Want to watch the episode? Check out our video interview on our NEW YouTube channel!

While in New York for the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Estonia’s foreign minister sat down with The Delegates Lounge podcast at Estonia's Mission to the United Nations. He had recently addressed an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the threats of Russia's air incursions into NATO airspace.

Our conversation examines what deterrence looks like when Moscow tests the line. From NATO's Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry Operations to Article 4 consultations, we delve into the developments set in motion by the Kremlin's recent incursions into NATO airspace on the eve of the gathering of more than 150 heads of state and government for the General Assembly in New York.

The conversation goes beyond immediate threats to NATO countries to the problem of paying for the long war that Russia is waging on Ukraine. Estonia makes the case for using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, paired with tighter sanctions that strike at Russia’s war economy. The conversation also confronts the challenges facing the United Nations itself, as the organization struggles with a fiscal crisis and uncertainty over its sense of purpose.

If this episode resonates with you, be sure to follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. It will help others who share your interests find their way to The Delegates Lounge podcast.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host). @alextarquinio of delegateslounge on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia (guest). @Tsahkna of @MFAestonia on X, formerly known as Twitter.

References:

Alex, our podcast host, wrote the United Nations General Assembly curtain raiser for Foreign Policy. Here's a free gift link to the article.

Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu sat down with The Delegates Lounge podcast on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. From an official Romanian office overlooking the East River, she spoke candidly about Eastern European security and the calculations that went into Romania's decision making when a Russian drone recently transited their territorial airspace for around 50 minutes.

The UN General Assembly has now officially begun its 80th session. The high-level week began with a conference on recognizing Palestine, with several countries doing so for the first time. Romania, however, was among the first European countries to do so. The minister was clear on two points: Hostage release should be the first principle; and Hamas has no political future. At the same time, she said, the humanitarian emergency demands action and a horizon toward a two‑state solution.

Finally, we discussed the malaise at the United Nations, from a fiscal crisis to the search for the next secretary-general. She makes a serious case for an Eastern European secretary‑general after eight decades without one.

If you value strategic clarity over sound bites, press play. Then subscribe, share with a friend who follows world affairs, and leave a review to help others find their way to The Delegates Lounge.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Oana Toiu (guest) is the foreign minister of Romania. @oana_toiu of @MAERomania on X and @oana_toiu of @mfaromania on Instagram.

References:

Our podcast host, J. Alex Tarquinio, covered the United Nations high-level week for Foreign Policy. Here's a gift link to the coverage.

Want to watch the episode? Check out our video interview on our NEW YouTube channel!

Drama unfolds at the United Nations this week, as the 80th session of the UN General Assembly gets underway with leaders from more than 150 countries gathering in New York. At The Delegates Lounge podcast, we're beginning our coverage of what is known as either the "high-level week" of the General Assembly, or, more simply, "UNGA."

We held our first conversation with the former U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood, who served during the Biden Administration, as he shares his unfiltered perspective on a radically changed landscape. Recorded on Sunday, Sept. 21 as we walked about the United Nations headquarters in New York while security and television crews were scurrying all around us to set up for the big week ahead. Our conversation reveals how the organization faces existential challenges unlike any since World War II.

The contrast couldn't be more striking – last year's ambitious Pact for the Future versus this year's austere UN80 reform process. With the Trump administration returning to power and withholding critical funding, the UN now confronts a severe liquidity crisis forcing Secretary-General António Guterres to implement painful reductions of about one-fifth of staff. Wood expresses grave concern about cuts to conflict resolution capabilities and humanitarian operations at a time when global needs have never been greater.

"The UN is at a major point of inflection," Wood warns, as we explore how budget constraints will reshape multilateralism itself. The conversation delves into pressing geopolitical flashpoints – from Russia's designs beyond Ukraine to the Palestinian statehood conference set to take place at the General Assembly the next day. With 48 hostages still held by Hamas and Israeli operations intensifying, Wood offers candid insights on diplomatic missteps and potential pathways forward.

Looking ahead, the selection of the next secretary-general emerges at a pivotal moment. Wood articulates the need for a visionary leader who can navigate reforms while preserving the organization's core mission – someone who fosters "hope, not division" during these tumultuous times. Despite the sobering assessment, Wood maintains that the UN remains "a big hope for billions around the world" if it can adapt to new realities.

Join us for this essential conversation that goes beyond headlines to explore what's at stake for multilateralism. Subscribe now and never miss an episode as we bring you insights from the heart of international diplomacy.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Amb. Robert Wood (guest) was the U.S. Deputy Permanent Representantive to the United Nations during the Biden Administration. @WoodRoberta5 on X.

References:

Our podcast host, J. Alex Tarquinio, wrote the curtain-raiser for the United Nations high-level week for Foreign Policy. Here's a gift link to the article.

The Trump administration made an about-face on sanctions after the Alaska Summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. Washington now appears reluctant to bolster sanctions as a means of coercing the Russian leader to the peace table, in part, because Putin's regime portrays Russia as an economic juggernaut weathering Western sanctions with ease. Our guest in this episode, Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, challenges that Russian narrative.

Jeffrey was instrumental in encouraging executives to pull up stakes and leave Russia after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His team devised a novel A-to-F grading system to gauge the corporate exodus. Contrary to assumptions that businesses are eager to return, he makes the case that the corruption, supply chain management nightmares, and reputational risks make Russia a toxic business environment for global companies. "Nobody wants to go back in," he states unequivocally.

As peace talks continue, he argues that this economic reality undermines Putin's negotiating position far more than is widely recognized. Sonnenfeld predicts Russia will be "out of cash by New Year's" if the war continues – information critical for understanding why sanctions remain a powerful lever in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

We caught up with Jeffrey while European leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were meeting with United States President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on August 18.

Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other podcast apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (guest) is the Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies and the Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice at the Yale School of Management. He’s best known as the founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance. @JeffSonnenfled of @YaleSOM on X.

References:

Our host mentioned a New York Times article in which she had quoted the guest. Here's that article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/business/mutual-funds/energy-markets-volatility.html

Photo Caption and Credit:

President Donald Trump greets Russian president Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday, August 15, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Join us for our talk with Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Panama’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador de Alba is serving in the monthly rotating presidency of the Security Council for the Month of August, and for this exchange, we sat down with him in the Security Council President’s office. From time to time, you may hear the roar of seaplanes landing on New York’s East River right outside of the expansive picture window.

Some 100,000 commercial vessels are plying through international waters on any given day, transporting around 80 percent of world commerce. During their journeys, many of these ships will pass through the Panama Canal. We couldn’t have a better guide to understanding the canal than Ambassador de Alba, who served on the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority during the first decade after the country took control of the canal from the United States.

Beyond the canal, we explore Panama's influential ship registry, which has operated since 1917 and recently implemented new standards that will make it more difficult for some vessels engaged in criminal activity or sanctions evasion to fly the Panamanian flag. The Ambassador candidly discusses how Panama balances maritime commerce with combating these pressing concerns.

Much of our conversation with the Security Council President would have been right at home in one of our episodes of “Undercurrents,” our occasional series about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. But we also discuss key topics on the Security Council's packed agenda: From potential snapback sanctions on Iran to the intractable violence in Haiti.

Finally, our conversation ventures into the wilds of the Darién Gap, that roadless jungle on the Panamanian-Colombian border that forms the only break in the Pan-American Highway, where migrants risk everything in their northward journey. The Ambassador's perspective on this humanitarian challenge reveals the complex realities facing transit countries caught between migration's push and pull factors.

Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other podcast apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Eloy Alfaro de Alba (guest) is the Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations. @EloyAlfaroAlba of @panamaonuny on X and @panamaonuny on Instagram.

Photo Caption and Credit:

Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the Month of August, chairs the Security Council meeting on non-proliferation. UN Photo/Manuel Elías; August 6, 2025, 10:04 a.m.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations, joins us in The Delegates Lounge as his country holds the rotating monthly presidency of the UN Security Council.

July is typically a sleepy period here at the UN. But not this year! That’s because a UN General Assembly conference to discuss Palestinian statehood, originally scheduled for June, will now land at the end of this month. The ambassador articulates Pakistan's support for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, saying, "there is a clear understanding among the majority of the membership that we need to move forward on Palestinian statehood."

The conference was pushed back because of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pakistan swiftly criticized the bombing by the United States. As a nuclear state, Pakistan is not a signatory to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, but the ambassador says that Iran, as a signatory, should abide by it. His most ardent remarks relate to the recent Pakistan-India conflict over Kashmir. Pakistan has nominated President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in concluding a ceasefire. Regarding Ukraine, Pakistan abstained on UN resolutions calling on Russia to leave Ukraine — until a recent twist in February.

This conversation took place at the UN headquarters in New York shortly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's confirmation hearing of Mike Waltz to become UN ambassador. We did, however, discuss the mood at the UN as it faces budget tightening and calls for reform.

Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad (guest) is Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July. @Asimiahmad of @PakistanUN_NY, @ForeignOfficePk on X and @pakmission_un, @foreignofficepk on Instagram.

Photo Caption and Credit:

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July, chairs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East (Yemen). UN Photo/Manuel Elías; July 9, 2025, 10:03 a.m.

Nataliya Gumenyuk takes us behind the headlines to reveal the stark reality of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression. Having embedded with drone operators near the frontlines, she offers rare insight into evolving military tactics. "Before, drones were supplementary," she says, "but now they're used instead of artillery."

A Ukrainian journalist based in Kyiv, she describes The Reckoning Project, which collects testimonies that may serve as journalistic material or evidence for future prosecutions. This work inspired “The Reckoning,” a recent limited-run theatrical production at the Arcola theater in London, produced in cooperation with Dash Arts.

When discussing her colleague Victoria Roshchyna — who died in Russian captivity, and whose mutilated body was ultimately returned to Ukraine — Nataliya asks what more could be done for those still held by Russia. Reporters Without Borders has profiled 29. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine says the figure is at least 30, while Nataliya puts it at 35.

As our interview concludes, an air raid alert sounds on Nataliya's phone — a striking reminder that for Ukrainians, the war is everpresent.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Nataliya Gumenyuk (guest) co-founded the Public Interest Journalism Lab and The Reckoning Project. She's a frequent contributor to The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian. @ngumenyuk of @PIJLab and @TRPforJustice on X and @ngumenyuk on Instagram.

References:

We discussed Nataliya’s recent article about drone warfare in The Atlantic. Here’s a gift link for nonsubscribers.

We talked about the description of drone warfare in a well-known decade-old article about drone pilots in the Nevada desert.

Nataliya mentioned this Vanity Fair article about Ukrainian children. The Reckoning Project was credited with help on this story.

Credits:

Music: Intro/Outro, Adobe Stock — Roads loop 6/Stefan Kartenberg; Awkward Mystery/Ionics; Water of the Moon/MusicLFiles. Walla tracks captured and mixed by The Delegates Lounge LLC/J. Alex Tarquinio.

Photo: Nataliya Gumenyuk

Welcome to the third edition of "Dining with Diplomats," a series that explores the intersection of food, culture, and diplomacy. In this edition, we'll journey across Europe to discover the diverse celebrations marking the summer solstice.

Swedish Consul General in New York Erik Ullenhag takes us through the significance of the Midsummer holiday in Sweden, where the celebration rivals Christmas in importance. After enduring months of winter darkness, Swedes embrace the nearly endless daylight with maypole dancing, traditional songs about jumping frogs, and a feast featuring fresh potatoes, herring, and sweet summer strawberries. Later in summer, communities gather for crayfish parties, a tradition deeply rooted in Sweden's lake culture.

Our voyage continues to Romania, where Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Andreea Mocanu reveals how geographical diversity shapes regional cuisines. Mocanu shares childhood memories of her grandmother's dawn-to-dusk black cherry jam making and age-old food preservation techniques.

In Bulgaria, UN diplomat Svetozar Dimitrov guides us through a progression of seasonal celebrations, from March's Baba Marta Day to the ancient practice of barefoot walking on hot coals in the Strandzha mountains. Bulgaria's refreshing summer cuisine features a cold yogurt-cucumber soup and kyopolou, a roasted eggplant spread that captures summer's bounty.

Greek and Spanish traditions round out our Mediterranean exploration, with the ancient origins of spanakopita and the cooling comfort of Córdoba's salmorejo, described by one cultural officer as "sunshine in a bowl."

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Erik Ullenhag (guest) is the Consulate General of Sweden in New York. He was formerly a Swedish politician and ambassador to Jordan and Israel. @erikullenhag of and @swedennewyork and @SweMFA on X and @erikullenhag of @swedennewyork and @swedishmfa on Instagram.

Andreea Mocanu (guest) is the Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations in New York. @andreea_mocanu1 of @RomaniaUN_NY and @MAERomania on X and @mfaromania on Instagram.

Svetozar Dimitrov (guest) is First Secretary at Bulgaria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. @BGmission and @MFABulgaria on X.

Credits:

The pieces of music introducing and concluding the Bulgarian segment are mentioned by the guest.

“July Morning” by Uriah Heep

"Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin" sung by Valya Balkanska on NASA’s “golden record” sounds and music of earth on the Voyager spacecraft.

All other music: Adobe Stock