Diplomatic Immunity

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

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

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

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

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