In this episode of One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Ben Wallace, former UK Defence Secretary, break down President Donald Trump's latest moves in Venezuela, including threatening military strikes and offering Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a chance for talks. The two consider the regional consequences of military action, including Cuba's political reliance on Venezuela and the Latin American drug supply chain. Sir Ben shares how Venezuelan and Colombian drug operatives are now learning high-stakes defense technology. Plus, Kate asks Sir Ben whether the UK Prime Minister should ask Trump not to sue the BBC, and if Trump should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.  Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of One Decision, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, sit down with Mohamed El-Erian, renowned economist and the Rene M. Kern Practice Professor of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss how President Donald Trump's tariff policies have shifted the landscape of geo-economics, as countries struggle to adapt to US trade policies. They also examine the state of the US dollar and whether its position as the leading reserve currency may be at risk. Plus, how AI will change the global economy and how a universal basic income could protect against drastic labor impacts. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, discuss the BBC's latest crisis after President Donald Trump threatened the broadcaster with legal action over their January 6 documentary. The BBC's coverage of issues such as Israel's role in the war in Gaza, trans rights, climate change, and more have come under fire, forcing top executives to resign. Plus, the hosts examine Vladimir Putin's close aid, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's recent withdrawal from the public and what that signals about Russia's leadership. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, are joined by Corey Hinderstein, former deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration. As an expert on nuclear weapons and testing, Hinderstein breaks down President Trump's latest comments that the United States will resume testing of its nuclear weapons and what that means for foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and North Korea. She lays out the significance of a robust nuclear weapons state and the responsibilities attached, and what the process of testing actually entails. Plus, Hinderstein shares the story of when she first located the nuclear centrifuge facility in Natanz, Iran and how it shaped the legacy of the JCPOA.  Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of One Decision In Brief, hosts Christina Ruffini and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, unpack President Donald Trump's recent comments on possible military intervention in Nigeria. They examine the political crises taking hold in the Sahel region, including the alleged genocide of Nigerian Christians and militant insurgencies from groups like Boko Haram and ISIS. Plus, they discuss the broader role the United States plays in dissolving other national conflicts in African countries like Sudan and Mali. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove are joined by Liza Tobin, former China Director at the National Security Council under both the Biden and Trump administrations. They discuss China’s takeover of the rare earth mineral market and whether America and its allies are too far behind when it comes to reducing reliance on Beijing’s critical resources. They also examine the impact of the West’s influence on semiconductor production and what the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could mean for the U.S.’s dependence on Chinese rare earth elements Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6, break down the latest developments in Latin America, including the Pentagon’s recent deployment of an aircraft carrier off the coast of Venezuela. The hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s intentions and the role Secretary of State Marco Rubio is playing behind the scenes. Plus, they examine the aftermath of Argentina’s midterm elections, where President Javier Milei’s coalition secured the majority votes and what that means for Trump’s promise to bailout the Argentine economy. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on One Decision, hosts Kate McCann and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove sit down with Russian military scholar Mark Galeotti to examine a war that’s reshaping not only Russia—but the West itself. Galeotti describes how Vladimir Putin, convinced he’s winning, is “burning through Russia’s future” to sustain a failing war. He warns that Europe, which has long sheltered under the American security umbrella, must now take its own defense seriously “if it wants to be taken seriously” and prepare for the unpredictable reality of a post-Putin Russia. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, break down the recent meeting in Washington D.C. between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They assess the ramifications of Trump pulling back from his original stance on supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, the reaction from European leaders, and what all of this means for Ukraine. Plus, they discuss the prospective summit in Budapest, Hungary with Trump and Vladimir Putin and whether that meeting could lead to peace negotiations. Finally, they examine the latest case of alleged Chinese spying in the UK, what this reveals about the Chinese threat, and what it could mean for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's political leadership. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove sit down with former Los Angeles Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti. Garcetti reflects on his tenure in New Delhi—what he calls America’s “most complex and consequential” diplomatic post—and how the U.S.–India relationship has evolved through conflict, trade wars, and global realignments. From navigating the Trump administration’s tariffs and sanctions to confronting a “murder-for-hire” plot that tested Washington’s trust in New Delhi, Garcetti explains how the two largest democracies can still find common purpose. Plus, Garcetti, who serves as an Ambassador for Global Climate Diplomacy at C40 Cities, argues why the future of global climate action may depend less on nations—and more on cities. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove unpack President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace deal—what it means for Israel, Hamas, and the shifting balance of power across the region. They assess Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s precarious position at home, the risk of a new extremist movement, and whether Arab states can enforce a fragile truce and fund Gaza’s reconstruction. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode of One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove sit down with Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, to discuss how tariffs, President Trump, and resurgent geopolitics are reshaping the global order. Lamy argues that the “rule of force” has replaced the “rule of trade,” warns that U.S. democracy itself may now be Europe’s biggest risk, and explains why the EU must move toward political and defense integration—or face decline. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the Warsaw Security Forum, former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and Christina Ruffini speak with UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk about the future of Europe’s security. Patel argues NATO must recognize that “we are all at risk” from Moscow’s grey warfare — while also confronting Europe’s divided approach to refugees and Gaza. Yatsenyuk calls Russian drone incursions a direct test of NATO’s unity, describes how sanctions bite but fall short, and insists Ukraine’s drone technology and battlefield resilience make it indispensable to Europe’s defense. Full interview with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk: https://youtu.be/IpeGN6QIzl8?si=eNpurxuAk8KX63qq Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From cyberattacks to drones over NATO skies, defense leaders believe Russia is probing for weakness. At the Warsaw Security Forum, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe told One Decision that Moscow’s provocations aim to divide allies and mask failures in Ukraine. They join hosts Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove to explain why NATO’s unity—and America’s staying power—will decide whether Europe’s defenses hold.  One Decision is an official media partner of the Warsaw Security Forum. The gathering was held this week in Warsaw, Poland. #WSF2025 #DividedWeFall Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s One Decision In Brief, Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove report from the Warsaw Security Forum, where Poland has emerged as NATO’s front-line power. They look at Russia’s latest airspace violations and drone incursions, how European allies are scrambling to build defenses, and why Moldova’s surprising election result signals new limits to Moscow’s influence. Plus: what Ukraine’s drone industry is teaching Europe, and how the UK’s security role has shifted post-Brexit. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Palantir a sinister surveillance giant — or the gold standard in mission-critical software? In this episode of One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and ex-MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove speak with Lauren Penneys, Palantir SVP , to separate fact from fiction. She discusses the firm’s rise from post-9/11 intelligence work to the front lines of Ukraine and Israel, Britain's National Health Service (NHS), and its controversial work with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE). They also explore Palantir’s wider role in defense, intelligence, and healthcare, and whether artificial intelligence will magnify both the promise — and the risks — of its technology. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s One Decision In Brief, Christina Ruffini and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove assess Russia’s latest gray-zone provocations — from fighter jets entering Estonian airspace to swarms of drones over Poland. What do these incursions reveal about NATO’s readiness, Europe’s vulnerabilities, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy? And with One Decision heading to the Warsaw Security Forum, these questions will be put directly to Europe’s leaders. Plus: inside MI6’s new dark-web recruitment portal, and how British intelligence is adapting to the digital age. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

In this episode of One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta sit down with Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Bill Clinton, to discuss his new book, Coming Up Short. Reich reflects on how decades of widening inequality, corporate money in politics, and missteps in the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—along with China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO)—paved the way for Donald Trump’s rise. Reich and Panetta reflect on what both political parties missed, why Washington drifted into dysfunction, and how the coming wave of AI could deepen inequality unless new policies—from national service to profit-sharing—take hold. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

In this week’s One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove assess the stakes behind President Donald Trump’s historic second state visit to the United Kingdom amid a political storm that is testing Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership. They weigh in on the cultural politics surrounding free speech and faith that are resurfacing in Britain, the UK’s division between U.S. and EU perspectives on AI regulation, and NATO unity on Ukraine. Plus, Sir Richard discusses the vetting process for former UK Ambassador to the U.S., Lord Peter Mandelson, and whether Number 10 was aware of his closer ties to Jeffrey Epstein than previously thought. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

This week on One Decision, host Kate McCann welcomes Sir Ben Wallace, former UK Defence Secretary, to the podcast as a co-host. They discuss the recent Israeli strike in Qatar targeting senior Hamas officials and the repercussions of Israel attacking a country that’s directly involved in peace negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Later, they welcome Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister, who shares why he believes Israel’s pursuit of “total victory” in Gaza is both unrealistic and dangerous. He recounts why Israel’s top military leaders reject Netanyahu’s strategy, warns of a mounting diplomatic backlash that could extend to sanctions and even sports boycotts, and insists only Donald Trump has the power to force a change of course. Plus, Olmert reflects on his own efforts to revive a two-state solution with Palestinian leaders.