In an era dominated by sensationalist headlines and the frequent, bombastic statements of world leaders, it is tempting to interpret global affairs primarily as the result of the actions of single political personalities or government transitions. Yet beneath this surface narrative lies a set of enduring structural tendencies that are shaping international politics in profound and lasting ways.
This talk invited us to look beyond the immediate and the dramatic, and instead to examine the deeper trends influencing geopolitics today—trends that persist regardless of who occupies the seats of power in Washington, Beijing, Moscow, or Brussels.
Drawing on his extensive experience as a practitioner and advisor at the highest levels of the U.S. administration, Jake Sullivan analyzed and explained the underlying dynamics of today’s complex geopolitical landscape.
Jake Sullivan is the Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Fellow at the University of New Hampshire’s public policy school. He was the 28th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor) from January 2021 to January 2025. In the Obama Administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Ivan Krastev, IWM Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow, introduced the talk and moderated the subsequent discussion.
