It has long been said that the United States has benefited from its geography, when it comes to national security. This is attributed to vast oceans to the east and west, along with friendly neighbors to the north and south. The same can be said for Canada, with Santa being a pretty friendly neighbor to the north, one would assume. Do to this shared advantage, which might be less true today, Canada and the United States have long worked together to secure "Fortress North America". From the defensive structures of NORAD and NATO, to the continued force projection taking on some of the biggest challenges of the day, these two countries have collaborated in a number of military spaces. While it would take too long to dive into all the shared challenges that these countries face on the global stage, we did take a special opportunity to speak with the Canadian Defense Attaché to the United States about several of the biggest issues of the day. Major General  Michel-Henri St-Louis of the Canadian Armed Forces graciously gave his time to talk about NATO, NORAD, Ukraine, and the current state of Canada's military and integration with American forces. With a thirty-plus year military career, the Major General has held many high level commands across multiple theatres, as he has helped to ensure Canada upholds its international security obligations.  This episode tackles important questions, from what challenges do the armed forces face in terms of readiness, what support has the Canadian government provided to Ukraine, and how our adversaries actively work to undermine important foreign policy conversations here in the US and Canada. This fascinating and unique conversation provides access to top level military thinking, accessible for all. Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis is an infantry officer from le Royal 22e Régiment, currently serving as the Defence Attaché to the United States. Born in Managua, Nicaragua, he and his family moved to the south shore of Montreal in 1978 during the time of the Sandinista Revolution. Before assuming his current responsibilities at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, MGen St-Louis was the Acting Commander of the Canadian Army. This followed his appointment as the Canadian Army’s Training Authority. Preceding this, he served as the Commander of Joint Task Force - IMPACT in the Middle East for more than a year (mid 2019 – mid 2020). Other previous commands and appointments include Deputy Commanding General for Operations of America’s First Corps (I Corps - US Army) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (2017-2019), command of 5e Groupe-Brigade Mécanisé du Canada (2015-2017), as well as commander of the last Canadian Battle-Group in charge of combat operations in Panjwai, Kandahar (2010-2011). Through his service he and his family have lived in Saint-Jean, Québec City, Oromocto, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Washington, D.C., Washington State and Kingston (Ontario). He has deployed on 6 different missions, to such places as Srebrenica (Bosnia), Rastevic (Croatia), Zgon (Bosnia), Kabul, Kandahar (Afghanistan) and the OP IMPACT Middle East area or operations (Kuwait-Iraq-Jordan-Lebanon). He has attended the US PINNACLE and CAPSTONE Leadership Programs, followed seminars at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NDU) and the US Army War College. He is a graduate of the National War College (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.), the Canadian Forces College, le Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, the Royal Military College in Kingston, and the Canadian Army Command and Staff College. His three Masters degrees have focused on the study of war, defence and strategy. He served as chief of staff at the operational level in the 1st Canadian Air Division. In addition, he served three times at the strategic level with the Director General of Strategic Planning, within the Canadian Army Staff and with the Strategic Joint Staff.

With the NATO Summit, celebrating 75 years of this alliance, coming up in July, it is an important time to continue to make the case for the importance of NATO. While some question the usefulness of this alliance, the undeniable fact is that having a strong set of allies in the world sets the United States apart from its competitors. Russia and China cannot call on other countries in the same way and must revert to coercive tactics that make them even fewer friends on the global stage. In this episode we speak with Daniel Kochis, Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute, about the strength of this alliance system, where it needs to be improved, and why Americans should continue to support engagement with our European allies. Whether you want a strong America that is ready to confront Russia and China, or you want the US to work closely with like minded countries to defend the international liberal order, you can't do much better than NATO. Daniel Kochis is a senior fellow in the Center on Europe and Eurasia at Hudson Institute. He specializes in transatlantic security issues and regularly publishes on United States policy in Europe; NATO, Baltic, and Nordic dimensions of collective defense; and Arctic issues. Prior to joining Hudson, Mr. Kochis spent 11 years with the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, most recently as a research fellow in European affairs. There, he served as lead Europe analyst, authoring hundreds of publications and for a decade writing the Europe chapter of Heritage’s Index of US Military Strength. In addition to his work on transatlantic security, Mr. Kochis has government affairs experience working at a national nonprofit organization. He previously worked in research and marketing roles with the Advisory Board. Mr. Kochis holds an MA in comparative political science from Fordham University, where he received the Richard A. Bennett graduate assistantship. He received his BA in political science from the Catholic University of America, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, and from the University Honors Program.

For the past 77 years, since the founding of Pakistan at the partition of British held India, the United States and Pakistan have worked together to try and bring stability to this region of the world. As the fifth largest country in the world, as measured by population, and sitting at a geopolitical strategic crossroads, Pakistan remains an important partner on a wide range of issues of global, regional, and national interest. Whether it is managing their own relations with India, balancing the interests of the United States and China, or working on transnational issues such as climate change and terrorism, this country plays a key role in responding to the various challenges facing the world today. In this episode, we speak with Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, to explore the role that Pakistan would like to fill in the international system, to discuss where interests overlap, and to identify what Pakistan wants to see from its relationship with the United States. Through this conversation, we highlight the importance of understanding the deeper relationships than what is typically talked about. By discussing how the US-Pakistan relationship goes deeper than counterterrorism, we can better understand the ways this relationship can be leveraged to benefit both countries. Ambassador Masood Khan is currently serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, a role he has held since 2022. Prior to that he was the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from August 2016 to August 2021. Immediately before becoming the President he was the Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, one of the top think tanks in Pakistan. Ambassador Masood Khan had a distinguished diplomatic career. Most notably, he served as: * Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2005; * Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2005 to 2008; * Pakistan’s Ambassador to China from 2008 to 2012; and * Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 2012 to 2015. In his earlier diplomatic career, he held important diplomatic positions in China, The Netherlands, United Nations (New York) and the USA (Washington D.C. from 1997 to 2002). Over the years, he has also held leadership positions in the international community which include: * President of the Conference on Disarmament, * Chairman of the Committee on Internet Governance of the 2005 World Summit for Information Society. * President of the Biological Weapons Review Conference 2006, * President of the Governmental Group of the International Labour Organization (ILO), * Chairman of the ILO Reform Committee, * Chairman of the Council of the International Organization for Migration * Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Geneva. * Chairman of the Group of 77 and China. In New York, Ambassador Khan represented Pakistan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2012 to 2013 and became the President of the Security Council in January 2013. While in New York, he was also the * Vice President of the Economic and Social Council, * Vice President of the UN General Assembly and * President of the Executive Board of UNICEF. Ambassador Masood Khan also remained Pakistan’s Chief Negotiator (Sherpa) for the US-led Nuclear Security Summits, from 2009 to 2015.

On the heels of the latest aid package for Ukraine from the United States, the Global in the Granite State reached out to one of our exchange alumni, Member of Parliament Nataliya Pipa, from Ukraine to hear about what life is currently like in the country and what this latest round of support will mean for their ongoing fight against Russia. Providing key insights into how the people of Ukraine have proven resilient in the face of this unprovoked war, MP Pipa gives listeners a first hand account of the devastation, while sharing the joy of knowing that people and governments still care about the freedom and future of Ukraine.  MP Pipa visited New Hampshire in July of 2021 through the Open World Leadership program, having the opportunity to share best practices with her local counterparts on creating accountability in government. One year later, she was back to thank the people of New Hampshire for their support for her country in the early stages of what is now a three year old war. This compelling conversation will provide listeners with a better understanding of the war, what is at stake, and what Western support means. While some will debate whether or not weakening the Russian Military and its morale is in our own national interest, you cannot deny the importance of this support to Ukraine, from a Ukrainian perspective.  Nataliya Pipa has been a Member of Parliament since 2019, representing a western region of Ukraine, including part of the city of Lviv. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, she was involved in volunteering, working on the ecological situation in Lviv and fighting illegal constructions. Along with other activists she managed to stop illegal construction and to create a public space “Square of Dignity”. Her main focus in the Parliament is on education and she has a specific interest in the expansion of education programs. She is married to a teacher and has two young sons.

While much attention is paid to the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it is important to note that Russia continues to try and exert influence across the world. This is particularly true across the Middle East, where Russia has tried to center itself as the reliable partner for autocratic leaders throughout the region. Russia has a long history of engagement with Middle Eastern Leaders, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it saw its influence wane, down to just a couple of countries. Over the past ten years, however, they have regained a foothold through the Syrian Civil war and have increased their engagement with other countries, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring. While Russia has many interests in the region, our speaker, Vice Admiral John W. Miller (ret.), proposes that the driving force of Russian interests are two fold; to create transactional relationships that benefit Russia, and to disrupt the U.S.' vision for the region. Join us for this episode to gain critical insights into why Russian engagement in the Middle East is an issue that all Americans should be aware of and why it is in the U.S.' national security interest to counter their growing influence. This episode will highlight the number of ways in which the U.S. and Russia approach this region and how many countries would prefer to partner with these large global actors.  Admiral John W. Miller serves as the President and CEO of The Fozzie Miller Group, LLC and as a Principal Partner of Global Alliance Advisors, LLC, both Washington DC based national security firms positioned at the intersection of government policy, defense acquisition programs, and industrial performance. The firm teams with US and international clients to deliver solutions that blend national security strategies and industrial growth into achievable national security objectives. Admiral Miller also serves as a Highly Qualified Expert and Senior Mentor to the U.S. Naval War College, providing advice and expertise to the U.S. Navy on a wide range of operational and educational subjects. His last three assignments in the Navy were as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander U.S. Fifth Fleet/Commander/ Combined Maritime Forces; Commander, Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center; and Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eleven. Admiral Miller also serves as a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and as an active member of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Board of Trustees.