Performative wars, Trump’s midterm gamble, Russia–Africa summit — with Dr. Radhika Desai

Tara and Olga, fresh from the third Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, welcome Dr. Radhika Desai, a geopolitical economist from Canada, to discuss neo-colonialism, Western military spending, the Ukraine talks, Iran, and the US midterms.

Is the French foreign minister’s charge that Russia is “colonizing minds” in Africa a case of projection? Can imperialism exist without territorial control, and why does the West’s definition hide economic exploitation? And why does Canadian PM Mark Carney appear to stand up to Trump while accommodating him?

What are “performative wars?” Does a government urging citizens to stockpile three days of supplies serve a security purpose, or a case for higher defense budgets? Who benefits when European arms spending rises: ordinary citizens or private corporations? And what does it say that young Germans are protesting conscription plans?

Are Trump’s Ukraine and diesel moves really aimed at the midterms? What could the US look like after November 3, and could it derail a Trump–Xi–Putin meeting? Why does Desai call the Iran buildup a “quagmire,” and why should Russia be cautious about hoping for too much?