Today’s Battlegrounds

Dr. Alta DeRoo, medical director at the Betty Ford Center and a trailblazing Naval Flight Officer, teams up with Dr. Don Elverd, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and clinical psychologist. They dive into the addiction crisis in America, particularly its impact on service members. The discussion highlights the urgent need for stigma reduction, community support, and resilience in overcoming substance use disorders. They stress the importance of holistic approaches to healing and emphasize that veterans can emerge stronger from their battles with addiction.

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Leopoldo López discuss ongoing protests in Venezuela, the Maduro regime’s tactics of repression, and prospects for the restoration of the Venezuelan constitution and the end of Maduro’s despotic rule. Join former mayor of Caracas and Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they examine Venezuela’s authoritarian socialist regime and prospects for the restoration of the Venezuelan constitution. Reflecting on the country’s stolen presidential election in July 2024, López shares his insights on the Maduro regime’s mechanisms of internal control, how the axis of authoritarians are using Venezuela against the US and the rest of the free world, the next steps for the Venezuelan opposition movement, and what can be done within Venezuela and internationally to help support the Venezuelan people and end Maduro’s despotic rule. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan political leader, pro-democracy activist and Sakharov prize laureate. He is the founder and national coordinator of the Voluntad Popular political party and the former mayor of the municipality of Chacao in Caracas. In 2014 López was unjustly detained by the Maduro regime and sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. He spent four years in a military prison, a year and a half in house arrest and another year and a half in the Spanish embassy in Caracas under political asylum. In October 2020, López escaped from Venezuela through Colombia to join his family in Spain. López holds a Bachelor's degree cum laude in sociology and economics from Kenyon College, and a Master´s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was awarded a honoris causa doctorate in Law from Kenyon College in 2007. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. ​

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Adela Raz discuss the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses under Taliban rule, the lessons and consequences of the collapse of the Afghanistan Republic, and the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. Join former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States, Adela Raz, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they reflect on the geostrategic consequences of the 2021 collapse of Afghanistan. Ambassador Raz shares her insights on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses currently facing the country, the Taliban’s repressive control over women, and her hope for the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Adela Raz served as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States from July 2021 to February 2022. Ambassador Raz was first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief of Staff for an Afghan president's administrative office. She served in this post both in President Hamid Karzai's Administration and in President Ashraf Ghani’s. She was the Deputy Minister for Economic Cooperation at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2018. From 2018 to July of 2021, Raz served as Afghanistan’s first female Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, where she was the Vice President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. Since 2022, Raz has served as the director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Ambassador Raz has a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Lobsang Sangay, a former prime minister in exile of the Central Tibetan Administration, shares his insights on Tibet's ongoing struggles against Chinese repression. He discusses the emotional challenges faced by the Tibetan community in exile and the significance of recent U.S. legislation supporting Tibetan autonomy. Sangay also highlights Tibet's vital role in geopolitical dynamics and emphasizes the need for unity among exiled Tibetans. The conversation offers a deep dive into advocating for Tibetan rights and the resilience of democratic ideals in oppressive contexts.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) brigadier general Meir Finkel and H.R. McMaster discuss the Israel-Gaza war, Hamas objectives, IDF response to prevent civilian casualties, Israel-Iran proxy conflict, Ayatollah Khamenei's plan to destroy Israel by 2040, challenges in conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah, military operations in Gaza, and misunderstandings in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Ahmet Üzümcü discuss the vital role of Turkey in advancing peace and prosperity in a time of economic distress; strained relations between Ankara and Washington over Turkey’s acquisition of Russian air defense systems; disagreements over US support for Syrian Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS in Syria; and concerns about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian tendencies and his support for the terrorist organization Hamas, on Wednesday June 26, 2024. Join former director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Üzümcü, and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster in a deep dive into the current state of US-Turkey (Türkiye) and NATO-Turkey relations. In this episode of Battlegrounds, Ambassador Üzümcü, who has previously served as Turkey’s permanent representative to the United Nations and NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs, shares his expert insights on the evolving dynamics between Ankara and Washington, Turkey’s controversial acquisition of Russian air defense systems, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian policies and support for Hamas, and the broader implications of all these aspects for NATO and stability in the Middle East. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Ahmet Üzümcü served as director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 2010 to 2018. Ambassador Üzümcü accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 on behalf of the OPCW for the organization’s extensive work toward eliminating chemical weapons. Prior to serving this role he was Turkey’s (Türkiye’s) permanent representative to the United Nations, its permanent representative to NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Üzümcü holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Ankara University. He currently serves as a senior network member for the European Leadership Network and as a senior advisor for the Council on Strategic Risks. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. ​

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Jorge Castañeda discuss the future of Mexico and Mexican-US relations, on Friday, May 31, 2024. Former foreign minister of Mexico and renowned public intellectual, political scientist, and prolific writer Jorge Castañeda Gutman joins Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster to share his insights on current Mexican security concerns and the future of Mexico and Mexican-US relations. Reflecting on Mexico’s 2024 presidential election, Castañeda discusses the significance of the election as a milestone in Mexico’s history, including the implications on Mexico’s economy, efforts to address climate change, and how Mexico will navigate geopolitical tensions between the world’s major powers. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Jorge Castañeda Gutman was foreign minister of Mexico from 2000 to 2003. He is a renowned public intellectual, political scientist, and prolific writer, with an interest in Mexican and Latin American politics, comparative politics, and US-Mexican and US–Latin American relations. He is the global distinguished professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University, where he has taught since 1997, and previously taught at Mexico’s National Autonomous University, Princeton University, and the University of California–Berkeley. Dr. Castañeda is the author of more than more than 15 books, most recently America through Foreign Eyes (Oxford University Press, 2020). He is a regular columnist for Revista Nexos, the Spanish daily El País, and the New York Times. Dr. Castañeda received BAs from Princeton University and the Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne), an M.A from the École Pratique de Hautes Études, and a PhD in economic history from the Université Paris 1. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Elbegdorj Tsakhia discuss Mongolian security concerns, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the continued threat of warfare in the Pacific, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Former president of Mongolia, key leader of the Mongolian Democratic Revolution, and Mongolian prime minister in 1998 and between 2004 to 2006, Elbegdorj Tsakhia joins Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster to share his thoughts on current Mongolian security concerns, his assessment of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the continued threat of warfare in the Pacific. A pivotal figure in peace and democracy movements across Asia, Elbegdorj discusses Mongolia’s shift from an authoritarian, communist government to a democracy and free-market economy, the motivations driving the Chinese Communist Party, and the dangers that the Iranian-Russian-Chinese relationship poses to the world. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Elbegdorj Tsakhia served as president of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. Prior to taking this role, he was a key leader of the Mongolian Democratic Revolution and served as Mongolia’s prime minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006. Elbegdorj holds a master of public administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Land Forces Military Academy of Lviv, Ukraine. He is a pivotal figure in peace and democracy movements across Asia. Elbegdorj spearheaded the establishment of the Asian Partnership for Democracy initiative and serves as commissioner of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, patron of the World Sustainable Development Forum, member of the World Leadership Alliance–Club de Madrid, and member of the Elders. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Vladimir Milov discuss the war in Ukraine, the status of the Russian opposition, and prospects for the restoration of peace, Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician, publicist, economist, and former advisor to the late Russian opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny, joins Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster to share insights on Russia’s recent presidential election, the state of political opposition in Russia, and the country’s war against Ukraine. A vocal critic of Vladimir Putin and the hypernationalist group of leaders who dominate the government, Milov reflects on the significance of Navalny’s recent murder, his own vision and the prospects for the opposition movement, and the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine on the Russian people, its economy, and on Putin’s grip on power. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Vladimir Milov is a Russian opposition politician, publicist, economist, and former advisor to the late Russian opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny. Milov served as Russia’s deputy minister of energy in 2002. In 2003, he founded the Institute of Energy Policy, a think tank. Milov is a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin and the hypernationalist group of leaders who dominate the government. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

H.R. McMaster and Pål Jonson discuss European security concerns, Sweden's transition from partner to NATO ally, and the importance of technological innovation and supply chain resilience in defense. They also explore the significance of NATO and building resilience in the face of great power competition.