Diplomatic Immunity
Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity is a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. We bring you "frank and candid" conversations on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers globally. We talk to current and former diplomatic officials, scholars, and analysts and seek to understand how best to foster international cooperation in an age of global crises. Hosted by Dr. Kelly McFarland Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.
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FDR and the Invention of National Security with Andrew Preston
06/26/2025
FDR and the Invention of National Security with Andrew Preston
Kelly talks with Andrew Preston about his new book, Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security. Preston explores how FDR revolutionized national security policy by connecting domestic New Deal programs to global defense strategies. Andrew Preston is a Professor of American History based at Clare College, Cambridge, where he focuses on the ideas and concepts that shape America's behavior in the world at both the elite and popular levels. He will shortly take up the Lyons Brown Jr. Distinguished Professor in Diplomacy and Statecraft at the University of Virginia. Andrew won the 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for his book Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy. Link to Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on June 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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The Pope's Spies: Yvonnick Denoël on the Vatican's Clandestine Operations
06/19/2025
The Pope's Spies: Yvonnick Denoël on the Vatican's Clandestine Operations
Kelly talks with Yvonnick Denoël about his new book, Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis, exploring the Vatican's little-known intelligence operations. Yvonnick is a French historian, publisher and intelligence specialist who has written on the CIA, Mossad, and espionage in the twentieth century. His new book uncovers a little-known side of Vatican history that saw the Holy See develop its own extensive espionage capability that still exists today. Link to Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on June 9, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Will Popular Elections Undermine Mexico's Court System? Plus updates on South Korea, Poland, and the Sahel
06/12/2025
Will Popular Elections Undermine Mexico's Court System? Plus updates on South Korea, Poland, and the Sahel
Interview with David Mora on Mexico's Judicial Elections: 27:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack key elections in Poland and South Korea, and examine the growing reach of an Al-Qaeda affiliate in West Africa. Kelly then sits down with David Mora to explore Mexico’s recent judicial elections and their implications for Mexican democracy and U.S.-Mexico relations. David Mora is the Senior Analyst for Mexico at the International Crisis Group. David researches organised crime, violence, corruption and conflict in the country, blending fieldwork and investigative reporting tools. He analyses and formulates policy strategies aimed at preventing, mitigating or resolving conflict. Originally an investigative reporter and documentary producer, David has eight years of experience in journalism, working for VICE News, NBC News, ProPublica and The Atlantic. His coverage of migration, criminal violence and corruption in Mexico has been recognised with some of the most prestigious journalism awards in the United States. Before doing journalism, he worked as a human rights researcher for different civil society groups in Mexico. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on June 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Amitav Acharya: Why The International Order Will Survive Western Decline
06/05/2025
Amitav Acharya: Why The International Order Will Survive Western Decline
Kelly talks with Amitav Acharya about his new book The Once and Future World Order and the deep roots of global civilization beyond the West. They explore why the recent decline of American dominance doesn’t mean collapse, but a chance to build a more just, inclusive global system. Amitav Acharya is the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC. Previously he was a Professor at York University, Toronto and at the University of Bristol in the UK. His essays have appeared in International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, Foreign Affairs magazine, and has written op-eds for the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and many others. His most recent book, The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West was published in April 2025. Link to The Once and Future World Order: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 29, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit
05/29/2025
Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit
Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit: 25:55 This week, Kelly and Tristen discuss President Trump’s meeting with the President of South Africa, give an update on the war in Ukraine, and unpack the UK’s new trade agreement with the European Union. Kelly then talks with Mona Yacoubian for a breakdown on Trump's recent trip to the Middle East, and what the visit means for American foreign policy in the region. Mona Yacoubian is the Senior Adviser and Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She was previously the Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa center at the United States Institute of Peace. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Middle East Bureau at the United States Agency for International Development from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 22, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Moisés Naím on Authoritarianism
05/23/2025
Moisés Naím on Authoritarianism
Next up this Summer, Kelly talks with bestselling author Moisés Naím about the rise of authoritarianism around the world. Moisés Naím is an internationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author of several books, including most recently "The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century," published in 2023. In the early 1990s, Dr. Naím served as Venezuela’s Minister of Trade and Industry, as director of Venezuela’s Central Bank, and as executive director of the World Bank. He was previously a professor of business and economics and dean of IESA, Venezuela’s leading business school. He now serves as a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His forthcoming book, "Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses," is coming out in October 2025. Link to the revenge of power: https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Power-Autocrats-Reinventing-Politics/dp/1250279208 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Sameer Lalwani on India-Pakistan tensions
05/15/2025
Sameer Lalwani on India-Pakistan tensions
Interview with Sameer Lalwani on India-Pakistan: 21:30 This week, Kelly and Tristen digest the recent elections in Australia and President Putin's WWII victory day parade, and remember the life and legacy of legendary IR scholar Joseph Nye. Kelly then talks with to Sameer Lalwani for an update on recent tensions between India and Pakistan. Sameer Lalwani is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He was formerly a senior expert in the Asia Center at the United States Institute of Peace, director of the Stimson Center’s South Asia Program, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and a Stanton nuclear security fellow at the RAND Corporation. His research has also been published in Security Studies, International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Small Wars & Insurgencies, Survival, The Washington Quarterly, Asian Survey, Foreign Affairs, and the New York Times. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 12, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Patricia Owens: A History of International Thought without Men
05/09/2025
Patricia Owens: A History of International Thought without Men
In the first episode of our summer series, Kelly talks with Oxford University Professor Patricia Owens about her new book "Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men." Kelly and Patricia discuss how women and minority voices were erased from the early cannon of interntional relations, what that means for the practice of IR, and how the field is fairing amid profound shifts in global order. Link to "Erased": Patricia Owens is a professor of international relations at the University of Oxford’s Somerville College. Her research interests include twentieth-century international history and theory, historical and contemporary practices of Anglo-American counterinsurgency and military intervention, and disciplinary history and the history of international and political thought. She was Principal Investigator of the multi-award-winning Leverhulme Research Project on Women and the History of International Thought. Her new book, "Erased: A History of International Thought without Men" was published in March of 2025 by Princeton University Press. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Remus Ștefureac on Romania’s Election Rerun
05/01/2025
Remus Ștefureac on Romania’s Election Rerun
Interview with Remus Ștefureac on the upcoming Romanian election - 20:05 Read more about Tristen Naylor, Kelly's new co-host, on our website: Kelly and Tristen delve into Pope Francis's legacy, analyze the results of the Canadian election, and examine how India is navigating trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Later, Kelly sits down with political analyst Remus Ștefureac to discuss next week's presidential election in Romania and its implications for the country's political trajectory and foreign policy. Remus is CEO and founder of INSCOP Research, one of the most respected polling firms in Romania. Previously, he was involved in the foreign service as a Romanian diplomat in Washington DC and founded the Strategic Thinking Group in 2005, a consulting company specialized in communication and public policy. Between 2009 and 2011, he was the adviser of the Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service. His Ph.D. thesis covered the vast topic of Soviet political warfare, with a specific focus on Soviet-Romanian relations. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 29, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Mélanie Gouby on the Conflict in the DRC
04/17/2025
Mélanie Gouby on the Conflict in the DRC
Interview with Mélanie Gouby on conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - 19:40 Read more about Tristen Naylor, Kelly's new co-host, on our website: Kelly and Tristen break down the Trump administration’s new tariffs, the revival of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and Ecuador’s recent presidential election. Later, Kelly speaks with investigative journalist Mélanie Gouby about conflict in the DRC and stalled peace talks between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels. Mélanie is an investigative journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker based in London. Her work focuses on the systemic root causes underpinning violence and conflict, and their impact on human rights, development and the environment. She was the East Africa correspondent for the French newspaper Le Figaro from 2014 to 2016, and has contributed to outlets including the Guardian, the New York Times, the Independent, National Geographic, Foreign Policy, France 24, BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Vice. In May 2012, Mélanie covered the early days of the M23 rebellion for the Associated Press. She was previously the bureau chief for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting in the eastern DRC. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 15, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Jeremi Suri on History & the Policymaker
04/10/2025
Jeremi Suri on History & the Policymaker
For our sixth episode of "History and our Current World," Jeremi Suri joins Kelly to discuss how policymakers can effectively use historical analogies without falling into the trap of oversimplification. They discuss how examining multiple historical cases rather than relying on a single analogy like Munich or Vietnam can result in better policy outcomes. Jeremi holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, and is a Professor in UT Austin’s Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and The Power of the Past: History and Statecraft, edited with Hal Brands. Link to Civil War By Other Means: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Alper Coşkun on Türkiye’s Crisis of Democracy
04/03/2025
Alper Coşkun on Türkiye’s Crisis of Democracy
Interview with Alper Coşkun on Türkiye's political crisis - 21:10 This week is our third episode with Kelly's new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: Kelly and Tristen give updates on renewed fighting in Gaza and how domestic Israeli politics led to the breakdown of the ceasefire. They also discuss JD Vance's visit to Greenland and highlight some encouraging developments in India's agricultural sector. Later, Kelly speaks with Carnegie's Alper Coşkun about Türkiye's escalating political turmoil. Coşkun traces the origins of the crisis and its implications for the future of Türkiye's democracy. Alper is a senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. His research focuses on Turkish foreign policy, especially in relation to the United States and Europe. He is a retired career diplomat of thirty-two years with extensive experience in both bilateral and multilateral settings. He was the director general for international security affairs at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2019, covering NATO, transatlantic relations, Euro-Atlantic security/defense and arms control/disarmament matters. Before that, he was ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2012 to 2016, where he oversaw one of Türkiye’s most largest diplomatic missions. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 31, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Daniel Immerwahr on America's Hidden Empire
03/27/2025
Daniel Immerwahr on America's Hidden Empire
For our fifth episode of "History and our Current World," Daniel Immerwahr joins Kelly to uncover how U.S. foreign policy has been shaped by a hidden history of territorial expansion. They dive into the myths surrounding the U.S. "logo map" and overlooked overseas territories, and discuss how a selective understanding of this history impacts our foreign policy decisions today. Daniel is the Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities and Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence in the History department at Northwestern University. He is the author of Thinking Small: The United States and the Lure of Community Development, and How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States, both of which have won scholarly awards. Immerwahr is a contributing writer for The New Yorker and his essays have also appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, and the New York Review of Books, among other places. Link to How to Hide an Empire: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Canada, Ukraine, and South Sudan, plus Nick Thompson on Undersea Cable Attacks
03/20/2025
Canada, Ukraine, and South Sudan, plus Nick Thompson on Undersea Cable Attacks
Interview with Nick Thompson on Undersea Cables - 22:20 This week is our second episode with Kelly's new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: Kelly and Tristen analyze the recent conflict in South Sudan and Canadian politics, as well as the latest developments in Ukraine. Kelly then turns to Nick Thompson for an update on threats to undersea cables, including recent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea. They discuss how nations are strengthening their naval defenses and the challenges of attributing attacks to specific actors. Nick Thompson is a former CIA Paramilitary Case Officer and Naval Special Warfare Development Group operator. With over 20 years of experience in the national security space, Nick has conducted countless clandestine operations and combat deployments with a primary focus on the Middle East and Asia. He now works in Washington, D.C. at Anduril Industries, a leading defense technology company, seeking to bring cutting-edge capability to intelligence and defense professionals. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 17, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Jason Steinhauer on How Historians Must Adapt to Social Media
03/13/2025
Jason Steinhauer on How Historians Must Adapt to Social Media
For our fourth episode of "History and our Current World," Kelly welcomes author Jason Steinhauer to explore how social media has impacted historical narratives. They dive into the idea of "e-History" and how social media has made it harder for professional historians to cut through the noise in an age where misinformation is constantly competing for our attention. Jason formerly served as Founding Director of the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest; as a Global Fellow at The Wilson Center and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute; and an adjunct professor at the Maxwell School for Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He worked for seven years at the U.S. Library of Congress. Jason's bestselling book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media & the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past, examines how social media shapes what we know about the past. His Substack newsletter is read in 49 states and 108 countries by policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and citizens. He is the founder and CEO of the History Communication Institute, which comprises 150 scholars and practitioners on 6 continents. Link to History, Disrupted: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 6, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Syria, Germany, the G20, and Edward Fishman on Ukraine
03/06/2025
Syria, Germany, the G20, and Edward Fishman on Ukraine
Interview with Edward Fishman on Ukarine & Russia - 40:50 This week, Kelly introduces our new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: Kelly and Tristen analyze recent developments in German and Syrian politics and the recent G20 summit in South Africa. Kelly then turns to Edward Fishman for an update on Ukraine and Russia. Edward is the author of the new book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, which focuses on the evolution of sanctions as a tool of US foreign policy. He served in the Treasury, Defense, and State departments from 2011 to 2017, including in the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, and on Secretary of State John Kerry’s policy planning staff. Find his book here: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 4, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Katie Stallard on Mythmaking & History in Russia, China, and North Korea
02/27/2025
Katie Stallard on Mythmaking & History in Russia, China, and North Korea
For our third episode of "History and our Current World," Kelly welcomes journalist Katie Stallard to explore how historical mythmaking shapes foreign policy. We examine how Russia, China & North Korea have manipulated national narratives to legitimize their global ambitions and create powerful collective identities. Katie is a senior editor for China & global affairs at the News Statesman magazine, and was previously a foreign correspondent for Sky News, reporting from Ukraine, Russia, and China. She published Dancing on Bones in 2022, which was awarded best political book of the year by the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the BBC history magazine. Link to Dancing on Bones: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 19, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Omar Mahmood on Somaliland's Political Future
02/20/2025
Omar Mahmood on Somaliland's Political Future
Interview with Omar Mahmood on Somaliland - 16:40 This week, Kelly sits down with International Crisis Group Senior Analyst Omar Mahmood for an in-depth look at Somaliland's history and quest for international recognition. Before that, he and Freddie discuss Trump's USAID cuts, political turmoil in the Philippines, and Ecuador's presidential election results. As the senior analyst for Eastern Africa at the International Crisis Group, Omar conducts field research, provides written analysis, proposes policy recommendations and engages in advocacy efforts. Omar has previously worked as a senior researcher focusing on the Horn of Africa for the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, and as an international consultant covering Boko Haram and the Lake Chad Basin. Prior to that, he obtained his Master’s degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso. Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray's article on the impact of USAID in Tunisia: — The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 13, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Margaret Macmillan: Why Does History Matter?
02/13/2025
Margaret Macmillan: Why Does History Matter?
For our first full episode of Season 8, Kelly is joined by Margaret MacMillan to discuss the importance of history in shaping the behavior of individuals, politicians, and entire societies. Margaret MacMillan is an emeritus professor of History at the University of Toronto and an emeritus professor of International History at Oxford University. She was provost of Trinity College, Toronto from 2002 to 2007 and warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford from 2007 to 2017. She is a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and sits on a number of non-profit advisory boards. Her research specializes in British imperial history and the international history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her publications have been translated into 26 languages and include Paris, 1919, Nixon and Mao, and The War that Ended Peace. Her latest book, published in 2020, is War: How Conflict Shaped Us: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Liana Fix on Germany’s Political Crisis
02/06/2025
Liana Fix on Germany’s Political Crisis
Interview with Liana Fix on Germany - 16:00 NOTE: This episode was recorded before the ceasefire in the DRC began to break down. This week, Kelly sits down with Council on Foreign Relations fellow Liana Fix for an update on Germany's political crisis just weeks ahead of the federal elections. Before that, Kelly and Freddie break down the release of DeepSeek, discuss the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and give an update on South Korea's presidential crisis. Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, Eastern Europe, and European China policy. Dr. Fix is also the author of (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). She is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in the Center for German and European Studies and the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 5, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Season 8 Preview: History and our Current World
01/30/2025
Season 8 Preview: History and our Current World
This week, Kelly teases the upcoming season of Diplomatic Immunity, titled "History and our Current World." The new series explores how history shapes foreign affairs—from the lessons of the Treaty of Versailles to the myths fueling conflicts in Ukraine and the South China Sea. Don’t miss our next episode on February 13th, when Kelly interviews renowned historian Margaret MacMillan to uncover how history is used, misused, and interpreted in global politics. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 27, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Mona Yacoubian on Syria: HTS's Rise and Reconstruction Ahead
01/23/2025
Mona Yacoubian on Syria: HTS's Rise and Reconstruction Ahead
Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Syria — 10:57 This week, Kelly interviews Mona Yacoubian from the U.S. Institute of Peace to provide insights into Syria's future, focusing on the rise of HTS, reconstruction challenges, and the role of international actors. Before that, Kelly and Freddie cover the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and reflect on the legacy of Jimmy Carter's foreign policy. Mona is the vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at USIP. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was deputy assistant administrator in the Middle East Bureau at USAID from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 21, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Richard Fontaine: The Russo-Chinese Alliance & U.S. Foreign Policy
01/16/2025
Richard Fontaine: The Russo-Chinese Alliance & U.S. Foreign Policy
To kick off 2025, Kelly talks with Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, about his new report with the Council on Foreign Relations: No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy. Richard is the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to CNAS, Richard was a foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and served in the State Department and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as associate director for Near Eastern affairs at the National Security Council and worked on Southeast Asian issues in the NSC’s Asian Affairs directorate. In 2024, Richard co-authored the Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, with Ambassador Robert Blackwill. Please find the book in our show notes, as well as a link to Robert and Richard’s recent report. CFR | No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Lost Decade: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on January 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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2024: Year in Review with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson
12/19/2024
2024: Year in Review with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson
This week, Kelly looks back on the major events of 2024 with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson. Amy Mackinnon is an award-winning national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. She has reported from across Eastern Europe and was previously based in Moscow and in Tbilisi, Georgia, as senior editor for the crisis reporting site Coda Story. Mackinnon is a recipient of the duPont-Columbia award for her reporting on homophobic vigilantes in Russia. She is a regular commentator for BBC World Service radio and television and her work has been published and broadcast by Coda Story, Slate Magazine, Vice News, and CNN among others. Ellen Laipson is the Director of the International Security Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She joined GMU after a distinguished 25-year career in government and as President of the Stimson Center (2002-2015). Her last post in the US government was Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council (1997-2002). She also served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, the National Security Council staff, and the Congressional Research Service. She was a member of the CIA External Advisory Panel from 2006 to 2009, President Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009 to 2013, and the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board from 2011 to 2014. Ellen currently serves on the ISD board of advisers. Amy and Ellen's recommended books for the holidays: by John M. Owen IV by Steve Coll by Seamus Heaney The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 16, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Lessons in Diplomacy with Former UK Ambassador Leigh Turner
12/12/2024
Lessons in Diplomacy with Former UK Ambassador Leigh Turner
This week, Kelly talks with former British Ambassador Leigh Turner about a wide range of topics, from crisis and safety issues facing embassies around the world to how technology is transforming the role of the diplomat, and how he sees European, Russian, and British foreign policy developing in the next few years. Leigh Turner is a writer based in London. He was the UK ambassador to Austria and UK permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna from September 2016 to September 2021. Leigh's previous roles were as Her Majesty’s consul general in Istanbul and director general for trade and investment for Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus; Her Majesty’s ambassador in Kyiv, Ukraine, and director of Overseas Territories in London, responsible for territories including St Helena, the Falklands and Bermuda. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Ambassador Samuel Ducroquet: Sports Diplomacy After Paris 2024
12/05/2024
Ambassador Samuel Ducroquet: Sports Diplomacy After Paris 2024
This week, Kelly talks with the French Ambassador for Sports, Samuel Ducroquet, about the growing role of sports in diplomatic efforts. Samuel Ducroquet was appointed French ambassador for sport in February 2023. He joined the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2007 as an International Civilian Volunteer at the French Permanent Mission to the EU in Brussels, and has since worked as a political advisor at the French Embassy in Qatar. His experience as an Olympic attaché at the French Embassy in Tokyo allowed him to develop a real expertise on sports diplomacy, reinforced by his position as senior manager in charge of the dignitaries programme in the International Relations Department of the Paris 2024 Games organizing committee, from 2022 to 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 2, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Dan Byman on Israel; updates on Georgian Elections, COP29, and Venezuela
11/28/2024
Dan Byman on Israel; updates on Georgian Elections, COP29, and Venezuela
Interview with Dan Byman on Israel — 14:36 This week, Kelly speaks with Georgetown Professor Dan Byman for an update on Israel and Lebanon, days before a ceasefire was announced in the year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Before that, Kelly and Freddie talk through the recent elections in Georgia and Venezuela, and the negotiations at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on November 22, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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ISD Live: NYT's Edward Wong Receives the 2024 Weintal Prize
11/21/2024
ISD Live: NYT's Edward Wong Receives the 2024 Weintal Prize
On November 13, ISD Director Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine awarded New York Times correspondent Edward Wong with the Edward Weintal Prize for diplomatic reporting. Ed's lecture, "Empires in Extremis," covers his family's story as it intertwines with the rise of the CCP and Xi Jinping, leading into his own career as a diplomatic correspondent and NYT Beijing Bureau Chief for nine years. He concludes by comparing and contrasting the Chinese and U.S. models of empire, and the dangers they face as the two countries become more adversarial. Q&A with Ambassador Bodine covers US-China relations, the incoming Trump administration, and the journalistic profession. Find his new book, "At the Edge of Empire A Family's Reckoning with China," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602734/at-the-edge-of-empire-by-edward-wong/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 13, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky: U.S. History & the Biden-Trump Transition
11/14/2024
Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky: U.S. History & the Biden-Trump Transition
This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky about the history of Presidential transitions, and how the Biden-Trump transition is shaping up. Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian and Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. Her research focuses on the development of political institutions and political culture in the Early Republic. Her first book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, was published in April 2020. Her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic, was published in September of this year. Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 12, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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Tristen Naylor: How is the World Viewing the 2024 Election?
10/23/2024
Tristen Naylor: How is the World Viewing the 2024 Election?
This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Tristen Naylor, Founder and Managing Director of the geopolitical risk consultancy Diplomatic Solutions, about the outlooks for relationships with leaders in Europe, China, Iran, and other nations, as well as how America’s relationship with multilateral institutions like the United Nations might be impacted by either candidate’s victory. Tristen Naylor is the Founder and Managing Director of Diplomatic Solutions, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in London. He was previously also an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in History and Politics at Cambridge University. His first book, "Social Closure and International Society: Status Groups from the Family of Civilised Nations to the G20," examines how actors compete for a seat at the table in the management of international society: The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on October 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
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