Diplomatic Immunity

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University
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Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity is a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. We bring you "frank and candid" conversations on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers globally. We talk to current and former diplomatic officials, scholars, and analysts and seek to understand how best to foster international cooperation in an age of global crises. Hosted by Dr. Kelly McFarland Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Abdalla Nasef Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.

  1. 2025 Wrapped: Gaza, Ukraine & What to Watch in 2026

    23/12/2025

    2025 Wrapped: Gaza, Ukraine & What to Watch in 2026

    Kelly and Tristen wrap up 2025's foreign policy: the highlights (and lowlights), what went under the radar, and what they'll be watching for in 2026. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    58 min
  2. Michael Kimmage: Will Russia's War in Ukraine End Soon?

    05/12/2025

    Michael Kimmage: Will Russia's War in Ukraine End Soon?

    This week, Kelly talks with Professor Michael Kimmage about Russia's war in Ukraine and current efforts towards a ceasefire. Michael Kimmage is a Professor of History at Catholic University, specializing in U.S.-Russia relations and cold war history, and is director of the Kennan Institute in Washington D.C. He worked on U.S.-Russia relations from 2014 to 2016 on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning staff. He is the author of five books, the latest being Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. Michael has also been writing profically on the Russia Ukraine war since 2022.  Read Michael's latest article in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/russia-putin-drones-airspace-europe-nato-war/  Michael's most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Collisions-Origins-Ukraine-Global-Instability/dp/B0CYQWJQ28/  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    28 min
  3. COP and G20: Multilateralism without the US

    29/11/2025

    COP and G20: Multilateralism without the US

    This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through recent COP and G20 summits, and what US absence meant for the world's biggest international fora. They also provide updates on US allies' reactions to boat strikes in the Caribbean, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meetings with Trump at the White House. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on November 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    40 min
  4. Declan Walsh: What's next for Sudan's civil war?

    15/11/2025

    Declan Walsh: What's next for Sudan's civil war?

    Interview with Decland Walsh on Sudan: 31:30 This week, Kelly and Truisten talk through Hungary's new attempt to start up an anti-Ukraine bloc in the EU as well as Victor Orban's meeting with President Trump. They then turn to recent elections in the Netherlands and to President Trum's trip to Asia and the APEC summit. Chief NYT Africa Correspondent Declan Walsh then joins Kelly for a deep-dive into recent developments in the Sudanese civil war. Watch Declan's lecture on Sudan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2UQ1_Cp2UQ See more of his reporting here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/declan-walsh  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on November 11, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    51 min
  5. History, Statecraft, and Strategy with Francis J. Gavin

    06/11/2025

    History, Statecraft, and Strategy with Francis J. Gavin

    This week, Kelly talks with Johns Hopkins Professor Francis J. Gavin about his new book, Thinking Historically: A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy (Yale University Press, 2025). The book looks at how history could be utilized to improve policy and enable better decision-making. It argues for a "historical sensibility" as a practical discipline—one that captures the real constraints decision-makers face, complicates easy assumptions, and trains us to see the unexpected by understanding others on their own terms. In doing so, it bridges the gap between historians and practitioners, showing how careful engagement with the past can sharpen statecraft and strategy in the present. Francis J. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Previously, he was the first Frank Stanton Chair in Nuclear Security Policy Studies at MIT. He is a contributing editor at War on the Rocks and has authored or edited eight books. Link to the book: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300278361/thinking-historically/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on 03 November, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    49 min
  6. What's next for Venezuela?

    31/10/2025

    What's next for Venezuela?

    This week, Kelly talks with Carolina Jiménez Sandoval about the state of play between the United States and Venezuela amid increasing tensions, military strikes, and continued economic upheavel in the country. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval is the President of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). She holds over 20 years of experience in research and advocacy for human rights in the Americas and throughout the world.As a leader in the field with extensive experience in the region and Washington, she guides WOLA's team to achieve strategic impact in social justice and human rights. Read more about Carolina's work with WOLA here: https://www.wola.org/ She is a frequent contributor in English and Spanish to media outlets and publications across Latin America, the US and Europe, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, PBS, CNN, BBC, The Guardian, El País, Deutsche Welle, various academic journals, among others. She is a national of Venezuela and Mexico. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on October 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    37 min
  7. Will Gaza's Ceasefire Hold?

    23/10/2025

    Will Gaza's Ceasefire Hold?

    Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Gaza: 28:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels and the Trump–Zelenskyy visit to the White House—what it means for Ukraine aid, European drone-defense plans, and the Tomahawk debate. They then turn to political turbulence in Cameroon and Peru, give a quick update on Madagascar's military-led transition, and close with with CSIS's Mona Yacoubian on the Gaza ceasefire, the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration, and the risks of a post-conflict security vacuum. Mona Yacoubian is director and senior adviser of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She has more than thirty years of experience working on the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on conflict analysis, governance and stabilization challenges, and conflict prevention. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on October 21, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    43 min
  8. The Revolution Throughout History with Dan Edelstein

    17/10/2025

    The Revolution Throughout History with Dan Edelstein

    This week, Kelly talks with Stanford University professor and author Dan Edelstein about his new book, The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin, (Princeton University Press, 2025). The book looks at how political thinkers from Plato to John Adams saw revolutions as a grave threat to society and advocated for a constitution that prevented them by balancing social interests and forms of government. He traces how evolving conceptions of history ushered in a faith in the power of revolution to create more just and reasonable societies. Dan Edelstein is the William H. Bonsall Professor of French and (by courtesy) professor of political science and of history at Stanford University. His many books include On the Spirit of Rights and The Terror of Natural Right: Republicanism, the Cult of Nature, and the French Revolution. Link to the book: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691231853/the-revolution-to-come  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on October 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

    37 min
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About

Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity is a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. We bring you "frank and candid" conversations on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers globally. We talk to current and former diplomatic officials, scholars, and analysts and seek to understand how best to foster international cooperation in an age of global crises. Hosted by Dr. Kelly McFarland Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Abdalla Nasef Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.

Information

  • Creator
    Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022: Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
  • Show Website
    Diplomatic Immunity

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