Charles Kupchan: Between Internationalism and Isolationism

How did early perceptions of China and the Soviet Union shape U.S. foreign policy? What are the risks of escalating tensions with Russia and China today? And is a new American foreign policy paradigm on the horizon?

In this episode, we speak with Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. The conversation explores his early experiences visiting China, the Soviet Union, and Poland, reflections on NATO expansion in the 1990s, and concerns about current geopolitical conflicts.

The discussion covers the dangers of U.S. tensions with Russia and China, the potential for a Pivot to Asia, and the realities of global interdependence. Kupchan also considers how the U.S. should approach diplomatic channels with Russia and China and what an endgame in Ukraine might look like.