Subscriber Exclusive: Stephen Walt Looks Back at 2023

No audio? Hover over the video player, and tap the Click to Unmute button.

Already an FP Subscriber?

On-demand recordings of FP Live conversations are available to FP subscribers.

Ask a Question

Ask a Question

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Every December, FP Live dedicates one episode to looking back at the year that was. 2023 has been a particularly turbulent year in global politics. If the ongoing war in Ukraine wasn’t enough, Hamas shattered any illusions of stability in the Middle East with its attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Add to that climate-related disasters, debt crises, and high inflation, and you have a hectic 12 months of events to chew on.

Ravi Agrawal sat down with one of FP’s most popular columnists, Stephen Walt, for his take on the year’s biggest developments. Walt is a professor at Harvard University and one of the world’s leading scholars of realism. This is the first part of an exclusive, on-demand session looking back on the year that was. 

 

 

Video clips from this event

  • Harvard professor Stephen Walt on where the United States and Washington may have faltered when it comes to the stalemate in the war in Ukraine.

  • Watch Walt explain how the Biden administration’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel has been damaging to the American image in the world.

  • What strains have the war in Ukraine and the Hamas-Israel war created in the global order? Walt explains.

  • Walt tells FP’s Ravi Agrawal what he sees as the most under-covered story in 2023.

Read the Transcript

A soldier fighting for Ukraine stands in front of a destroyed monastery in Dolyna, Ukraine.

FP Live Looks Back at 2023

Stephen Walt explains why countries are accusing America of hypocrisy.

Q&A  |  Ravi Agrawal

Go to the FP Live Podcast page

Prefer to listen? Follow the FP Live podcast for the entire conversation, plus other in-depth discussions, wherever you get your podcasts.

Upcoming

Back to the FP Live landing page

 Discussions

On-Demand from FP Live

The Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to great fanfare but left with little to show for it. What does the Trump-Xi summit reveal about the balance of power between the world’s two biggest economies?

China scholar Rana Mitter joined FP Live’s Ravi Agrawal to debrief on what was gained from this diplomatic mission.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Is Russia the Winner in Iran?

While much of the world is suffering from the spike in energy prices, Russia has enjoyed a rare windfall from increased oil revenues. Alexander Gabuev argues that U.S. President Donald Trump’s moves in Iran and Venezuela are not only a boon to Russian interests but also will push Moscow into a deeper partnership with Beijing. The director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal to explain how Russia is navigating a moment of particular global flux.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Inside Iran

How are regular Iranians coping with months of war and economic pressure? How have U.S. and Israeli attacks changed their perception of their own government? Journalist Ali Hashem spent weeks in Tehran since the war began and argues that Iran’s current leaders have adapted and unified over the course of the conflict. Hashem sat down with FP Live’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss what he’s been seeing and hearing in the country.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

FP Live: The Ask-Me-Anything Edition

On a special ask-me-anything episode, regular host Ravi Agrawal will take stock of a world at war. What does the Iran conflict mean for the global economy or traditional alliances? More than a year into U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, how are world leaders navigating his leadership? And what of the U.S.-China relationship? FP Live’s executive producer, Dana Sherne, turned the tables on Agrawal, taking questions from FP subscribers and viewers alike.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Foreign Policy’s forum for live journalism, convening experts and world leaders.

Contact FP Live

Enter your email address to manage your FP Live notifications preferences.

Manage your FP Live notifications preferences:

Your email address:

Not You? Log Out

All FP Email Preferences Subscribe

Stephen Walt Looks Back at 2023

Add to Calendar:

Loading graphics