Has the U.S. actually achieved anything in its confrontation with Iran—or is Washington doubling down after failed negotiations and rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz? In this episode, we take a hard look at Donald Trump’s foreign policy—not only as apparent chaos, but as a pattern shaped by rapidly shifting priorities.

We unpack the growing rift between the U.S. and Europe, including unprecedented tensions within NATO and the possibility of an American withdrawal from the alliance. Is Ukraine slipping off the agenda? What is the status of Gaza and the so-called “Board of Peace”? And why has Trump gone quiet on China—despite calling it America’s main strategic rival?

Beyond geopolitics, we also examine the role of personal interests in shaping foreign policy decisions, the decline—or transformation—of traditional diplomacy, and the state of Trump’s domestic support amid rising protests and falling approval ratings.

Guest:

Edward Knudsen is a Doctoral Researcher in International Relations at the University of Oxford and an Affiliate Policy Fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre in Berlin. His research focuses on the political economy of transatlantic relations and the economic history of the US and Europe in the 20th century. Previously, he worked for the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House in London on projects which explored the future of transatlantic economic and security relations. He holds a MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA with majors in economics and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Accompanied by:

Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP.

The episode was recorded on 15 April 2026.