Authoritarian Alliances and the Risks to the Global Order

Authoritarian Alliances and the Risks to the Global Order

In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Doug Livermore, Senior Vice President at CenCore Group and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, about the accelerating cooperation between authoritarian regimes and the risks this poses to international stability. Drawing on his extensive experience in special operations, irregular warfare,…

Episode 271: Authoritarian Alliances: Strategic Cooperation in a Fragmented Global Order with Doug Livermore

Today Dominic Bowen hosts Doug Livermore on the podcast to discuss the rise of authoritarian alliances. They dive into the growing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies, the economic and military dependencies that underpin these relationships, how authoritarian regimes leverage propaganda and “unrestricted warfare,” the role of countries like Venezuela, Sudan, and the…

Episode 270: Syria in Turmoil: Unraveling the Present, Forecasting the Future with Broderick McDonald

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today Dominic Bowen hosts Broderick McDonald on the podcast to discuss the future of Syria. They dive into the different external actors and their interests, the challenges that the new government of Syria is facing, the fine line of institutional reform and unity, the need for inclusion of the minority groups, what the impact…

Episode 269: Middle East in Transition: Non-State Actors, Trump’s Policy Shift, and Regional Stability with Shayan Talabany

In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Shayan Talabany, Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East and what they mean for governance, security, and economic opportunity across the region. They explore how the U.S. retreat from interventionism is reshaping regional power balances,…

Episode 268: Implications of the Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty

When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it’s water. The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world’s most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But…

Episode 267: Drones Over Poland, Drills on the Border: How Moscow Tests NATO’s Resolve with Antoine Renaux

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil With the Zapad Military exercises occurring again near the Polish border, Dominic Bowen has Antoine Renaux on the podcast. They analyse the challenges of NATO, Russia’s probing operations, NATO’s response, and more importantly, NATO’s preparedness. Find out more about Article 5 and the potential scenarios, why hybrid warfare and cyber attacks are…

Episode 266: The Current Serbian Protests with Saša Dobrijević

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil The student-led protests in Serbia have been going on for months. Today we have Saša Dobrijević on the podcast to discuss: Saša Dobrijević is an international journalist and reporter based in Belgrade. He is a seasoned journalist with experience in Munich in Berlin and Luxembourg, with a beat across geopolitics, social movements, and…

Episode 265: Antimicrobial Resistance as a Geopolitical Flashpoint with Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a geopolitical flashpoint. Find out more about how drug resistance has already crossed the red line with untreatable infections, why AMR is not a future threat but a present crisis claiming 1.3 million lives annually, and how the erosion of antibiotic…

Episode 264: Tariffs at the Crossroads of Populism and Power with Dr. Kimberly Clausing

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Professor Kimberly Clausing examine the return of tariffs to the centre of U.S. economic strategy and the risks this shift creates for the global economy. Find out more about how protectionism and populism are reshaping U.S. trade policy, why tariffs act as a hidden tax on consumers and small…

Episode 263: NATO in a Shifting World and the Next Chapter of Collective Defence with Dr. Jamie Shea

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Jamie Shea unpack NATO at a moment of historic change. Find out more about how fear has re-emerged as a unifying force within the Alliance, the political and economic challenges of reaching unprecedented defence spending levels, industrial bottlenecks and Ukraine’s role as a partner in innovation and supply,…