Biden Administration was handling the crisis. In an explosive interview, the former career diplomat opens up about the many mistakes and missed opportunities he witnessed while in office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montenegro is a young country where the stakes are especially high as the United States along with its NATO allies look to prevent a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Former Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Luksic shares the challenges and critical lessons learned from their independence to integration into NATO with our guest host from the Wall Street Journal, Vivian Salama. They take a close look at the current crisis in Ukraine and how the experience of freeing itself from Russia's nexus may provide valuable recommendations and even a roadmap for other nations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China’s growing power is a big concern for the West, but perhaps nowhere more so than Australia - US strategic partner and Five Eyes member. Julie Bishop, Foreign Minister between 2013-2018 talks to One Decision about Australia’s priorities in a western alliance post-Trump, and how the West needs to approach and counter, Beijing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach the 2022 Winter Olympics, it’s clear that the Chinese President wants the world to focus on China and sports - and not its record on human rights. In 2020 the US State Department accused Beijing of cultural genocide against its Uygher population. Former MI6 Chief Richard Dearlove explores how China is fighting to control the narrative, and the tactics Beijing uses to influence the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBA player Enes Kanter learned a lot about US values when he became a US citizen and changed his name to Enes Freedom. One of those is freedom of speech. But he says speaking out against the Beijing government, whom the US government accuses of cultural genocide, is considered out of bounds. Lifting the lid on the murky relationship between sports and sponsorship, Freedom tells all - including who has been pressuring him to stay silent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season we hear directly from some of the key decision makers - former world leaders, foreign policy experts, and leading voices calling for change - to talk about the decisions they’ve taken that have made global shockwaves. And we are also looking at what lies ahead…what are the BIGGEST decisions yet to be made that will have MASSIVE global impact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US Amb. Stephanie Turco Williams led fractured Libya through its dark days after war. Now, it’s on the cusp of a first-ever presidential election. But she is sounding a very loud alarm to the US and others—that democracy still desperately needs something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was it a very bad year? Or just a looong continuation of 2020?! You don’t want to miss this sharp, freewheeling roundtable on the most impactful decisions on our planet—and the not-so-obvious angles. With FT’s Gillian Tett. Politico’s Suzanne Lynch. And Sir Richard lets loose with some insights… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colombian Ambassador Francisco Santos delivers an extraordinary, insider wake-up-call to his South American neighbors: beware the Chinese bearing gifts. And to the US-- “It’s halftime and you’re losing 30 to nothing.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Saudis have entered the English football chat. And it’s not a very pretty one, we’re afraid. Two kick-ass British sports journos sound off on what we know, what all we don’t, how the Newcastle deal went down-- and what ought to happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Lucks faced death threats from the Far Right, on his long road to the Bundestag. At 24, he is now one of the fresh faces—and consciences—of Germany’s youngest-ever parliament. He speaks candidly on what’s coming—and what he wants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day after the September 11th attacks, then-NATO chief Lord George Robertson faced an existential question for the alliance: was this an attack on all? And if so, what to do? Lord Robertson, for the first time, shares details of his dealings with all the players of the time: Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell—even Vladimir Putin. Who wanted something… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liberia, Myanmar, Haiti, etc.—the trouble spots of the world are what Richard Gowan’s organization focuses on. And alerts the world to looming crises of violence, instability. But this time—the focus was right here at home. A controversial decision that pointed straight to Jan. 6th. Before it happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China has been getting everywhere. Investing in virtually every corner of the globe. And now, the Middle East. With 5G, and beyond. Expert and longtime diplomat Charles Dunne-- along with Britain’s former head of Mi6—get real, about what this means for the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patricia Moller, legendary American ambassador, describes a big decision she made that helped spark democracy in a West African country. Which, just fell to a military coup. Not good. Or—is it? Her words may surprise you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Adams needed one thing, to fight for justice for hundreds of thousands of victims and refugees in Myanmar. It was simple. But no one—no country in the entire world—would dare do it. Except, one day… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices