One Decision

As Washington focuses on the upcoming 2024 presidential election, guest host Christina Ruffini talks to One Decisions's resident spymaster, Ex-MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove, about Joe Biden's decision not to run for president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, and the latest news on the investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Plus, Christina and former CIA Director Leon Panetta caught up with Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tanja Fajon, from the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington a couple weeks ago to discuss NATO’s ability to respond to increasing global conflicts and the...

Guest host and correspondent Christina Ruffini speaks with One Decision's resident spymaster's—Ex-MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and former CIA Director Leon Panetta to get their take on this week's shocking assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and Europe’s anxiety over Trump choosing Ohio United States Senator JD Vance as his vice president, particularly in light of Vance's isolationist views and the potential impact on Ukraine's ability to win the war. Plus, Christina and Secretary Panetta's conversation with Iceland's Foreign Minister, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir from the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washin...

The NATO alliance solidified support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's aggression, pledging an “irreversible path” to membership once the war ends. Guest host Christina Ruffini and One Decision co-host and former United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke with Sweden's Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, and Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani on the sidelines of the summit in Washington. They discussed the significance of Sweden and Finland joining the alliance and smaller member countries increasing their contributions to NATO's defense spending. 

The NATO alliance is meeting in Washington amidst the most dangerous security environment since the Cold War. One Decision teamed up with the International Spy Museum for a live panel discussion in front of hundreds of delegates, press, and political leaders. Our new co-host, former US Defense Secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta sat down with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur, former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, along with the US House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Jim Himes. The panel was moderated by Christina Ruffini and the museum’s historian Dr. Andrew Hammond. They loo...

As France prepares to vote in the second round of its parliamentary elections, it appears that Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally may not end up with the majority French President Emmanuel Macron fears—but his troubles are far from over. The Economist's Paris Bureau Chief Sophie Pedder joins One Decision to discuss how the National Rally's recent stunning European election results sent shockwaves across France all the way to the Elysee, prompting Macron to call a snap election that likely has backfired for him and his allies. Plus, Reuters' Defense and Foreign Policy correspondent Idrees Ali gives us th...

Columbia University Professor and Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz is one of the world's best-known economists—and one of the most outspoken. He's locked horns with a fellow Nobel laureate, the neoliberal economist Milton Friedman, and openly criticizes globalization. He sits down with One Decision's resident spymaster, Sir Richard Dearlove, and guest host, BBC anchor Kasia Madera, to discuss his recently published book, The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society. Stiglitz argues that authoritarian populism is on the rise today due to governments doing too little rather than too much. They also discuss the impact of Donald Tr...

Richard Armitage, a former Deputy Secretary of State for the George W. Bush administration and a Reagan-era Republican has been deeply involved in America's security and defense policy in the Indo-Pacific region, continuing to represent the United States in trips abroad, joining high-level delegations including a visit to Taipei in May to attend the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. Secretary Armitage sat down with One Decision's Julia Macfarlane and former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove to talk about the trip and how US policy and attitudes towards the threats from the East have evolved. They also discuss the...

The Conservative Party is on track to see fourteen years in power end, when the United Kingdom votes next month. A popular left-wing figure and co-host of The Trawl podcast Marina Purkiss discusses with One Decision's resident spymaster and Conservative figure Sir Richard Dearlove what a Labour government takeover led by Sir Keir Starmer would mean for the future of British foreign policy. Richard and Marina debate whether the UK is more secure under Labour or Conservative party rule, the controversial Rwanda policy, relations with the United States if Donald Trump is reelected president, and how far-right election victories acro...

Belarus has spent the past 30 years under the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya challenged his rule after her husband was imprisoned by the regime, only two days after he declared his intention to run for office. She is now living as the exiled Belarusian opposition leader and sits down with One Decision’s guest host Kasia Madera and the former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove, for a discussion on Belarus' struggle for freedom under Lukashenko's iron-fisted rule, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the need for European countries to step up in the fight against autocracy.

Julianne Smith serves as the United States Permanent Representative to NATO—a role she assumed at the end of 2021, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ambassador Smith sits down with One Decision's foreign correspondent Christina Ruffini and resident spymaster, former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove, for a discussion on what to expect at the NATO summit being held in Washington in July, which marks the 75th anniversary of the transatlantic military alliance. They discuss Ukraine's complicated path to membership, progress on Germany's stepped-up security commitments, and whether a second presidential term for Donald Trump will bolster member countries' de...