logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
46m 48s

Trump's Ukraine talks aim to divide Russ...

Ben Norton
About this episode
The US government's talks with Russia are more about China than Ukraine. Donald Trump admitted he wants to "un-unite" Russia and China, in a reverse of the divide-and-conquer strategy used by Nixon and Kissinger in the 1970s. Can Trump do it? Ben Norton explains why the United States sees China as the main threat to its global imperial dominance. VIDEO: htt ... Show More
Up next
Jul 10
As Trump threatens BRICS, it grows stronger, resisting US dollar and Western imperialism
US President Donald Trump has threatened heavy tariffs on BRICS, claiming the organization is "dead", but it is actually growing in size and influence. 10 members and 10 partners participated in the 2025 BRICS summit in Brazil, where they discussed plans for dedollarization, trad ... Show More
45m 45s
Jul 4
BRICS expands to majority of world population: Vietnam joins, USA fails to divide China & Vietnam
BRICS has expanded to 20 countries - 10 members and 10 partners - after adding Vietnam. BRICS+ now makes up 43.93% of world GDP (PPP) and 55.61% of the global population. Ben Norton explains how the US failed to divide China and Vietnam in the Second Cold War. VIDEO: https://www. ... Show More
23m 29s
Jul 1
Dedollarization: How Iran challenges US dollar dominance and the petrodollar system
Iran has used its status as a leading oil and gas producer to promote dedollarization, rejecting the US dollar and trading with China, Russia, India, and other BRICS members in their national currencies. Ben Norton explains the Western economic war on Iran, and Tehran's response. ... Show More
24m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
China Seems Unstoppable. Trump Thinks Otherwise.
Over the past week, President Trump avoided a trade war with Canada and Mexico. But he escalated a trade war with China.His reasoning? China has become more powerful in domestic manufacturing than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Britain combined.Keith Bradsher, ... Show More
27m 21s
Jul 9
Trump Calls Out Putin Over Ukraine
A.M. Edition for July 9. As Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine, President Trump is losing his patience with Vladimir Putin. Journal correspondent Matthew Luxmoore says the president is now considering sending an additional patriot missile system to Kyiv. Plus, the Trump ad ... Show More
15m 11s
Nov 2024
Trump’s National Security Team Takes Shape
Tommy and Ben process Trump’s reelection and the role foreign policy played in the outcome, highlight some awkward reactions from global leaders, and walk through what we know about Trump’s choices for top positions like Secretary of State, National Security Advisor and CIA direc ... Show More
1h 27m
Mar 2025
China Has Been Building Influence for Years. How Will Trump Respond?
While China has spent the past 12 years growing its friend circle through its $1 trillion Belt and Road infrastructure program, the U.S. has struggled to come up with a comprehensive response. Could President Trump’s more aggressive approach to diplomacy mean Beijing will meet gr ... Show More
21m 28s
Feb 2025
Putin’s Wildest Dreams Come True
Tommy and Ben discuss the seismic shift in US foreign policy that happened this past week after Trump announced that the US and Russia would directly negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine through talks that exclude Ukraine and Europe. They also explain how JD Vance’s first forei ... Show More
1h 35m
Nov 2024
Trump and the World
In this episode of Hold Your Fire! Richard is joined by Crisis Group experts Olga Oliker, Michael Wahid Hanna, Renata Segura, Ali Wyne and Amanda Hsiao to talk about Donald Trump's return to the White House and what it means for the world, whether the wars in Europe and the Middl ... Show More
56m 19s
May 21
Trump Said Peace in Ukraine Would Come Easy. It Hasn’t.
President Trump once approached the challenge of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine as a straight-ahead deal that he could achieve easily. But after months of trying, he’s signaling that he might actually walk away.Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy for The New York Time ... Show More
24m 27s
Feb 2025
Trump Says Putin Agrees to Talks to End Ukraine War
P.M. Edition for Feb. 12. President Trump says he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have agreed to open immediate talks to end the war in Ukraine. WSJ national security correspondent Nancy Youssef discusses what we know about the shifting U.S. stance. Plus, inflation in January w ... Show More
12m 5s
Mar 2025
Trump’s Ambitions for Greenland
Today on the show, former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt joins the show to discuss the Trump administration’s push to take over Greenland. She argues that the US could easily get more involved in the territory militarily without needing to take it over. Next, Alexander Dugin, R ... Show More
42m 58s