Following Washington's emphasis on the Western Hemisphere in its 2025 National Security Strategy, this episode examines Cuba, Venezuela and the intensifying US-China competition in Latin America.

In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow for Latin American Security at RUSI, to assess how the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy is reshaping security and geopolitics across the Americas, and what the shift means for regional stability and US global priorities.

This discussion explores:

· The elevation of the Western Hemisphere to the top tier of US national security priorities.

· Cuba's re-emergence as a strategic concern, including energy pressure, migration controls and intelligence considerations.

· Venezuela's uncertain transition following US intervention and the risks of proxy competition.

· The expansion of bilateral security agreements and US military deployments in the Caribbean basin.

· The implications of this hemispheric focus for US alliances and global commitments.

· Whether Latin America is becoming an arena for US-China strategic rivalry.

The Greenland crisis has damaged goodwill and trust between the US and Europe and has undermined perceptions of US reliability and trustworthiness.

Following the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, should Europe now pursue independence and begin to decouple from the US?

In this bonus episode of Global Security Briefing, we hear from RUSI's Director-General Rachel Ellehuus as she discusses the state of the US-Greenland-Denmark discussions, and the potential lasting impact on the transatlantic relationship and NATO.

Rachel's remarks were recorded during a RUSI webinar on Friday 23 January 2026: https://my.rusi.org/resource-library-search.html?information_type=members-event-recordings

In an hour-long discussion, the panellists, including Rachel Ellehuus, the Director General of RUSI, Oana Lungescu, a RUSI Distinguished Fellow and former long-serving NATO spokesperson and Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow for European Security at RUSI, focus on the diplomatic, military and geopolitical fallout from the Greenland crisis for the transatlantic relationship. Become a RUSI member today to access the full recording: https://my.rusi.org/membership.html

As US–European relations face renewed strain under President Trump, this episode explores what the crisis means for NATO, European security and the United Kingdom.

In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Distinguished Fellow Sir David Lidington to discuss the growing crisis in transatlantic relations, from the Greenland dispute and uncertainty over US security commitments to the wider impact of Russia's war in Ukraine and shifting US strategy, and to assess what these changes mean for Europe's security order and the UK's strategic choices.

The discussion explores:

- The resilience of Europe's security order amid transatlantic tension.

- The implications of the Greenland crisis for NATO and European unity.

- How NATO, the EU and smaller groupings are adapting to a harsher security environment.

- The future of the Ukraine war and its impact on European security.

- Whether NATO and the transatlantic relationship can endure.

- How the UK should position itself in a changing Euro-Atlantic landscape.

Recorded on Tuesday 20 January 2026.