The Delegates Lounge

• Trump Withholds his Trump Card, Sanctions, in High Stakes Summits

  The Trump administration made an about-face on sanctions after the Alaska Summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. Washington now appears reluctant to bolster sanctions as a means of coercing the Russian leader to the peace table, in part, because Putin's regime portrays Russia as an economic juggernaut weathering Western sanctions with ease. Our guest in this episode, Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, challenges that Russian narrative.Jeffrey was instrumental in encouraging executives to pull up stakes and leave Russia after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His team devised a novel A-to-F grading system to gauge the corporate exodus. Contrary to assumptions that businesses are eager to return, he makes the case that the corruption, supply chain management nightmares, and reputational risks make Russia a toxic business environment for global companies. "Nobody wants to go back in," he states unequivocally.As peace talks continue, he argues that this economic reality undermines Putin's negotiating position far more than is widely recognized. Sonnenfeld predicts Russia will be "out of cash by New Year's" if the war continues – information critical for understanding why sanctions remain a powerful lever in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.We caught up with Jeffrey while European leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were meeting with United States President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on August 18.Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other podcast apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!Speakers:J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (guest) is the Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies and the Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice at the Yale School of Management. He’s best known as the founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance. @JeffSonnenfled of @YaleSOM on X.References:Our host mentioned a New York Times article in which she had quoted the guest. Here's that article.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/business/mutual-funds/energy-markets-volatility.htmlPhoto Caption and Credit: President Donald Trump greets Russian president Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday, August 15, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

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• Exclusive: The United Nations Ambassador for Panama and Security Council President

  Join us for our talk with Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Panama’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador de Alba is serving in the monthly rotating presidency of the Security Council for the Month of August, and for this exchange, we sat down with him in the Security Council President’s office. From time to time, you may hear the roar of seaplanes landing on New York’s East River right outside of the expansive picture window. Some 100,000 commercial vessels are plying through international waters on any given day, transporting around 80 percent of world commerce. During their journeys, many of these ships will pass through the Panama Canal. We couldn’t have a better guide to understanding the canal than Ambassador de Alba, who served on the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority during the first decade after the country took control of the canal from the United States.Beyond the canal, we explore Panama's influential ship registry, which has operated since 1917 and recently implemented new standards that will make it more difficult for some vessels engaged in criminal activity or sanctions evasion to fly the Panamanian flag. The Ambassador candidly discusses how Panama balances maritime commerce with combating these pressing concerns.Much of our conversation with the Security Council President would have been right at home in one of our episodes of “Undercurrents,” our occasional series about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. But we also discuss key topics on the Security Council's packed agenda: From potential snapback sanctions on Iran to the intractable violence in Haiti. Finally, our conversation ventures into the wilds of the Darién Gap, that roadless jungle on the Panamanian-Colombian border that forms the only break in the Pan-American Highway, where migrants risk everything in their northward journey. The Ambassador's perspective on this humanitarian challenge reveals the complex realities facing transit countries caught between migration's push and pull factors. Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other podcast apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!Speakers:J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.Eloy Alfaro de Alba (guest) is the Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations. @EloyAlfaroAlba of @panamaonuny on X and @panamaonuny on Instagram.Photo Caption and Credit: Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the Month of August, chairs the Security Council meeting on non-proliferation. UN Photo/Manuel Elías; August 6, 2025, 10:04 a.m. 

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• Exclusive: The United Nations Ambassador for Pakistan and Security Council President

  Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations, joins us in The Delegates Lounge as his country holds the rotating monthly presidency of the UN Security Council. July is typically a sleepy period here at the UN. But not this year! That’s because a UN General Assembly conference to discuss Palestinian statehood, originally scheduled for June, will now land at the end of this month. The ambassador articulates Pakistan's support for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, saying, "there is a clear understanding among the majority of the membership that we need to move forward on Palestinian statehood."The conference was pushed back because of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pakistan swiftly criticized the bombing by the United States. As a nuclear state, Pakistan is not a signatory to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, but the ambassador says that Iran, as a signatory, should abide by it. His most ardent remarks relate to the recent Pakistan-India conflict over Kashmir. Pakistan has nominated President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in concluding a ceasefire. Regarding Ukraine, Pakistan abstained on UN resolutions calling on Russia to leave Ukraine — until a recent twist in February.This conversation took place at the UN headquarters in New York shortly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's confirmation hearing of Mike Waltz to become UN ambassador. We did, however, discuss the mood at the UN as it faces budget tightening and calls for reform.Listen Up!: We recently launched a new YouTube channel, including our previous episodes since creating The Delegates Lounge last year. For our regular listeners, we’ll keep up our playlist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other apps. But YouTube lets you watch videos and subtitles translated into a variety of languages — from Arabic to Ukrainian. Find us on YouTube and hit the “Subscribe” button!Speakers:J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad (guest) is Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July. @Asimiahmad of @PakistanUN_NY, @ForeignOfficePk on X and @pakmission_un, @foreignofficepk on Instagram.Photo Caption and Credit:Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July, chairs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East (Yemen). UN Photo/Manuel Elías; July 9, 2025, 10:03 a.m. 

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• Ukrainian Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk on Russia's Invasion

  Nataliya Gumenyuk takes us behind the headlines to reveal the stark reality of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression. Having embedded with drone operators near the frontlines, she offers rare insight into evolving military tactics. "Before, drones were supplementary," she says, "but now they're used instead of artillery."A Ukrainian journalist based in Kyiv, she describes The Reckoning Project, which collects testimonies that may serve as journalistic material or evidence for future prosecutions. This work inspired “The Reckoning,” a recent limited-run theatrical production at the Arcola theater in London, produced in cooperation with Dash Arts.When discussing her colleague Victoria Roshchyna — who died in Russian captivity, and whose mutilated body was ultimately returned to Ukraine — Nataliya asks what more could be done for those still held by Russia. Reporters Without Borders has profiled 29. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine says the figure is at least 30, while Nataliya puts it at 35.As our interview concludes, an air raid alert sounds on Nataliya's phone — a striking reminder that for Ukrainians, the war is everpresent.Speakers:J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.Nataliya Gumenyuk (guest) co-founded the Public Interest Journalism Lab and The Reckoning Project. She's a frequent contributor to The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian. @ngumenyuk of @PIJLab and @TRPforJustice on X and @ngumenyuk on Instagram.References:We discussed Nataliya’s recent article about drone warfare in The Atlantic. Here’s a gift link for nonsubscribers.We talked about the description of drone warfare in a well-known decade-old article about drone pilots in the Nevada desert.Nataliya mentioned this Vanity Fair article about Ukrainian children. The Reckoning Project was credited with help on this story.Credits:Music: Intro/Outro, Adobe Stock — Roads loop 6/Stefan Kartenberg; Awkward Mystery/Ionics; Water of the Moon/MusicLFiles. Walla tracks captured and mixed by The Delegates Lounge LLC/J. Alex Tarquinio.Photo: Nataliya Gumenyuk

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• Dining with Diplomats: Midsummer Edition 2025

  Welcome to the third edition of "Dining with Diplomats," a series that explores the intersection of food, culture, and diplomacy. In this edition, we'll journey across Europe to discover the diverse celebrations marking the summer solstice.Swedish Consul General in New York Erik Ullenhag takes us through the significance of the Midsummer holiday in Sweden, where the celebration rivals Christmas in importance. After enduring months of winter darkness, Swedes embrace the nearly endless daylight with maypole dancing, traditional songs about jumping frogs, and a feast featuring fresh potatoes, herring, and sweet summer strawberries. Later in summer, communities gather for crayfish parties, a tradition deeply rooted in Sweden's lake culture.Our voyage continues to Romania, where Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Andreea Mocanu reveals how geographical diversity shapes regional cuisines. Mocanu shares childhood memories of her grandmother's dawn-to-dusk black cherry jam making and age-old food preservation techniques.In Bulgaria, UN diplomat Svetozar Dimitrov guides us through a progression of seasonal celebrations, from March's Baba Marta Day to the ancient practice of barefoot walking on hot coals in the Strandzha mountains. Bulgaria's refreshing summer cuisine features a cold yogurt-cucumber soup and kyopolou, a roasted eggplant spread that captures summer's bounty.Greek and Spanish traditions round out our Mediterranean exploration, with the ancient origins of spanakopita and the cooling comfort of Córdoba's salmorejo, described by one cultural officer as "sunshine in a bowl."Speakers: J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.Erik Ullenhag (guest) is the Consulate General of Sweden in New York. He was formerly a Swedish politician and ambassador to Jordan and Israel. @erikullenhag of and @swedennewyork and @SweMFA on X and @erikullenhag of @swedennewyork and @swedishmfa on Instagram.Andreea Mocanu (guest) is the Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations in New York. @andreea_mocanu1 of @RomaniaUN_NY and @MAERomania on X and @mfaromania on Instagram.Svetozar Dimitrov (guest) is First Secretary at Bulgaria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. @BGmission and @MFABulgaria on X.Credits:The pieces of music introducing and concluding the Bulgarian segment are mentioned by the guest.“July Morning” by Uriah Heep"Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin" sung by Valya Balkanska on NASA’s “golden record” sounds and music of earth on the Voyager spacecraft.All other music: Adobe Stock

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