State of Play

Max Bergmann shares his key observations about transatlantic relations after attending the Munich Security Conference. He discusses how European leaders reacted to Secretary Rubio’s speech, the U.S. strategy for Europe, and the ongoing challenges of shifting the defense burden from the United States to Europe. 

Max Bergmann, “How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America,” (video) CSIS, November 5, 2025. 

Max Bergmann and Otto Svendsen, “How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America,” (report) CSIS, October 8, 2025.

Technological advances are not just about economics, but also power and leverage. Mark Dallas and Ilaria Mazzocco join Will to explore the geopolitical aspect of tech competition. They discuss each state's key technological advantages, what geopolitical power they bring them, and how the United States should compete better.

"Tech Edge: A Living Playbook for America’s Technology Long Game," CSIS, January 20, 2026.

"America's Technology Long Game for Competing with China," CSIS Events, January 28, 2026.

Nick Szechenyi joins Will to analyze the geopolitical consequences of Sanae Takaichi's resounding victory in the February 8 Japanese general elections. They discuss what the prime minister's historic supermajority in the lower house of parliament means for Japan's defense spending, tensions with China, ties with the United States, and Takaichi's broader strategy.

Yuko Nakano and Nicholas Szechenyi, "Takaichi Dominates Japan’s Lower House Election," CSIS, February 9, 2026.

Kristi Govella, Charles McClean, and Nicholas Szechenyi, "Inside Japan’s High-Stakes Snap Election," CSIS, February 9, 2026.

At Davos, the Canadian prime minister argued that the rules based system is fading and middle powers must work together to build a new world order. Chris Hernandez-Roy and Kristi Govella join Will to discuss whether or not key U.S. allies like Canada and Japan could do this, what it might look like, and what the risks are.

Mark Carney, "Davos 2026: Special address by Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada," January 20, 2026.

Kristi Govella, "Japan’s Response to Trump 2.0: Sustaining U.S. Ties, Strengthening International Partnerships," CSIS, October 6, 2025.

Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Juliana Rubio, Jessie Hu, and Sam Smith, "President Trump’s Latin America Policy: Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Risks," CSIS, October 6, 2025.

In a special live episode to mark the launch of a new book on China's weaponization of trade, Will sits down with its main author Dr. Victor Cha and panelists Bethany Allen and Dr. Melanie Hart. They discuss how China's economic strategy is evolving, how it compares with President Trump's own form of economic coercion, and what states and firms can do to push back.

Victor Cha, Ellen Kim, and Andy Lim, "China's Weaponization of Trade: Resistance Through Collective Resilience" (Columbia University Press), January 2026.

Victor Cha, "How to Stop Chinese Coercion," Foreign Affairs, January/February 2023.

Watch video of the discussion.