Fault Lines

Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and Amy dig into the latest round of U.S.-Russia peace talks after Vladimir Putin spent nearly five hours behind closed doors with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. No breakthrough occurred, but the stakes keep rising: Putin says Russia is “ready” for a conflict with Europe, Ukraine is grappling with corruption scandals and the resignation of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Sudan is offering Moscow a Red Sea naval base, and the Senate’s sanctions bill is still stalled.Did anything new actually from the talks? What should we make of the economic incentives reportedly being floated in some of these negotiations? What would it take for the U.S. to move this conflict toward an endgame?Check out these sources that helped shape our fellows’ discussions: @nottvjessjones@lestermunson@amykmitchell@jamil_n_jafferLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/r3iwMur3tQ0 

Today, Les, Jamil, Morgan, and Jess discuss rising tensions around Venezuela, where the U.S. has surged military assets into the region after months of striking drug-running vessels, and President Trump is set to meet with his cabinet tonight to decide next steps. Reports suggest an ultimatum may have been delivered to Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. One early U.S. strike is now under bipartisan scrutiny after allegations that American forces fired on survivors—prompting both Armed Services Committees to open investigations into the legality and authorities behind current operations.What are the administration’s strategic aims, and is the U.S. prepared for the consequences of the largest Western military buildup in the Caribbean since 1994? How will Congress’ stepped-up oversight shape the administration’s options? And with a streamlined NSC structure and an administration leaning into ambiguity, does this campaign reflect a coherent strategy—or a high-risk pressure play designed to keep allies and adversaries off balance?Check out these sources that helped shape our fellows’ discussions: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article313261442.html https://stories.theconversation.com/tracking-the-us-military-in-the-caribbean/ @lestermunson@jamil_n_jaffer@morganlroach@nottvjessjonesLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/-CiYGzP1RnU

Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and Morgan break down the Trump Administration’s new  28-point peace plan for Ukraine — a proposal that would cap Ukraine’s military size, cede territory to Russia, redirect frozen Russian assets toward reconstruction, and ban future NATO membership. Moscow’s envoy praised the plan, Kyiv says it plans on discussing it with the White House, and European allies and some Congressional members express alarm over the  terms.Is this the beginning of the end of the war, or a diplomatic dead end? What does the proposal signal about the White House’s larger Ukraine-Russia strategy? Does this proposal reward Russian aggression and risk legitimizing invasion as a negotiating tool?Check out these sources that helped shape our fellows’ discussions: https://www.axios.com/2025/11/20/trump-ukraine-peace-plan-28-points-russia https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-plan-europe-witkoff-33545b140c5bfbbc5e9061a739802e54 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly1ypqlle0o @nottvjessjones@morganlroach@jamil_n_jaffer@lestermunsonLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/HDEgKTQjdGI 

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Matt, and Jess unpack Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to Washington, his first since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and a landmark $1 trillion investment announcement alongside a U.S. agreement to sell the Kingdom F-35 fighter jets. The visit, including a business summit at the Kennedy Center, underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing economic and strategic importance to the United States.As President Trump deepens ties with Riyadh and pushes for Saudi normalization with Israel through the Abraham Accords, is this a pragmatic step toward regional stability — or a transactional bet with long-term risks? Can trade and tech cooperation truly build a new Middle Eastern “NATO,” or is Washington gambling on partnerships that could prove fragile?@morganlroach@jamil_n_jaffer@nottvjessjones@WMattHaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/ez6-oyaTOds 

Today, Les, Jamil, Morgan, and Jess break from the usual policy deep-dives for a special episode: a review of A House of Dynamite, the new 90-minute Netflix thriller that imagines a nuclear missile headed straight for the United States. The film unfolds through three overlapping vantage points—a Navy captain running the White House Situation Room, a deputy national security advisor suddenly thrust into a life-or-death decision cycle, and a Secretary of Defense guiding a president portrayed by Idris Elba. With standout performances from Jared Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, and newcomer Gabriel Basso, the movie blends high-stakes crisis response with surprisingly grounded depictions of how the U.S. government might react in the unthinkable scenario of an inbound nuclear strike.How realistic is Hollywood’s take on nuclear command and control? Which perspective offers the most credible view of how the system actually works? And what does the film get right—or wrong—about the speed, uncertainty, and pressure of decision-making when minutes determine national survival?@lestermunson@jamil_n_jaffer@nottvjessjones@morganlroachLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/a_NHqB2PIv8

Today, Jess, Les, Matt, and Algene discuss Iraq’s parliamentary elections, where Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s coalition claimed victory, though history suggests the post-election power struggles are just beginning. With half of Iraq’s population under 25, voter turnout strong, and political violence relatively low, this election could mark a step forward for Iraqi democracy.What do the results mean for U.S. strategy in the region as Washington prepares to reduce its troop presence by 2026? Can Iraq resist deepening Iranian influence at a time when Syria’s landscape is shifting? And as the U.S. pushes to expand the Abraham Accords and secure energy stability, will Baghdad emerge as a partner for regional progress — or a pressure point for America’s Middle East policy?Check out this source that helped shape our fellows’ discussion: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iraqs-prime-minister-iran-backed-militias-set-for-difficult-negotiations-after-election-4668abb8?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfwA1yCAZTvMYMMp3i22_AkbCNDrQA-Ipis82JTDlJhiWMQ7gXCr_20BU6k91s%3D&gaa_ts=6916447b&gaa_sig=A231zbhaHMgoOWVXiVlE9kmZm1YmZvrIr9lVtai7yGoudpX6Xg-xoN3621z8UoZoEU1mt7i5d4OsmTh2rcb7JA%3D%3D4dd7f26b8e98 @nottvjessjones@lestermunson@AlgeneSajery@WMattHaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/94KRBnShAKY 

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Les, and Jess discuss the Trump administration’s deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean as part of its intensified campaign against Latin American drug cartels. The move dramatically expands U.S. presence in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of operations—with destroyers, F-35 fighters, and Reaper drones joining the effort—and has drawn a fierce response from Venezuela’s Maduro regime, which launched its own military exercises in protest.What’s Washington’s real objective here, countering narcotics networks or signaling to Caracas? And if most fentanyl traffics through land routes via Mexico, not by sea, is this deployment really about fighting the drug trade, or about projecting power closer to Venezuela’s shores? As regional partners like Colombia and the UK distance themselves from the mission, is this bold strategy a show of deterrence—or a costly display of overkill?Check out this source that helped shape our fellows’ discussion: @morganlroach@lestermunson@nottvjessjones@jamil_n_jafferLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/pdQoeYya9hs

Today, Les, Jamil, and Jess discuss the Trump administration’s successful effort to delay a major vote at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body that oversees global shipping regulations. The proposal would have taxed vessels based on carbon emissions, with revenues funneled to the UN. The U.S. opposed the measure, warning it would raise shipping fuel costs and threaten to worsen inflation at home. After intense U.S. lobbying—described by some as bullying—the IMO voted to postpone the plan.Was this coercion or simply hardball diplomacy? Should the UN, through the IMO, have the authority to levy global taxes in the first place? And as the administration frames its push as economic self-defense, does this signal a broader rejection of multilateral climate measures that Washington sees as bad for business?Check out this souce that helped shape our fellows’ discussion: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/climate/trump-climate-international-bullying.html @lestermunson@nottvjessjones@jamil_n_jafferLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/E-gic_8yWKo