The Crisis Room

President Donald Trump continues to change the landscape for international politics.Marc P looks at the safety of American citizens who dissent after talk of US troops ignoring illegal orders.What is the legality of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro?Would NATO continue to exist if the US actually invades or annexes Greenland?And what has happened to the supposed rare earth minerals deal in Ukraine?

Former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace joins The Crisis Room to dissect the events of the past week, and to look ahead to what the next few months might hold. He speaks candidly about the reality of what the US leaving NATO would mean for the alliance and the security of the West, and whether Keir Starmer is right to pledge to send troops to Ukraine if Putin ever agrees to a ceasefire. Ben also reveals what it's like to have lunch with Donald Trump, and why it was a mistake to tell him about his great-grandfather's golfing prowess.Marc P also describes how the CIA would have planned the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and Mark & Amber explain the panicked conversations which will be taking place across Europe as fears grow of a US invasion of Greenland. Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

After the horrific terror attack at Bondi Beach, Marc P and Amber explain what precautions are taken by governments to try and prevent similar attacks from happening. What will life look like after Donald Trump's presidency in terms of international relations and will the US carry the same weight internationally?Mark debates whether the BBC is facing an existential crisis with a potential multi billion dollar lawsuit looming.

It's rare that the head of MI6 and the head of the Armed Forces both speak publicly in the same week. But that's what's happened in the past few days, with both warning of the imminent threat the UK faces from Russia. In this episode, The Crisis Room asks: is it time for the UK - and the West as a whole - to admit that we are at war with Russia?Amber explains the conversations she was involved in about how to deal with Russia during her time as Home Secretary - and whether enough has changed since then for Keir Starmer to take a tougher approach now. Meanwhile, Mark and Marc P unpick Putin's grey-zone warfare tactics - from sending drones to disrupt European airspace, to deploying spy ships in British waters - and discuss which specific measures the UK should take to prepare for more Russian hostility in 2026.Later, the team each choose their defining crisis of 2025 - and look ahead to the crises we can expect in the year ahead.Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

In this Q&A episode, Mark explains what is happening to civilians currently in Russian occupied Ukraine and what lies in store for them in the future.Amber replies to claims that she has said it is now safe for Afghan refugees to return back home.Mark, Amber and Marc P all discuss the use of anti-migrant rhetoric and immigration in both US and UK elections.Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Send it to [email protected] and follow us on social media: @crisisroompod