Every day, experts from around the globe present their arguments for solving the worldās biggest problems. And every day, these experts disagree in small and large ways. At Foreign Policy, our approach is to share a wide range of opinions, side by side, day by day. But what if people could hear those arguments tested in real time, under pressure from an opposing viewāby an international cast of diplomats, journalists, academics, and activists?
Thatās the idea behind Counterpoint, FPās debate-style podcast. Each episode pits two experts on opposing sides of one key question. Should the United Kingdom rejoin the European Union? Are tariffs the right approach? Is Western aid helping or harming Africa? Some say yes, some say no, and the path forward might just be in the in-between.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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Can the U.S. and China Build a Stable Relationship?
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 ⢠Duration 41:05
This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trade, technology, and Taiwan are all expected to be on the agenda. Itās the two leadersā second meeting in less than six months, as they try to stabilize the future of U.S.-China relations. Many fear tensions are brewing, but with their tariff war in the past, could it be possible for the world's two biggest economies to work together?
Welcome to Counterpoint, where we take one big question facing world leaders and look at it from opposing points of view.
In this episode, weāre asking: Can the United States and China build a stable relationship?
Arguing in favor is Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of China studies at Johns Hopkins University and a former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department.
Arguing against it is Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies U.S. strategy in Asia and U.S.-China competition. He is also a former staffer at the U.S. National Security Council.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by FP deputy editor Nick Danforth.
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Has NATO Expansion Made Europe Safer?
Season 3 Ā· Episode 1
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 ⢠Duration 44:40
NATO was created after World War II to deter the Soviet Union and protect Western Europe. But the trans-Atlantic organization did not disband after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In fact, in the years since, its membership has doubled to include countries in Eastern Europe and eventually Finland and Sweden. Supporters say the expansion helps protect countries from Russian aggression and makes Europe safer. But critics argue that NATOās growth has provoked a confrontation with Vladimir Putin.
Welcome to Season 3 of Counterpoint, where we take one big question facing world leaders and look at it from opposing points of view. Our host this season is Nick Danforth, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy.
To launch the season, weāre asking: Has NATO expansion made Europe safer?
Arguing in favor is Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and a political science professor and senior fellow at Stanford University.
Arguing against is Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and an assistant professor at Georgetown University. Ashford is also a columnist at Foreign Policy.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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Counterpoint Season 3: Trailer
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:32
The world at this moment is more fractured than itās been in decades: more wars, more extremism, and deeper disagreements on a range of issues. On season 3 of Counterpoint, we get to the heart of those disagreements with a series of debatesāhosted by Nick Danforth, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy magazine. Nick brings together two of the smartest people in their field on each episode, to face off over the worldās most vexing questions, including: Are the U.S. and China on a collision course? Has NATO expansion made Europe safer? And will AI destroy the world? Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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Live from Doha with Hillary Clinton
Thursday, December 11, 2025 ⢠Duration 31:08
On a special bonus episode of Counterpoint, FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal sits down with former U.S. secretary of state Hilary Clinton on the main stage of this yearās Doha Forum to discuss the Trump administrationās newly released National Security Strategy, what Congress needs to do better, the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and more.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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Live from UNGA80 with Kaja Kallas
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 ⢠Duration 36:25
On a special bonus episode of Counterpoint, FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal sits down with Kaja Kallas, the European Unionās top diplomat, on the sidelines of the United Nationsā annual meetings to discuss relations with Washington, Russiaās war in Ukraine, recognizing Palestine, and dealing with China.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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Did the Dayton Accords Set Bosnia Up for Failure?
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 ⢠Duration 37:39
The Bosnian War in the early 1990s was at the time the bloodiest conflict on European soil since World War II. Some 100,000 people were killed and more than 2 million displaced amid widespread ethnic cleansing and massacres.
In 1995, the warring parties struck a power-sharing deal in negotiations just outside Dayton, Ohio, in what came to be known as the Dayton Accords. But the deal didnāt really resolve the underlying problems. Bosnia continues to be plagued by ethnic division, and the countryās political structure is widely seen as ineffective and unstable.
Welcome to Counterpoint. On each episode, we look at one pressing question facing world leadersāfrom two opposing points of view.Ā
In our season finale, weāre tackling the question: Did the Dayton Accords set Bosnia up for failure?
Arguing that the agreement put Bosnia on a path to perpetual crisis is Jasmin MujanoviÄ, a senior nonresident fellow at New Lines Institute. He is the author of two books, Hunger and Fury:āÆThe Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans and⯠The Bosniaks: Nationhood After Genocide.
And making the case that the Dayton Accords were essential to bringing peace and maintaining stability is Chris Hill. A career diplomat, Hill was part of the U.S. delegation that brokered the agreement. Most recently, he served as theā U.S. ambassador to Serbiaā under President Joe Biden.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by Sasha Polakow-Suransky.
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Should the U.S. Completely Decouple From China?
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 ⢠Duration 37:02
The United States and China took a step back this week from their trade war, announcing that tariffs imposed just a few weeks ago would be slashed significantlyāat least for now. But even as the tension seems to be ebbing, some people in the United States are questioning whether itās beneficial for the two economies to be intertwined at all.
Welcome to Counterpoint. On each episode, we look at one pressing question facing world leadersāfrom two opposing points of view.Ā Ā
Today, weāre tackling the question: Should the United States completely decouple from China?Ā
With us to make the case for a tough stance against China is ā Derek Scissorsā , a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the chief economist of the China Beige Book. He is also the author of the China Global investment Tracker.Ā Ā
Arguing that broad decoupling wonāt work to counter China is Lizzi C. Lee. Sheās a fellow on Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Instituteās Center for China Analysis.
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by Sasha Polakow-Suransky.
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Is Western Aid Helping or Harming Africa?
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ⢠Duration 36:12
The Trump administration has moved quickly to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversees U.S. aid around the world, with major repercussions for food supplies, child poverty, pandemic prevention, and much more. The decision has hit Africa particularly hard. African countries were getting about ā ā about 30 percentā ā of U.S. foreign aid annually.Ā
While many people in Africa are deeply worried about the cuts, some are wondering if the end of USAID might present an opportunity for the continent.Ā
Welcome to Counterpoint. Each week, we look at one pressing question facing world leadersāfrom two opposing points of view.Ā
On this episode, weāre tackling the question: Is Western aid helping or harming Africa?Ā
With us to argue for the importance of continuing Western aid to Africa is Ndidi Nwuneli, the president and CEO of the ONE Campaign, a global advocacy organization focused on ensuring economic opportunity and healthier lives in Africa.
And making the case that aid has caused more problems than it has solved is Ken Opalo, an associate professor at Georgetown Universityās School of Foreign Service specializing in African politics and development.Ā
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by Sasha Polakow-Suransky.
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Should South Korea Develop Nuclear Weapons?
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 ⢠Duration 41:34
South Korea has long relied on the United States for deterrence against its nuclear-armed neighbor, North Korea. But since his reelection, U.S. President Donald Trump has raised questions about Washingtonās core commitments around the world.
He and members of his cabinet have suggested Washington might withdraw from the Korean Peninsula altogether, or make Seoul pay billions for the defense the U.S. provides, including a nuclear umbrella against Pyongyang. As a result, a majority of Koreans now want the country to develop its own nuclear arsenal.
This week on Counterpoint, we tackle the question: Should South Korea develop nuclear weapons?
Arguing in favor is ā Jennifer Lindā , an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College and the author of the forthcoming book, Autocracy 2.0: How Chinaās Rise Reinvented Tyranny.Ā
Making the case against Seoul developing its own nuclear weapons is Lami Kim, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu and the former director of the Asian studies program at the U.S. Army War College.Ā
Counterpoint is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum. The show is hosted by Sasha Polakow-Suransky.
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Is Syria on the Right Path?
Season 2 Ā· Episode 3
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 ⢠Duration 33:52
Late last year, Syrian opposition forces captured Damascus and put an end to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian dictator, whose family had ruled the country for more than 50 years, fled to Moscow. Across the country, Syrians celebrated.
Assadās fall exposed the brutality of his regime, including gruesome discoveries in government prisons, tens of thousands of disappeared people, and mass displacement. But the group that replaced it also has a record of violenceāand a former affiliation with al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Welcome toĀ Counterpoint. Each week, we look at one pressing question facing world leadersāfrom two opposing points of view. Today, weāre tackling the question: Is Syria on a path to realizing the hopes of the revolution?
With us to make the case for viewing Syriaās new government with skepticism isĀ David Adesnik, the vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Arguing that Syrians are capable of securing a democratic future for themselves isĀ Alia Malek, a journalist, former civil rights lawyer, and the author ofĀ The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria.
Counterpoint is hosted by Sasha Polakow-Suransky, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy. The show is a production of Foreign Policy, in partnership with the Doha Forum.
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