The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series

Armenia and Azerbaijan have some "history" together...and not in a good way. As the Ukraine War ramps up and stress is added to the Russian system, will we see the Armenians and Azerbaijanis creating some new history? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ask-peter-will-azerbaijan-try-to-take-nagorno-karabakh-from-armenia

The news of a "new" Chinese listening post in Cuba sparks the question: why is Cuba so important to the US? No, we're not talking about cigars. We're talking about Cuba's role in American strategic planning. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/a-chinese-listening-post-in-cuba-what-it-means-for-the-us

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to China to attempt to reset relations. He's getting flack from both sides, and I won't talk about that, but I do want to bring up three things... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/mr-blinken-goes-to-beijing

We're talking about agriculture today, specifically the ban that five EU countries just placed on Ukrainian exports. With Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania dropping this hammer, I would expect Ukraine exports to fall by up to 90%. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/5-eu-countries-ban-ukrainian-agriculture-exports

This is the first of the "Ask Peter" series, so I figured we'd kick it off with a two-parter. First, what's the likelihood of Putin getting assassinated? Second, how is Russia's demographic situation? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ask-peter-will-putin-disappear-and-updates-on-russian-demographics

Let's just say that our old friend Smokey Bear wouldn't be too happy with the Canadians this past week. And these fires are likely only the beginning of a very long summer of low air quality. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/north-american-fires-cause-a-smoky-start-to-summer-in-the-us

If reading the headlines gave you some major déjà vu...welcome to the club. Trump is getting hit with a series of new indictments, but will it impact the election? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/how-will-donald-trumps-new-indictments-impact-the-election

As countries across the globe peeled back COVID restrictions, many of those economies saw huge (and much-needed) bumps. With China approaching six months since lifting its lockdown, the question on everyone's mind is why hasn't the world’s second-largest economy seen an economic bump? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/post-covid-china-will-the-economy-bump-or-slump

The Ukrainian counter-offensive is upon us, and there are three main assaults to follow. The first is purely strategic, and the others are a mix of strategic and emotional significance. Full Newsletter and graphic: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-ukrainian-counter-offensive-is-upon-us

I don't usually do this, but today I'm going to be talking about the #haters. We'll also dive a little deeper into the Kakhovka Dam that was destroyed by the Russians. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/of-dams-and-damn-trolls

On June 6th, the Russians destroyed the Nova Kakhovka Dam at the head of a large reservoir on the Dnieper River. This is a logical move for the Russians...at least in the short term. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-russians-go-scorched-earth-destroying-a-critical-dam-for-crimea

While in Helsinki, Secretary of State Blinken got some chuckles from the crowd (and me) when he said, "The Kremlin often claimed it had the second strongest military in the world, and many believed it. Today, many see Russia's military as the second strongest in Ukraine." Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/laughing-at-russia-wont-solve-all-of-ukraines-problems

What if I told you that Brazil's new tropical strain of wheat could cause the most significant shift to the technological power balance the world has seen in the past two centuries? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/peters-recap-june-week-1

In mid-May, the US Trade Representative established a trade initiative with Taiwan. While this isn't a full-blown trade deal, it represents the shift in US policy towards recognizing Taiwan as an independent country. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/taiwan-and-the-us-reach-a-trade-deal

There's a canal that runs from Kherson to the Crimean Peninsula and serves as the area's sole irrigation water source. And with how dry the region is, this canal is critical to the Crimean Peninsula. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-qa-series-canal

There's one massive hole we'll need to fill if the green movement will ever work in the US...mineral resources. Thankfully we just struck a deal with our Aussie allies, who happen to have many of the key minerals and resources we need. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/australia-strikes-a-greentech-deal-with-the-us

A group of ethnic Russians opposed to Putin's government joined forces with Ukraine and launched an assault across the border into the city of Belgorod. There are three main takeaways from this cross-border attack. Full Video and Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/russian-partisans-attacked-the-city-of-belgorod

As the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has learned a few tricks to curry favor from different countries. Their most recent endeavor is accepting the Chinese Yuan as payment for a few hundred million barrels of oil... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/is-saudi-arabia-ditching-the-us-dollar

The topic of de-dollarization is like the weird cousin no one wants to talk to at parties. They only come around once every year or two, and most of what they say is complete bulls***. But when the day comes that you need to take that weird cousin (aka de-dollarization) seriously, here are the three factors to look out for. Full Video and Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-truth-about-de-dollarization-and-what-you-need-to-know

We're talking US politics today, and for those who don't eat, sleep, and breathe politics (aka having a life), it's about the debt ceiling. Spoiler Alert: It will probably end the same way it always does... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-debt-ceiling-issue-will-the-us-gov-default

We're wrapping up our Ukraine War Q&A series with the most depressing question yet...how long can this war last? I have three answers for you...the dark, really dark, and truly dark. Full Video and Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-6

The fifth question of the Q&A series is...who is the ultimate provocateur in the Ukraine War? And I really hope this answer doesn't surprise anyone.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-5

The fourth question of the Q&A series is...why am I so worried about agriculture exports coming out of Ukraine? And if you get foodstuffs from Ukraine, why you should be really worried... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-4

The third question of the Q&A series is...what's going on in the city of Bakhmut? The city is in ruins, the bodies are stacking up, and the Russians still don't have much to show for it... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-3

Russia launched a volley of missiles into Ukraine overnight, and Ukraine was able to shoot down all the Kinzhals in the strike. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-shoots-down-russian-missiles

The second question of the Q&A series is...if Russia is such a massive producer of oil and oil products, why are we wasting time discussing supply issues? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-2

Question number one of the series is...what happened to the half million Russian soldiers I predicted would hit the battlefield by June? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-qa-series-1

Turkey's presidential elections are upon us. President Erdogan has run the country for nearly 20 years, but his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, hopes to shake things up. This could very well be a turning point for Turkish politics. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/turkeys-presidential-elections

When a country views a conflict as existential, putting a timeline on it is nearly impossible. So no matter how well (or bad) this Ukrainian counter-offensive plays out, we are only at the beginning of a long, drawn-out war. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-updates-part-3-whats-next-for-russia

Ukraine has done all the prep work to launch its counter-offensive against the Russians. Now they just need Mother Nature to do her part and let the ground firm up. So, I would expect the tanks to roll out at the end of May or June. Full Newsletter and graphic: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-updates-part-2-the-counter-offensive

The headlines of the week are all looking at the "Imminent Ukrainian Counterattack," and while there are many reasons to expect action from both sides....let's focus on the inevitables for today. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraine-war-updates-part-1-the-inevitables

With the demand for lithium growing, Chile is making moves to nationalize its lithium industry. This isn't just another money grab; it's a move to take control of the production process and move along the value-add chain. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/chile-plans-to-nationalize-its-lithium-industry

We’ve poked holes in the US system and talked about Russian intelligence declining, so today, let’s look at what the US dominates: signal intelligence (SIGINT). Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-united-states-dominates-signal-intelligence

The Soviets once boasted the most intricate and prolific human intelligence network in the world, but things have taken a turn since the end of the Cold War. So why can't Putin's Russia keep pace with its predecessors? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/russian-intelligence-capabilities-in-decline

What happens when you give a 21-year-old access to TOP SECRET documents? They end up leaking those documents on a gaming chat platform...shocking. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/top-secret-pentagon-documents-leaked-by-a-21-year-old

Since the onset of the Ukraine War, everyone's been checking under their bed and looking in their closet for the boogeyman - a.k.a Russian Hackers - but they haven't been there. Today's video is coming to you from Wānaka, New Zealand. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/where-are-all-the-russian-hackers

When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) releases its least optimistic report in the last 50 years, alarm bells should go off for everyone. IMF's projected global economic growth for the next year is 2.8%, and for the next five years is only 3%. The scariest part is that these numbers are likely overly optimistic.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/economic-growth-is-collapsing-around-the-world

The Iranians have seized the Advantage Sweet, a Turkish-owned oil tanker carrying roughly 800,000 barrels of Crude. The press release (or should I say 'slap on the wrist') issued by the US Navy should have the Chinese very concerned about their supply lines. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/iranian-seizure-of-oil-tanker-could-spell-disaster-for-china

To sell military equipment to the Russians, you have to be able to check a couple of boxes. First, you can't be worried about the political blowback from partnering with a genocidal, war-hungry country. Second, you either have a lot of extra supplies or are not worried about entering a war yourself. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/russia-almost-gets-military-supplies-from-egypt

I think I've found my favorite trail snack - Kikorangi Triple Cream Blue from Kapiti - I swear it will turn a 15-mile trek into a brisk walk. It just goes to show that as the world's top dairy exporter, New Zealand has its s*** figured out... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-new-zealand-dairy-industry

The terrain in northern Russia complicates building infrastructure enough. But in the aftermath of the Ukraine War (and without the West's involvement), I wouldn't expect this critical infrastructure in Russia to come back online in the next decade. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/crumbling-infrastructure-in-the-russian-taiga

The economics of green energy are vastly different from traditional fossil fuels, and we must understand their differences if the transition to green energy will ever be successful. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-economics-of-green-energy

The demographic situation in the Middle East can be explained by three factors: water, oil, and food. Water prevented the population from expanding. Oil generated the capital needed to industrialize and help the population grow. Food security will ruin all of this. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/demographics-part-10-problems-in-the-middle-east

Let's talk about El Salvador's new mega-prison filled with gang leaders, drug traffickers and the worst of the worst. Sounds great, right? Lock up the bad guys and throw away the key...but they may have just opened a whole new can of worms. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-mega-prison-of-el-salvador

What do Chicago, Denver, and DFW all have in common? Yes, they are all major metro areas in the US, but more importantly, they're colocated with green energy sources. As the world adopts more and more clean energy, these regions with localized energy sources will have a huge leg up on places that don't.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/clean-energy-in-chicago-why-windy-suburbs-matter

That pan-shaped state above Texas offers much more than just tornados and sports. The Sooner State has done most of the heavy lifting in establishing itself as an agricultural, precision manufacturing, and energy state. All that to say, Oklahoma is not only a leader in the US but globally as well. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/sooner-or-later-oklahomas-time-to-shine

Worried AI is going to steal your job and kick you to the curb? If you watched the video, you can probably see why I'm not worried about my job security. While AI is going to change the way we do a lot of things, it still needs some time before it's cracking the kind of nuanced jokes I'm famous for. Note: This video was recrorded prior to the GPT-4 update. Full Newsletter:

The American Southwest is primed to be one of the largest beneficiaries of the changes caused by deglobalization. However, everything in the American Southwest depends upon one thing...WATER.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-water-crisis-in-the-american-southwest

Europe's energy situation looked pretty dire last year as concerns began to mount over the impending winter season. Thankfully they dodged a bullet this year, but how many more bullets can the Europeans dodge? Horrible views today up on the Isthmus Peak Trail in New Zealand.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/dire-straits-energy-in-europe

The CCP is always watching...and no, I'm not talking about spy balloons today. Under the law in China, any company must cooperate with the government. So if you've got TikTok on your phone, you may want to watch your back. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/theyre-watching-you-the-tiktok-ban