Hudson Institute Events Podcast

A founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Iceland has been a vital ally and partner to the United States for nearly 80 years. Positioned at the crossroads of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, its strategic importance to transatlantic security far exceeds its geographic size. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently described Iceland as the alliance’s “eyes and ears” for its critical role in securing vital transatlantic air and sea routes.
How is Iceland adapting to the era of great power competition? What does the future hold for US-Icelandic bilateral relations?
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.

In April 2025, toward the beginning of the 119th Congress, Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) announced at Hudson Institute the introduction of the SHIPS For America Act, a comprehensive proposal to revitalize America’s commercial maritime industries. The bill is aligned with the Trump administration’s aggressive maritime agenda and enjoys strong bipartisan, bicameral support.
Join Senators Kelly and Young as they return to Hudson to discuss the bill’s prospects during this Congress’s homestretch. After the senators’ remarks, two expert panels will discuss how the maritime industry is preparing to respond.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington this fall amid a tenuous bilateral relationship. Since the May summit between President Donald Trump and Xi in Beijing, artificial intelligence has solidified as a central axis of competition, Chinese support for Iran’s wartime economy continues, and major military and trade questions remain unresolved.
What is the status of the relationship, and how can America maximize its leverage over the Chinese Communist Party—particularly in technology and AI?
Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.

On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement brokered by the United States, the first bilateral understanding between Jerusalem and Beirut since the May 17 Agreement of 1983. The two governments committed to implement security measures under which the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon and be replaced by units of the Lebanese Armed Forces, which would oversee Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Does this diplomatic breakthrough open the door to a new chapter for the Lebanese people? Can the Lebanese government muster the will to confront Hezbollah? Or does the consensus-based mode of governance in Beirut doom the possibility of real change? Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together at Hudson Institute to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israel-Lebanon relations.

Following the establishment of diplomatic ties between Somaliland and Taiwan in 2020, Somaliland returned to international news last year when Israel became the first country to recognize the self-governing state’s independence since Somaliland re-declared independence in 1991. Since then, the Iran war, the Houthis’ continued provocations in Yemen, China’s ongoing influence throughout Africa, as well as Russian and Iranian inroads in East Africa have highlighted the strategic importance of pro-Western Somaliland.
In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (“Irro”) will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.