Hard Times, Harder Power: The Return of Armed Influence

In this episode, co-hosts Chris Donnelly and Romi Bathia explore hard power and the qualities that can make it an effective diplomatic tool, from decisiveness to secrecy. Caroline Cordts discusses hard power’s connection to North Korea’s military support of Russian armed forces in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Romilly Thompson also presents the Russ-Ukrainian war through the lens of Europe’s larger remilitarization, highlighting the growing tensions between the executive branch and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.