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Today, Jess, Les, John, and Andrew examine the wave of riots sweeping France and what they reveal about the country's deepening political and strategic dysfunction. What began as student protests over school conditions has exploded into widespread unrest over cost of living and quality of life, with looting, clashes with police, and demonstrations now spreading to other parts of Europe. With a presidential election on the horizon, France's political future is anything but certain. What do these riots signal about France's capacity to govern itself and contribute meaningfully to NATO? With France falling short on defense investment, can it credibly lead in an era when the United States is no longer willing to carry the alliance? How are adversaries like Russia exploiting French instability to weaken European cohesion? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @NotTVJessJones @JohnCLipsey @AndrewBorene Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/E1YU9fDcc2A Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, John, and Amy dig into the accelerating — and increasingly chaotic — diplomacy surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump announced an energy ceasefire barring strikes on oil infrastructure — then waived sanctions on Russian energy production — only for Russia to launch a massive attack on Ukraine the very next day. Now, reports are surfacing that Putin is floating a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to determine Ukraine's future — with no Ukrainian officials at the table. Would a Trump-Putin-Xi summit represent a genuine path to peace or a capitulation dressed up as diplomacy? What does the energy ceasefire's immediate collapse reveal about Moscow's intentions and Washington's leverage? If Ukraine is excluded from talks over its own fate, what leverage does Kyiv have left? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @NotTVJessJones @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/dFA0d_1RTIA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Andy, and Marc dig into the deepening rupture between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Zelensky. After Trump announced a deal to allow Russian diesel into U.S. markets — following weeks of pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries — Zelensky publicly condemned the agreement, prompting Trump to call for a new Ukrainian president. Reports have since emerged of restricted intelligence sharing with Kyiv and speed throttling on Starlink and Starshield, with the White House denying direct involvement even as the damage mounts. What does the withholding of battlefield intelligence signal to U.S. allies about American reliability? Is the diesel deal a genuine strategic calculation, or a diversion from the administration's broader frustrations with the war's stalemate? How does this rupture affect allied confidence in U.S. commitments at a moment when NATO cohesion is already under strain? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @JohnCLipsey @AndyKeiser @WashingtonFlack Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jamil take stock of a world where territorial sovereignty is suddenly anything but settled. From Spain's enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla — where a social media-driven migration crisis has Spanish polls showing 60% fear armed conflict with Morocco — to Argentina's renewed challenge to British rule in the Falklands, to the United States openly pressuring Denmark over Greenland, longstanding arrangements are being tested from multiple directions simultaneously. Complicating the picture further, Israel has shuttered the UK's consulate in response to British sanctions over settlement activity. Who is actually driving instability in these contested territories, and to what end? How do Western powers reconcile championing self determination while guarding sovereignty over their distant enclaves? Should the U.S. stand for universal principles or prioritize competition with Russia and China over strategic geography and resources? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/O27_Tz_A2Tg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and John break down the deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh's airport, which killed well over a dozen people — including at least one American — and wounded hundreds. The attacks underscore the enduring threat Iran-backed forces pose to Saudi energy and critical infrastructure and regional stability, even as the United States considers more direct intervention. With Iranian-enabled strikes escalating across the region, Washington's posture is engendering debate, including experts who say decades of half-measures have only emboldened the Houthis. Is the administration's restraint a calculated strategy, or are domestic politics driving a dangerous passivity toward Iran? What does it mean for American credibility in the Gulf if the U.S. continues to absorb Iranian provocations without a full-scale military response? Should Washington be doing more to stand with Saudi Arabia against the Iranian threat network enabling these attacks? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/s8Vrdh_m0kk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, John, and Amy confront a collision of alarming headlines: a plague outbreak traced to Russian anti-plague research institute, an Ebola crisis in Africa surpassing 8,000 cases, and a public execution by firing squad making news at home. Against this backdrop, deep cuts to the CDC and the dismantling of U.S. global health infrastructure have left serious questions about whether America is equipped to respond if any of these threats reach its shores. Is the United States genuinely prepared for another pandemic, or have recent funding cuts left a dangerous gap in its defenses? With two of America's most capable adversaries hosting advanced bioweapons programs as deadly diseases spread nearby, how should Washington recalibrate its global health security posture? What lessons from COVID-19 remain unlearned, and who is responsible for applying them now? And what does the return of public execution by firing squad signal about the direction of American governance? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KKvgDQ8-cxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Jamil, Les, and Matt examine the renewed Saudi and Yemeni offensive against Houthi forces along the western coast of Yemen, a stretch of coastline critical to global shipping routes. Since the start of the Iran war, the conflict has escalated sharply — Houthi forces launched an offensive to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, declared a blockade on Saudi tankers, and drones struck the vital East-West pipeline. The broader regional picture remains complex with Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the UAE to warn of Iranian attack indicators and coordinate a response to Houthi aggression. Can Saudi Arabia and its limited partners achieve a decisive military outcome in a conflict with roots stretching back over a thousand years? Has a pattern of American inaction across three administrations emboldened Iran to keep exploiting the Houthi cause? How should the United States calibrate its support when direct military action may not be the answer? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @WMattHayden @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/fzlI9093xl4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jamil, John, and Jess examine the sudden withdrawal of twelve U.S. B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford following the arrest and swift bail release of six individuals suspected of plotting an attack on the base. The bombers had been used in strikes against Iran, but the UK had imposed restrictions limiting their use to defensive operations — a constraint that may have already been straining the alliance. The timing of the withdrawal, coming just days after the suspects' release, has raised sharp questions about threat assessment, diplomatic pressure, and the durability of U.S.-UK cooperation on Iran. Was there ever a credible threat to the base, or did Washington pull its assets over a plot that the UK's own justice system effectively dismissed? How much has the UK's political climate shaped its willingness to support U.S. operations against Iran? Does the defensive-versus-offensive restriction the UK imposed have real operational consequences as tensions with Tehran remain high? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Les, John, and Amy examine two developments reshaping how America projects power. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was photographed with President Trump in Texas as the administration eyes a renewed opening with Kim Jong Un, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used his State of the Force address to unveil a new autonomous warfare command and launch Project Meridian, a 120-day effort to identify future military capabilities. Can Dennis Rodman's relations with Kim Jong Un actually serve as a credible diplomatic back-channel? Does Hegseth's focus on restructuring the Pentagon risk becoming a distraction from the more urgent fights over defense funding and appropriations? Will Project Meridian and a new autonomous war command survive Congress? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/B8zl7CWWgAM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Les, and Jamil break down Trump's high-profile AI summit, where the president gathered leaders from the country's biggest tech companies at the White House to address public concerns around AI safety while announcing a rebranding of artificial intelligence as "super intelligence." The summit produced voluntary safety commitments framed by Trump as morally binding, and a separate Trump-Xi meeting established a bilateral communications channel for AI incidents. Meanwhile, an appeals court upheld Anthropic's designation as a national security supply risk, and a new Chinese open-source model has emerged with cyber capabilities rivaling top American systems but far weaker safeguards. Is Trump's voluntary, free-market approach to AI safety the right framework for keeping America ahead of China, or does it leave critical gaps? With Florida already seeking an injunction and a patchwork of state AI laws taking shape, how long before the regulatory landscape becomes unworkable for U.S. labs? If Congress fails to act on federal preemption, what does that mean for aligning AI development with a coherent national security strategy? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/9S1dREANQi4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jamil, John, and Andy examine the latest twist in U.S.-Iran negotiations after reports emerged that the Trump administration rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on terms resembling a version of the JD Vance MOU from mid-June. The administration has since rebuffed the overture, signaling confidence that a stronger deal is within reach, while Iran's economy continues to buckle under sustained sanctions pressure and economic squeeze. Adding intrigue to the moment, a suspected Iranian-linked plot targeting a U.S. Air Force base in the United Kingdom may have shaped Tehran's calculus in floating the offer when it did. Is Tehran's proposal a genuine opening or a pressure play designed to buy time? What would a credible Iran deal actually require, and is the administration close to achieving one? Could the reported attempted attack on a U.S. Air Force base in the UK signal that Iran is simultaneously pursuing diplomacy and covert escalation? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer @AndyKeiser Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/8P0-u7fzwns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, John, Les, and Algene break down a packed week at the UN General Assembly in New York, where world leaders delivered speeches ranging from Trump's stark warnings toward Iran to Zelenskyy's push for a settlement framework and ongoing maneuvering over Ukraine. However, Xi Jinping’s to skip New York for a White House meeting also puts the UN’s role in global diplomacy under scrutiny. Is the UN still a consequential venue, or has it become a backdrop while the real deals get cut bilaterally? Should the United States lean into the UN as a sharper foreign policy tool rather than ceding that ground? What would meaningful Security Council reform actually look like, and is there any realistic path to it? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @AlgeneSajery Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/xnBGK-_Skgc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jeffrey break down the new U.S.-Denmark-Greenland security agreement, which amends the foundational 1951 defense pact. The deal expands American control over security and investment in Greenland, while notionally recognizing Greenlandic sovereignty. It lacks any expiration and seeks to lock any future independent Greenland into the agreement and NATO alignment. The backdrop is a rapidly changing Arctic, where open sea lanes, Russian military activity, and attempted Chinese investment have quietly made Greenland one of the most strategically contested pieces of territory near American shores. Is this agreement a genuine update to American strategic posture, or does it largely formalize what the 1951 arrangement already provided? What would a growing China presence in Greenland — through port, telecommunications, and mineral investment — mean for U.S. security? Does tying the hands of a potentially independent Greenland represent shrewd geopolitics or a troubling erosion of self-determination? Was the diplomatic crisis necessary or worth it? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KOqtlenfBGo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, John, Jess, and Amy break down the high-stakes summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking place in Washington, D.C. against the backdrop of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The two leaders are meeting as tariff suspensions hold, an AI race intensifies, and China quietly continues supplying Iran with economic and military support even as it reduces its own energy imports from Tehran. Beijing has also detained two American citizens in the past year, raising the question of whether Trump — who has made a trademark of bringing Americans home — can secure their release as an early win. Will Trump walk away with anything more than incremental commercial agreements, or are the bigger national security breakthroughs simply out of reach? How will Xi balance the need for U.S. relationship stability against domestic pressures as he eyes a fourth term? Can Washington and Beijing find any genuine alignment on Iran, or will China continue acting in its own interest regardless of what is said in the room? And as the U.S. and China race toward AI dominance, does America have any real strategy for what comes after winning?  Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/PINwafy5kLY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Les, John, and Andrew dig into the Houthis' resurgent offensive and the widening regional crisis it has triggered. With Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, Iraqi militias hitting Saudi’s East-West pipeline, and the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, Riyadh finds itself encircled.  after Washington declined to intervene on its behalf, Riyadh has turned to China, Iran’s top trading partner, for help. Will China move to exert genuine leverage over Iran? What does Saudi Arabia's outreach to Beijing signal about the durability of American partnerships in the Gulf? What options are there to break the network sustaining the Houthis? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @AndrewBorene Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/76qfpU7UHxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.