In this episode of The World Unpacked, Isaac Kardon speaks with Alexander (Sasha) Gabuev about growing Russia–China cooperation in the Arctic. They explore the region’s rising strategic importance, its overlooked role in great power competition, and what it means for U.S. policy and allies.
In this episode of The World Unpacked, host Isaac Kardon is joined by Alexander (Sasha) Gabuev, Director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin and one of the world’s leading experts on Russia-China relations. Together, they unpack the growing geopolitical competition in the Arctic—a region increasingly shaped by strategic cooperation between Russia and China, and generally neglected or misunderstood by U.S. policymakers.
This conversation dives deep into the overlooked maritime theater connecting the U.S., Russia, and China. Kardon and Gabuev explore the security implications of a warming Arctic, the dynamics of great power rivalry, the potential limits of the China-Russia partnership, and what’s at stake for the U.S. and its allies.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Oren Cass is driving these debates as one of the most influential conservative thinkers of the Trump era. Cutting against traditional GOP orthodoxy, he has long argued for more tariffs, trade barriers, and worker protections—anticipating and influencing many of Trump’s policies. Oren joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explore the China shock, AI disruption, and Alexander Hamilton.
Jon Bateman, Oren Cass
The Paveway bomb, invented by Texas Instruments in the 1970s, was the first truly precise munition. It revolutionized America’s air campaign in Vietnam and allowed whole new kinds of “limited” U.S. wars in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, and beyond.
Jon Bateman, Jeffrey E. Stern
Jon Bateman, Bruce Friedrich
Steve Feldstein, a leading expert on technology and warfare, joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to break down these trends. Are drones helping defenders deter aggression, or enabling attackers to slaughter more civilians? Why haven’t we seen full autonomy? And has the U.S. fallen behind in the weapon class that it first pioneered?
Jon Bateman, Steve Feldstein
Ambassador James B. Story most recently served as U.S. Ambassador for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, Ambassador Story served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Venezuela Affairs Unit and, prior to mid-2019, the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jon Bateman, James B. Story
