Why It Matters

Why It Matters

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All Episodes

Honey, I Tracked the War

This episode explores how drones, cell phones, and other widely-available intelligence tools are turning civilians and aid workers into frontline witnesses—documenting war in real time, guiding humanitarian aid, and helping build evidence that could power future war crimes cases. ...  Show more

One Woman's Path From a U.S. College Campus to the Ukrainian Battlefield

This episode traces one young woman's journey home to a new kind of war—and Ukraine’s fight for survival. Host: Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Guest: Catarina Buchatskiy, Co-Founder & Director of Analytics, Snake Island Institute We d ...  Show more

Allies, Partners, or Frenemies?

This episode outlines the global network sustaining both sides of the war in Ukraine, with NATO allies on one side and Russia with backing from China, Iran, and North Korea on the other, and how the limits and tensions within these alliances are shaping the war’s next phase and r ...  Show more

We Are in a New Era of Warfare

This episode explores how the emergence of drone warfare and innovation under fire is transforming power and forcing nations to rethink strategy and military capacity. Host: Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Guests: Michael C. Horowitz, ...  Show more

The Risk Report for 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, U.S. foreign policy stands at an inflection point. Under the second Trump administration, traditional alliances have been tested, a hard-edged national security strategy has been rolled out, and for the first time, CFR’s annual Preventive Priorities Surv ...  Show more