Hudson Institute Events Podcast

The United States has an opportunity to build a new energetics enterprise that can support the scale and adaptability modern warfare demands. Rising munitions requirements, advances in manufacturing and chemistry, and a growing number of innovative new entrants have created new possibilities to expand production capacity, modernize aging facilities, and move promising energetic materials more rapidly into weapons systems.

Join Hudson Institute for a discussion of how the US can build a more resilient and flexible energetics base that can meet sustained demand while accelerating the development of new capabilities.

In August, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Pact, a mutual defense agreement stretching from Anatolia to South Asia. Meanwhile, the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC) will link Indian and Gulf markets to Europe through Israel. These are two new competing visions for the Middle East’s future. Each offers a different answer to the question, Who will shape the region’s security and connectivity after the Iran war?

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a panel with Chaim Martin, Israel’s minister of economic affairs to the United States; Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution; Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute; and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they examine the logic behind each framework and what their rivalry means for US policy.

As Ukrainians prepare for another challenging winter, discussions across the West have reached a new intensity over how Ukraine can adequately secure the front line, defend its civilian population, and ensure a just and lasting peace at the negotiating table.

Please join Hudson Institute for a special address on the current state-of-play by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will join remotely, followed by a question-and-answer session on the war with Hudson Institute President and CEO John Walters.

Hudson Institute is pleased to host the next iteration of the Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture, a longstanding forum for examining the challenges facing freedom and democratic security in Europe. Established in 2000 as a joint initiative of the American Friends of the Czech Republic and Friends of Slovakia to commemorate the Velvet Revolution, the lecture alternates between Czech and Slovak speakers and topics.

This October, Hudson welcomes Karel Řehka, former chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, to discuss the changing security environment in Europe and its implications for the Czech Republic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the transatlantic alliance.

General Řehka will examine how the Czech Republic and its allies should respond to the European evolving threat environment. He will discuss the readiness and modernization of the Czech Armed Forces, the role of a strong and resilient defense industrial base, lessons from the war in Ukraine, and the steps NATO allies can take to strengthen deterrence, resilience, and collective defense.

On October 27, Israelis will vote in their first national election since the October 7, 2023, massacre and the subsequent multifront war. The vote is becoming a referendum on security as the public debate focuses on accountability for October 7, the Israel Defense Forces’ strategy in Gaza, and military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Both the right and the left have been critical of the nation’s leaders, but whether voters will replace the coalition remains unclear. Whoever wins will lead Israel through the unfinished fronts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, and determine how the next government will work with Washington.

Five days before the vote, join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ludovic Hood for a panel with David Wurmser of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs; David Makovsky of the Washington Institute; and Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they discuss the state of the race and potential paths forward for the United States–Israel relationship.

Casey Babb’s first book, The Moral Case for Zionism, will be published on October 22. Babb argues that Zionism offers something meaningful not just to the Jewish community but to all people. He explores the moral principles at the heart of the Zionist spirit and examines the dangers posed by the rise of anti-Zionism and antisemitism across the West.

Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with the author on the eve of the book’s release. Babb, Director of The Promised Land Project at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an associate fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, will discuss the book’s central argument and the practical ways Jews and non-Jews alike can embrace Zionist ideas in their lives.

In his new book, Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence, Leland Lazarus traces the evolution of Beijing’s footprint across the Western Hemisphere, from strategic ports and critical minerals to transnational crime and the ongoing contest with Taiwan for diplomatic recognition. As China’s engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean shifts from being primarily economic toward using the region for strategic depth, how should Washington respond?

Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with Lazarus, founder of Lazarus Consulting and former speechwriter to the commander of the US Southern Command.

Though Washington and Seoul are interested in engaging with North Korea diplomatically, Pyongyang continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities and insists that its status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in renewing diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, raising the possibility of another Trump–Kim meeting.

Managing North Korea, though, remains only one of several major challenges confronting the United States–Republic of Korea alliance. Washington and Seoul also need to grapple with the future of extended deterrence, South Korea’s new nuclear-powered attack submarine project, wartime operational control, and the broader challenge of maintaining military readiness while creating space for diplomacy.

To discuss these and other issues, Hudson Institute Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick M. Cronin will lead an expert panel featuring Lieutenant General (Ret.) In-bum Chun, senior fellow at the Association of the United States Army and former commander of the Republic of Korea Special Warfare Command; Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior adviser at the Asia Group and former special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the White House National Security Council; and Ankit Panda, senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon.

Physical artificial intelligence is at the forefront of AI development and could revolutionize industry and security. Secure supply chains and technological leadership in physical AI are a strategic imperative for many countries. The United States, Japan, and Taiwan are uniquely equipped with complementary skills to achieve technological superiority in this field.

Join Hudson Institute for remarks and a panel discussion on how these allies can collaborate to seize physical AI’s opportunities. Senior Fellow William Chou will host Jeremy Chang, chief executive officer of Taiwan’s Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology, and Ken Fukuda, director of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, for a conversation on each country’s approach to physical AI.

Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Senior Fellow Harold Furchtgott-Roth. The event will explore how the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection authorities can police anticompetitive and deceptive conduct in healthcare. Chairman Ferguson will focus on the agency’s recent efforts to promote price transparency in hospitals and pharmaceuticals, a key priority of the Trump administration. By ensuring price transparency, the FTC empowers consumer choice and promotes competitive markets as a counter to rising healthcare costs

On August 13, 2026, President Donald Trump signed a national security presidential memorandum that directs the Department of War to pursue a set of critical initiatives to restore United States Navy shipbuilding capacity and competition within the maritime industrial base.

The memorandum allows foreign shipbuilders to build ships for the US Navy, provided they also invest in new American shipyards. It directs the establishment of a fifth naval shipyard, the first to be built in over 80 years, to bolster the Navy’s submarine and aircraft carrier repair capacity. The memorandum also includes improvements that make Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carriers cheaper and faster to build.

Please join Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, for a conversation with Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs to discuss the Trump administration’s decisive efforts to build the Navy needed for today’s intensifying threat environment.

Relations between the United States and Canada are at their worst in generations.

Following President Donald Trump’s invocation of tariffs and other comments about Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney mobilized Canadian nationalism to “stand up to Trump,” intensified efforts to diversify trade away from the US and toward communist China, and took steps to lead a bloc of middle powers to challenge “US hegemony.”

Bilateral differences are now much broader than trade and cut to the essence of current and future relations between the two countries. The prevailing view in the Trump administration seems to be that Canada needs America more than America needs Canada, and hence, the US “has the cards.” Is that correct? Are policies that further entrench Canadian nationalism and hostility to the US the only way to restore the traditionally strong relationship?

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Matthew Boyse for a conversation with Canadian Shadow Minister for Canada-US Relations Shuvaloy Majumdar, MP (Calgary Heritage) as they discuss the state of the bilateral relationship and potential paths forward.

On September 24, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Washington, following the Beijing summit in May and ahead of two more potential meetings in 2026.

Join Hudson Institute for remarks and a panel discussion featuring Professor Takahiro Tsuchiya of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein, and Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick M. Cronin for a discussion on United States–China engagement and competition.

Moderated by Senior Fellow William Chou, the discussion will examine how Japan, Europe, South Korea, and Southeast Asia view the Trump–Xi summit and how the regions will act on their priorities going forward.

Venezuela’s political landscape shifted decisively on January 3, 2026, when American forces captured Nicolás Maduro, ending nearly 13 years of his rule and leaving his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as acting president. A veteran of the Chavista establishment, Rodríguez is governing under Washington’s three-phase plan of stabilization, recovery, and transition. Under her interim rule, Venezuela has restored diplomatic relations with the United States, released some political prisoners, opened the oil sector to foreign investment, and signed a package of energy agreements that includes a 100-year concession on 17 oil fields holding roughly 65 billion barrels of reserves. But authorities in Venezuela have declined to set an election date, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González remain outside the government-opposition talks, and June’s earthquakes, which killed more than 2,000 people, have hampered an already daunting recovery.

Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far Rodríguez’s interim government can advance the country’s economic recovery without an electoral mandate or political reforms, and how Washington’s approach will shape Venezuela’s democratic transition.

The Council of Europe is the oldest intergovernmental organization devoted to human rights in Europe. With 46 member states and nearly 700 million citizens, it has built a vast legal framework on human rights and democracy and has developed hundreds of conventions, treaties, and agreements since its founding in 1949.

In the aftermath of the Cold War, for example, the council supported Eastern European countries as they overhauled their legal systems. Today, it has made Ukraine its top priority and has sought to hold Russia accountable for its violations of human rights.

Perhaps because the United States is not a member state—it enjoys observer status—the Council of Europe is not well known in Washington. Worse, it is sometimes mistaken for the European Union’s European Council.

Join Secretary General Alain Berset as he explains the Council of Europe’s role today and its future plans. After his remarks, he will sit down with Senior Fellow Peter Rough for a fireside chat.

The United States’ highest national security priority is deterring major-power conflict with nuclear-armed adversaries. Investing in inertial confinement fusion is crucial to counter China, which is rapidly building fusion facilities and high-energy-density physics infrastructure to develop its arsenal.

Join Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative for a discussion of “Inertial Confinement Fusion Is Key to America’s Nuclear Deterrent,” a new policy memo authored by Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs, Former Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Madelyn Creedon and Special Competitive Studies Project Adviser Abigail Remler.

Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs and Hon. Madelyn Creedon will join Dr. Mark Herrmann, associate director for weapon physics and design at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Dr. Keith LeChien, founder and chief technology officer of Pacific Fusion, to discuss the memo’s key takeaways and policy implications.

Colombia’s political landscape shifted decisively on August 7, 2026, when Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president, ending the tenure of its first leftist government under Gustavo Petro. A former criminal defense lawyer running as a political outsider, de la Espriella campaigned on a sharp break from Petro’s “Total Peace” framework. He promised closer alignment with Washington, including expanded joint military operations against armed groups and drug-trafficking networks.

Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far de la Espriella can advance economic and security reforms without a legislative majority and how his approach will shape Colombia’s relations with the United States.

A founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Iceland has been a vital ally and partner to the United States for nearly 80 years. Positioned at the crossroads of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, its strategic importance to transatlantic security far exceeds its geographic size. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently described Iceland as the alliance’s “eyes and ears” for its critical role in securing vital transatlantic air and sea routes.

How is Iceland adapting to the era of great power competition? What does the future hold for US-Icelandic bilateral relations?

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.

In April 2025, toward the beginning of the 119th Congress, Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) announced at Hudson Institute the introduction of the SHIPS For America Act, a comprehensive proposal to revitalize America’s commercial maritime industries. The bill is aligned with the Trump administration’s aggressive maritime agenda and enjoys strong bipartisan, bicameral support.

Join Senators Kelly and Young as they return to Hudson to discuss the bill’s prospects during this Congress’s homestretch. After the senators’ remarks, two expert panels will discuss how the maritime industry is preparing to respond.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington this fall amid a tenuous bilateral relationship. Since the May summit between President Donald Trump and Xi in Beijing, artificial intelligence has solidified as a central axis of competition, Chinese support for Iran’s wartime economy continues, and major military and trade questions remain unresolved.

What is the status of the relationship, and how can America maximize its leverage over the Chinese Communist Party—particularly in technology and AI?

Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.