Best Geopolitics Podcasts (2026) - 16 Hand-Picked Shows

Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of CrowdStrike, hosts conversations about global security, technology, and geopolitical strategy with genuine insider perspective. Guests include former government officials, intelligence experts, and policy analysts who actually shaped the events being discussed. The cyber-security angle gives it a modern edge that pure political science podcasts lack. If you want geopolitics explained by people who've been in the room, not just reading about it, this is essential listening.

Three Hoover Institution fellows - Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster - discuss economics, history, and geopolitics with the kind of depth you'd expect from their combined expertise. The dynamic between the three hosts creates genuinely interesting debates rather than echo-chamber agreement. Episodes feel like eavesdropping on a conversation between brilliant friends who happen to disagree about important things. High-level analysis made surprisingly accessible and often quite entertaining.

George Friedman and the team at Geopolitical Futures break down global events using their systematic approach to geopolitical forecasting. Friedman's frameworks for understanding international relations are distinctive and often contrarian in useful ways. Episodes provide analysis that goes beyond headlines to examine the structural forces driving global events. If you want to predict what's coming next rather than just react to what happened yesterday, this show teaches you how to think geopolitically.

The Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge produces this podcast with the academic rigor you'd expect from one of the world's top universities. Episodes feature scholars, diplomats, and analysts discussing current geopolitical challenges with genuine depth. The British academic perspective offers a different lens than American-centric foreign policy shows. Production quality is excellent and conversations are accessible despite the scholarly credentials of the participants.

Wide-ranging interviews with geopolitical analysts, economists, and thinkers who often challenge mainstream narratives about global power dynamics. The show doesn't shy away from controversial perspectives and gives voice to viewpoints you won't hear on cable news. Episodes cover topics from monetary policy to military strategy to cultural shifts reshaping the global order. It's particularly valuable for listeners who want to hear from outside the standard foreign policy establishment.

Dominik Presl hosts focused episodes that break down specific geopolitical situations and power dynamics in accessible, well-structured segments. The show excels at taking complex international situations and making them understandable without oversimplifying. Episodes are well-researched and clearly presented, making it a great entry point for people new to geopolitics. The consistent quality and focused format make it easy to keep up with regularly.

Focused specifically on global security issues including military conflicts, arms control, terrorism, and defense policy. The show brings together academics and practitioners who work on the sharp end of international security. Discussions go deeper than news coverage into the structural and strategic dimensions of security challenges. It's essential listening for anyone who wants to understand why conflicts start, escalate, and sometimes resolve.

The International Institute for Peace in Vienna produces thoughtful conversations about contemporary geopolitics through the lens of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The perspective is distinctly European and institutionally informed, offering a counterpoint to more hawkish foreign policy podcasts. Episodes address ongoing conflicts, diplomatic efforts, and the international relations theory that underpins peace processes. Valuable for listeners interested in solutions, not just analysis.

Anirudh Suri examines the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and business with a focus on how tech competition between nations is reshaping the global order. Episodes cover semiconductor wars, AI governance, digital sovereignty, and the strategic implications of emerging technologies. The tech-geopolitics crossover is increasingly important and this show covers it better than most. Essential for understanding why tech policy is now foreign policy.

Academy Securities, run by former senior military officers, provides geopolitical and macroeconomic analysis with a distinctly practical, market-oriented perspective. Episodes connect global events to investment implications, making abstract geopolitics concrete for anyone who manages money or runs a business. The military background of the team gives their security analysis credibility that pure academics can't match. Concise, actionable, and consistently insightful.

AJ brings geopolitical conflicts to life through conversations with people who've experienced them firsthand. The personal storytelling approach humanizes geopolitics in a way that purely analytical shows can't. Episodes feature refugees, aid workers, soldiers, and civilians whose lives were shaped by the conflicts analysts discuss from comfortable studios. It's a powerful reminder that geopolitics isn't abstract - it's about real people. Genuinely moving and eye-opening.

A geopolitical discussion show with a distinctly casual, witty tone that makes international relations feel like a pub conversation (a really smart pub conversation). The hosts cover global affairs with personality and humor while still delivering substantive analysis. The Australian perspective adds freshness to a space dominated by American and European voices. If you find most geopolitics podcasts too dry, Diplomates proves the subject doesn't have to be boring.

Focused deep dives into active conflicts and geopolitical hotspots around the world. Episodes provide context, history, and analysis for the crises making headlines, as well as those that should be getting more attention. The show is particularly good at explaining why conflicts matter beyond their immediate geography. If you want to understand the interconnected nature of global security challenges, this focused format delivers.

Mirko Peters breaks down current geopolitical developments with regular, timely analysis. The newsletter-turned-podcast format means episodes are tightly focused on what's happening now with enough background to understand why it matters. It's a good way to stay current on global affairs without committing to hour-long episodes. The writing is sharp and the analysis is balanced, making it a reliable addition to any geopolitics listener's rotation.

This show examines how power operates in the international system, from military force to economic leverage to soft power and cultural influence. Episodes explore both theoretical frameworks and current events through the lens of power dynamics. It's the kind of podcast that changes how you read the news. The analytical approach is rigorous but the presentation is accessible enough for interested non-specialists.

A weekly roundup of the most significant geopolitical developments, providing quick but substantive analysis of what happened and why it matters. The format is efficient - you get caught up on global affairs without needing to dedicate hours to multiple shows. Episodes highlight connections between events that might seem unrelated, building a coherent picture of the global landscape. Perfect for busy people who want to stay geopolitically literate.