Conversations: Pakistani spies, Australian ‘mercenaries’ and the future of Asian trade — This week in The Interpreter

Lowy Institute Senior Fellow Richard McGregor talks with American sinologist Professor David Shambaugh about his latest book, Breaking the Engagement, which charts the rise and fall of Washington’s engagement strategy with China. They discuss the original aims of the strategy, why it failed, and what lessons Australia can draw.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to this timely discussion about how Australians see the world and their place in it. Drawing on the experience of Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh, SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson, ABC Foreign Affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, and Lowy Institute Poll author Ryan Neelam, this event, recorded on Tuesday 24 June 2025, explored Australians’ views on the fracturing of the rules-based international order, attitudes towards the superpowers, Donald Trump’s policies, defence and security, the economy, climate change and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr John Hamre, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and former US Deputy Secretary of Defence, joins Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, to discuss President Trump’s record, his likely approach to the Western alliance, and Australia’s strategic outlook. Their conversation touches on news that the Trump administration will conduct a review of the AUKUS partnership, and previews the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with leaders of major Western powers — and where President Trump is expected to take centre stage. This event was recorded at the Institute's headquarters at 31 Bligh Street in Sydney on Thursday 12 June 2025. You can watch the event at the Lowy Institute website.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, reports emerged of Russia seeking to base military aircraft at Indonesia’s Manuhua Airforce Base. While the request was rejected by Indonesia, it raises a broader question: what are Russia’s interests in Southeast Asia and how should Australia respond to its attempts to seek access to military facilities in the region? In this podcast, Lowy Institute Research Fellow Rahman Yaacob and Ian Storey, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, talk with host Sam Roggeveen about the significance of these events and Russia's ambitions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Sam Roggeveen and Managing Editor Daniel Flitton for a conversation about what we covered this week in Australia’s best foreign affairs magazine, The Interpreter. Further reading: Sadly, Russia’s mercenary verdict means Oscar Jenkins won’t be coming home anytime soon by Donald Rothwell Why Oscar Jenkins’ trial in the Luhansk People’s Republic is a sham by Shannon Bosch US troops in Korea may soon switch focus from Pyongyang to Beijing by Gabriela Bernal The CPTPP dilemma: Economic merit versus geopolitical calculation by Peter Varghese Abnormal states: Kashmir between empire, insurgency, and intrigue by Abhijnan RejSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we bring you highlights of a recent Lowy Institute event on the future of warfare. Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril Industries, and Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program discuss the key trends in modern warfare revealed through the world’s ongoing armed conflicts. They share their thoughts on how any future wars between major powers are likely to be fought.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lowy Institute Re-Cast series republishes the best podcasts from our archives. In case you missed them the first time around or if you want revisit these engaging conversations, the Re-Cast series has you covered. Can we measure national success beyond economic growth? In August 2024, Professor Robert Costanza spoke with the Lowy Institute’s Alexandre Dayant about why countries need to move away from gross domestic product as the measure of economic prosperity and factor in other complementary gauges of success. In a time of high inflation, increased cost of living, and growing environmental degradation, Professor Constanza argues that moving “beyond growth” is essential to achieving sustainable prosperity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese has been returned as Australia’s prime minister in a landslide. In this episode, Program Directors Mihai Sora and Susannah Patton speak with host Lydia Khalil about what that means for the region. They discuss how Albanese’s re-election is being received in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and examine the continuities, opportunities and challenges for Australia’s foreign policy over the government’s second term.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, host Lydia Khalil speaks with former US Ambassador and Director-General of ASIO Dennis Richardson and Interpreter Managing Editor Daniel Flitton, about the Five Eyes — the powerful and strategically important intelligence sharing alliance. Its member countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have sustained and protected one of the world's most unified multilateral arrangements for more than 75 years. But even the Five Eyes may not avoid the wrecking ball that is the second Trump administration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States has seen profound shifts in policy since the re-election of President Donald Trump. It’s clear that the themes of Trump 1.0 — his narrow definition of the US national interest, his scepticism of alliances, and his hostility to free trade — are also animating Trump 2.0. In a special event in the week that we mark the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, hear insights from Susan Glasser, the Washington correspondent for The New Yorker and Lowy Institute Board member. The conversation is hosted by Dr Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute. Susan and Michael analyse the first 100 days of Trump 2.0 and the implications for Australia and the world. Susan Glasser joins the conversation online from Washington and Michael Fullilove hosts an in-person audience at 31 Bligh Street. The discussion is followed by an audience Q&A.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.