The Global Gambit

The Global Gambit

The Global Gambit (TGG) is the preeminent independent social podcast on geopolitics, foreign policy, macroeconomics and current affairs, involving live, interactive audience participation. Each month, TGG brings you top-tier interviews or panels consisting of policymakers, journalists, or academics covering every region and theme in international relations. Previous guests include experts from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Atlantic Council (AC), Crisis Group (ICG), and Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Support TGG by subscribing as a patron at www.patreon.com/theglobalgambit and receive unique perks insights AND be featured in future episodes. Follow & engage with us on Facebook or Twitter at The Global Gambit. Download Clubhouse to participate in future events.TGG is hosted by Pyotr Kurzin, a geopolitical & UN professional, with an MA from Johns Hopkins University, and whose English-Russian origins make him a product of the Cold War and broader geopolitical events. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theglobalgambit Email: theglobalgambit@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theglobalgambit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Global-Gambit-102112199163652/

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Resumo do episódio

Ukraine has transformed Russia’s vast geography from a source of strategic depth into a growing vulnerability. Its long-range drones are striking oil refineries, supply lines and military infrastructure, while Crimea is becoming increasingly difficult for Moscow to defend and sustain. But Sir Lawrence Freedman warns against assuming that Russia’s mounting failures have made Ukraine’s position easy. Ukrainian civilians face another punishing winter, ballistic missiles remain an acute threat, and Vladimir Putin continues to resist any settlement that could be interpreted as weakness. In this conversation, Freedman explains why Putin has boxed himself in, whether Russia can find enough soldiers to sustain the war, how Ukraine remains ahead in the rapidly evolving drone contest, and why the next six months could prove decisive. He also examines the economic pressures building inside Russia, the amateurism of Washington’s negotiating effort, NATO’s struggle to catch up with Ukrainian innovation, and whether Putin…

Episódios

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Putin Has Trapped Himself in a War He Cannot Win | Lawrence Freedman

Ukraine has transformed Russia’s vast geography from a source of strategic depth into a growing vulnerability. Its long-range drones are striking oil refineries, supply lines and military infrastructure, while Crimea is becoming increasingly difficult for Moscow to defend and sustain. But Sir Lawrence Freedman warns against assuming that Russia’s mounting failures have made Ukraine’s position easy. Ukrainian civilians face another punishing winter, ballistic missiles remain an acute threat, and Vladimir Putin continues to resist any settlement that could be interpreted as weakness. In this conversation, Freedman explains why Putin has boxed himself in, whether Russia can find enough soldiers to sustain the war, how Ukraine remains ahead in the rapidly evolving drone contest, and why the next six months could prove decisive. He also examines the economic pressures building inside Russia, the amateurism of Washington’s negotiating effort, NATO’s struggle to catch up with Ukrainian innovation, and whether Putin…

29 set. 2026
92-

Turkey Could Be Entering the Nuclear Arms Race | Gönül Tol

Russia’s war in Ukraine has done more than redraw Europe’s security map. It has exposed the limits of military alliances—and triggered a potentially dangerous chain reaction far beyond the battlefield. For Turkey, the choice is not simply between Vladimir Putin and NATO. Ankara is maintaining its relationship with Moscow, strengthening its position inside the Western alliance and reducing its dependence on Russia, all while seeking greater freedom to act alone. That pursuit of “strategic autonomy” may now extend to the nuclear question. Turkey expert Gönül Tol joins Pyotr Kurzin to explain Erdoğan’s carefully calibrated strategy. They discuss how Ukraine changed Ankara’s relationship with Russia; why Turkey has avoided fully choosing sides; its efforts to diversify its energy supplies; and how the Iran war and declining confidence in American security guarantees are reshaping Turkish thinking. Is Turkey actually preparing to build a nuclear weapon—or merely creating the capacity to keep that option open? And…

24 set. 2026
91-

Putin Is Already at War With Europe | General Ben Hodges

General Ben Hodges says Russia is already at war with Europe. Not with missiles striking NATO cities, but through drones, sabotage and attacks designed to frighten populations and weaken support for Ukraine. So why are European governments still reluctant to impose meaningful consequences? Hodges joins me to discuss Germany’s far-right breakthrough, NATO’s response to Russian provocations and the growing uncertainty over American support. We also examine how Ukraine’s long-range strikes are turning Russia’s vast territory from a strategic advantage into a vulnerability—and why Putin faces a dangerous choice over mobilisation as winter approaches. Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of US Army Europe. Subscribe to Substack Read as well as listen as l overthink for you: https://substack.com/@pyotrskurzin Follow The Show X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PKurzin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-TPqKMViddKZeo4K2P2jg/ Support The Show Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theglobalgambit Buy Me a…

14 set. 2026
90-

Iran and Ukraine Have Changed Everything We Know About War | David Petraeus

Iran has been militarily devastated — and yet, six months on, it may be winning. General David Petraeus argues that Tehran's control of the Strait of Hormuz has become a "weapon of mass disruption" more powerful than the nuclear program the war was meant to destroy. In this conversation, I'm joined by General David Petraeus — former CENTCOM and NATO commander, former CIA Director, and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute — to examine why Iran's strategy may be succeeding despite its military weakness, why Ukraine's drone war represents a genuine revolution that Western militaries have failed to adapt to, and why Petraeus believes the US and UK urgently need revolutionary, not evolutionary, institutional military reform. We also discuss Russia's deepening economic collapse, the vulnerability of manned military platforms in modern warfare, escalating Russian sabotage against NATO states, and why Petraeus believes nuclear escalation from Putin remains unlikely despite the rhetoric. If war has already changed as…

10 set. 2026
89-

Secrets, Mysteries, and Spies: A Former CIA Officer on Predicting Russia

Description: Intelligence failures make headlines. Intelligence successes rarely do — which is exactly the problem when trying to understand how the West actually predicted Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and what it can and can't tell us about Putin's next move. In this conversation, I'm joined by Charles Finfrock — a former CIA officer with 18 years of experience across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia — to examine how intelligence assessments are actually built. Why there's a critical difference between a "secret" that can be stolen and a "mystery" that even Putin himself may not have resolved, how human sources, satellite imagery, and signals intelligence get fused into a single judgment, and why getting Russia's 2022 invasion right was a genuine intelligence success even if it couldn't prevent the war. We also discuss Russia's escalating willingness to target Western and dual citizens on NATO soil, Ukraine's campaign against Russian commanders and energy infrastructure, and the historical pattern behind…

19 ago. 2026