Mark Cancian and Ryan Berg join Will to discuss what the U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean tells us about changing U.S. priorities, its implications for Venezuela and the wider region, and if U.S. pressure is likely to achieve its aims.
· Mark Cancian and Chris Park, "Going to War with the Cartels: The Military Implications," CSIS, September 8, 2025.
· Ryan Berg and Eric Farnsworth, "Deploying U.S. Vessels to the Caribbean Is a Show of Force," Foreign Policy, September 4, 2025.
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Are U.S. tariffs bringing India and China together?
President Xi and Prime Minister Modi greeted each other warmly at the SCO summit in China last weekend. Rick Rossow and Henrietta Levin join Will to discuss how real the China-India rapprochement is, if it’s really because of President Trump’s tariffs, and what it means for the United States.
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Are allies or autocrats managing Trump better?
After a busy month of U.S. diplomacy, Victor Cha and Max Bergmann join Will to discuss what East Asian and European allies are learning about summits with President Trump and what patterns are emerging about how President Trump engages with autocrats.
"Statesmen’s Forum: His Excellency Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea" CSIS, August 25, 2025.
"Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits" Russian Roulette, CSIS, August 21, 2025.
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Are U.S.-Japan relations at a turning point?
This week, Kristi Govella and Nick Szechenyi join Will to discuss if U.S.-Japan relations are shifting in a fundamental way after tariff negotiations, pressure on defense spending, and turbulent Japanese politics.
Kristi Govella, "What the LDP-Komeito Defeat Means for Japanese Foreign Policy," The Diplomat, July 31, 2025.
Nicholas Szechenyi, Yuko Nakano, and Kristi Govella, "Japan’s Upper House Election: Prolonged Instability," CSIS, July 21, 2025.
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Is Pressure on Indo-Pacific Allies Working?
The Trump administration is placing pressure on allies in the Indo-Pacific, from tariffs and aid cuts to efforts to increase defense spending. Charles Edel and Greg Poling join Will to discuss if the United States' economic and security strategies are working, how allies are responding, and what this means for China's standing in the region.
Charles Edel, Kathryn Paik, and John Auge, "Shifting Tides: The National Security Implications of the United States’ Pacific Drawdown," CSIS, July 22, 2025.
Gregory Poling, "Building Bridges, Countering Rivals: Strengthening U.S.-ASEAN Ties to Combat Chinese Influence," Congressional Testimony, June 10, 2025.
The world order has been disrupted, and a new international system is emerging. Hosted by Will Todman, State of Play unpacks the biggest geopolitical developments of the week. Every episode brings together CSIS’s leading regional experts to explore how global power is shifting, how allies and adversaries are responding, and what it all means for the future of international order. State of Play is produced by Cera Baker.
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