Diplomacy as Stagecraft: Ambush, Performance, and the Ethics of the Trump–Zelenskyy Encounter

Today’s shifting global order is increasingly restrictive, and even hostile, toward human mobility. Meanwhile, geopolitical volatility continues to drive more people to seek safety across borders. In response, Carnegie Council’s Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC) project held a special multi-part convening at the Council’s Global Ethics Hub in New York. The event began with a presentation and fireside chat on the state of international migration featuring Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Michael Doyle and Greg Maniatis, director, refugees & migration at Open Society Foundations. Following the fireside chat, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Molly O'Toole moderated a panel discussion on key challenges facing migrants within the U.S. and at the Southern border. For full video and transcript, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/state-of-migration-2025  

University of Minnesota's Professor Tanisha Fazal joins the Values & Interests podcast to discuss shifting geopolitical norms in a moment of global transition. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-fazal

U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling joins the Values & Interests podcast to discuss lessons in leadership, the power of embracing your professional ethos, and the critical importance of staying true to personal values in times of crisis. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-hertling

The world has entered a new space age. This moment presents a myriad of novel ethical questions and governance challenges that require collaboration across sectors and the creation of new pathways for multilateral cooperation. In response, Northeastern University’s Ethics Institute partnered with Carnegie Council to host a special convening on the future of international space governance, diplomacy, security, and sustainability. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/unlocking-cooperation-space-diplomacy

In this "Ethical Article" Oxford's Corneliu Bjola reads his essay examining five core breaches of diplomatic norms during the Trump–Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting. This article was written as an Online Exclusive for Carnegie Council's "Ethics & International Affairs" journal. To read this article, go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/bjola-trump-zelenskyy

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, large states are acting with increased hostility toward the principle of international cooperation, challenging the very foundations of the multilateral system. Ambassador Ali Naseer Mohamed, permanent representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, joins the Values & Interests podcast to discuss the role that small states must play to ease geopolitical friction and reform the international system at this critical moment for global security. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-amb-mohamed

United Nations peacekeeping operations present unique ethical challenges for both multilateral actors and local communities. Today, these moral and political dilemmas are exacerbated by a deteriorating geopolitical environment. In this discussion, leading practitioners grapple with critical questions for UN peacekeeping, now and in the future. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/ethics-empowered-peacekeeping

The Trump administration’s attempted dismantling of USAID has ignited a debate around whether humanitarian aid advances or stifles America’s national interest. Andrew Natsios, former administrator of USAID under George W. Bush, joins the Values & Interests podcast to discuss humanitarianism as a moral principle, the impact of aid programs both for U.S. citizens and millions globally, and the potential geopolitical consequences of the shuttering of the aid organization. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-natsios

For the inaugural episode of the Values & Interests podcast, scholar and Carnegie Council president Joel Rosenthal unpacks the complex and often challenging relationship between morality and power in our personal lives and across geopolitics. He highlights the need to reject zero-sum thinking and confront amoral political actors in a moment when the principles of democracy, international cooperation, and humanitarianism are under assault. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/values-interests-rosenthal

Values & Interests is a new podcast from Carnegie Council, which takes a deep dive into the ethical tensions and tradeoffs at the heart of decision-making in today’s interconnected world. Together, we’ll hear from leaders and experts who have spent their careers reckoning with ethical questions across geopolitics, tech, philosophy, and business.  For more, please go to https://www.carnegiecouncil.org