Issues in the News - Voice of America

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Issues in the News is VOA's premiere news discussion program. We take on the biggest stories of the week and discuss them in detail with those who have unparalleled expertise. Our in-depth analysis goes beyond the headlines, providing you with the inside story on both domestic and international news

Episodes

  1. 03/15/2025

    Hope for peace and fear of tariff - March 14, 2025

    Armenia and Azerbaijan finalized the text of a peace agreement Friday aimed at establishing formal relations that would end decades of conflict. We get insights on the significance with Ben Dubow, Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Also, President Donald Trump openly challenged U.S. allies by increasing tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% as he vowed to take back wealth “stolen” by other countries, drawing quick retaliation from Europe and Canada. We speak with John W. Diamond, Senior Fellow in Public Finance and director of the Center for Public Finance at the Rice University’s Baker Institute.

    25 min

  2. 03/08/2025

    Seeking a deal with Iran and Europe pulls together - March 07, 2025

    U.S. President Donald Trump says he sent a letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seeking to negotiate a nuclear deal. We talk to Alex Vatanka, a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. Facing the prospect that the United States might cut them adrift under President Donald Trump, European Union leaders launched a day of emergency talks Thursday in a bid to beef up their own security and ensure that Ukraine will still be properly protected. Joining us is Nicolas Tenzer, a Non-resident Senior Fellow with the Democratic Resilience program at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

    25 min

  3. 03/01/2025

    Trump-Zelenskyy meeting falls apart - February 28, 2025

    A White House meeting between U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky fell apart in front of the whole world after Vice President JD Vance questioned Zelenskyy’s thankfulness. It had been hoped that the two would make a deal that gave the U.S. minerals deal in exchange for a security agreement. The White House put out a statement that Zelenskyy had been asked to leave the White House and not come back until he was ready for Peace. We spoke with Ambassador Steven Pifer with Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation and a non-resident senior fellow with the Brookings Institution.

    25 min

  4. 02/22/2025

    Tense negotiations continue with Ukraine as Trump pushes for deal to end war - February 21, 2025

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday pushed Kyiv to sign a critical minerals agreement while Washington pursues talks on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Ramping up criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in what has been a remarkable turn in U.S. policy and relations with Kyiv and Europe. Conversations with Michelle Michot Foss, Fellow in Energy, Minerals & Materials, at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Jamil Jaffer, President and Founder of the National Security Institute.

    25 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

Issues in the News is VOA's premiere news discussion program. We take on the biggest stories of the week and discuss them in detail with those who have unparalleled expertise. Our in-depth analysis goes beyond the headlines, providing you with the inside story on both domestic and international news

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