GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast

Latest Episode

French president Emmanuel Macron faces a European future without America as a safety net.

NATO, Trump, and Europe’s wake-up call with Ivo Daalder

Ian Bremmer sits down with former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder to unpack a historic shift in the transatlantic alliance: Europe is preparing to defend itself without its American safety net.

Listen: At the Munich Security Conference, European leaders signaled a quiet but unmistakable message: they are ready to move forward, even as Washington’s role grows uncertain. Former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder explains why this moment represents a permanent rebalancing of responsibilities, after a long-standing reliance on the US for defense. “No, it’s not going to be the same as it’s been in the past decades,” he says. “That’s gone.”

The conversation explores the Russian threat looming over the continent, from a battle-hardened army emerging from Ukraine to shortfalls in Western weapons production. Daalder also highlights the political and ideological dimensions: a potential ceasefire in Ukraine could be a “trap” driven by domestic US politics, and European officials are increasingly concerned about MAGA-aligned movements undermining unity across the continent.

From NATO’s evolving role to Europe’s own strategic reckoning, Ian Bremmer and Daalder examine whether Europe can stand alone, and what leadership will look like in the West in the near future.

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GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

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President Trump's power-first foreign policy with CFR's President

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Listen: From sweeping tariffs to threats of military action and withdrawal from international institutions, Trump has demonstrated a willingness to break with the United States' approach to international relations. When the US shifts from global order architect to challenger, what kind of system emerges and how do other countries react? On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with former US Trade Representative and Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman to discuss.

Michael Froman tells Ian Bremmer that under Trump's second term, he’s been less surprised by a single policy shift than by how quickly other countries have adapted to them. As allies hedge and adversaries like China step into new leadership roles, they unpack how the world order is evolving and discuss the most pressing issues.

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When the US shift from defending the postwar rules-based order to challenging it, what kind of global system emerges? CFR President Michael Froman joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to... More >

Singapore's global moment, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam

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How does a small country like Singapore, strategically positioned between the US and China, navigate a world of growing uncertainty? On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to unpack a global order in flux. For a small country at a global crossroads, managing the current geopolitical moment isn't an abstract concept. It is central to its survival. Despite "radical uncertainty," the city-state has continued to flourish as a global hub for finance, trade, and technology.

From the sidelines of Davos, Bremmer and Shanmugaratnam look at the rapidly changing global order. Shanmugaratnam says the challenge is not to sit back and “be intimidated” but to realize that most issues no longer require leadership by a “single, dominant power.” Take AI. Despite its relatively small size, Singapore has become a global leader. With some of the most advanced real-world adoption of artificial intelligence in the world, the government is working to future-proof its economy by investing in lifelong learning and skills upgrading so that its workforce, especially white-collar workers, can adapt and thrive in the AI future.

“The majority of countries believe in the international rule of law,” Shanmugaratnam says, “They believe that there's something in climate change and global health and the new risks of AI where cooperation will leave us all better off.”

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With close ties to both the US and China, can Singapore survive in an increasingly fragmented and chaotic world? Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast.... More >

Europe's wake-up call, with Alexander Stubb and Kristalina Georgieva

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The GZERO World Podcast heads to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum this week for a look at transatlantic relations and how President Trump’s second term is reshaping the global order. Uncertainty and tensions were high this week as Trump doubled down on his desire to control Greenland—before announcing a deal with NATO over the Danish territory’s future and walking back tariff threats. Ian Bremmer spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of Davos to discuss the future of the transatlantic relationship, Arctic security, the war in Ukraine and why, despite so many geopolitical challenges, Europe is more united than ever.

“Trump has a different type of way of doing foreign policy, and a lot of it is actually quite effective,” Stubb says, “ I feel that the US, Ukraine, and Europe, we're now on the same page.”

Then, Bremmer sits down with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, for a look at the surprising resilience of the world economy. Georgieva says there are four key reasons why the IMF upgraded its global growth forecast for 2026. They also discuss the importance of independent central banks and Trump’s push for more control over Fed policy.

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Ian Bremmer sits down with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and the IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to discuss President Trump’s Greenland threats, the... More >

Trump's second term–one year in, with Stephen Walt

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It’s been a year since President Trump returned to office, this time with fewer constraints, a better understanding of how government works, and a much more muscular view of US foreign policy. This week on the GZERO World Podcast, Harvard’s Stephen Walt joins Ian Bremmer to help answer a simple question with complicated answers: what kind of presidency is he building this time around?

Over the past year, we’ve seen a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a rewriting of America's role in the world. There’s been a retreat from multilateral institutions, targeting of long-standing allies, and a view of global politics where great powers dominate, and weaker ones fall in line. It’s a big departure from 80 years of the postwar order America spent building and leading. How much more will change by the time he leaves office?

“A lot of the things that Trump has done are not surprising in terms of where he's trying to take things. People knew he was going to get tough on tariffs. They knew he was going to be harsh on Europe,” Walt says, “I'm surprised not by the direction things have gone, but by the speed and scope by which things have changed.”

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President Trump has transformed the presidency—and the world—in 12 short months. Harvard’s Stephen Walt joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast.... More >