Battle Lines

By: The Telegraph
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  • Summary

  • Across the world, from Europe to Asia, the Americas to the Middle East, tensions are rising between nation states. Traditional alliances and alignments are constantly evolving in the 21st century. An understanding of defence and security policy and the tides of political, social and economic changes is crucial for any informed understanding of our world.


    2024 sees war in Europe and Israel, and elections in major economies, including the US, the UK, Taiwan, South Africa, and many others. Insurgencies flare in Yemen and Burma, tensions escalate in East Africa, and all around the world the international security architecture buckles under increasing pressure.


    With expert and experienced reporting on the ground from across the globe, Battle Lines combines on the ground reporting with analytical expertise to aid listeners to better understand the course of world politics and wars as the fault lines of global history grind and slip in an increasingly dangerous, and confusing, multipolar world.


    Battle Lines is the best of The Telegraph’s defence, security, and foreign reporting in one place.


    Telegraph subscribers get early access to bonus episodes on Ukraine: The Latest and Battle Lines. You can subscribe within The Telegraph app, or tap on ‘Already a subscriber’ at the top of this page to log in to link your existing subscription, for more information head to https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact-us/telegraph-subscription-bonus-content-apple-podcasts/


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Politics & Government
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Episodes
  • Trump Edition: Can Europe defend itself without America?

    Trump Edition: Can Europe defend itself without America?
    Feb 14 2025

    In a recent address to NATO in Brussels, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the U.S. is no longer "primarily focused on Europe's security." He emphasised that the U.S. would not send troops to Ukraine and would 'no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency'. With the American commitment to global peace since 1945 now over, what does this shift mean for European security? Can Europe defend itself without American troops, funding, and intelligence support? And is the Trump administration signalling a move towards a multipolar world, where global power is divided into three distinct spheres of influence?


    Roland Oliphant is joined by Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow for European Security at RUSI, and by Michael Ignatieff, the former leader of the Canadian Liberal Party and leader of the Opposition.


    Contact us with feedback or ideas:

    battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

    @venetiarainey

    @RolandOliphant


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    38 mins
  • Musk and Trump’s war on ‘Marxist’ foreign aid

    Musk and Trump’s war on ‘Marxist’ foreign aid
    Feb 10 2025

    USAID is dead. From Ukraine to Vietnam, the knock-on effect from Donald Trump and Elon Musk's dramatic shuttering of one of the largest aid agencies in the world is being felt around the world. Why has it been shuttered and what does it mean for American soft power?


    Roland Oliphant speaks to Sera Koulabdara, CEO of Legacies of War, about the halt of de-mining work in southeast Asia and why it is essential for American influence in China's backyard.


    Plus he talks to The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker about why Kyiv is especially worried and whether this might prompt a rethink of the international aid system.


    Contact us with feedback or ideas:

    battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

    @venetiarainey

    @RolandOliphant


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    35 mins
  • Trump Edition: US president unleashed on Gaza, tariffs and China

    Trump Edition: US president unleashed on Gaza, tariffs and China
    Feb 7 2025

    In a shock announcement this week Donald Trump said he would ‘take over’ Gaza, ‘own’ it and called for Palestinians to be 'resettled' in neighbouring countries, prompting concerns over ethnic cleansing. Venetia Rainey catches up with The Telegraph’s woman in Washington Katie O'Neill about it and asks military expert Linda Robinson about the feasibility of Trump’s proposed plan.


    Plus: The Telegraph’s former Beijing correspondent Sophia Yan’s explains why China retaliated to US tariffs and what lessons were learned from dealing with Donald Trump in his first term.


    Contact us with feedback or ideas:

    battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

    @venetiarainey

    @RolandOliphant


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    39 mins

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