This week, the U.S. and the UK announced a trade agreement, India carried out strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Friedrich Merz became chancellor of Germany, and Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV.
Read more below.
Aspen Strategy Group Programming
The ASG was delighted to partner with the Munich Security Conference to host a Transatlantic Strategic Dialogue with current and former U.S. and European government officials, business leaders, academics, and more. Led by ASG Executive Director Anja Manuel and MSC Foundation Council President Wolfgang Ischinger, the delegations engaged in robust and candid discussions on trade and economic policy, NATO and European security, the China challenge, and technological innovation and new frontiers.
This Week’s Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Nicholas Burns at the DACOR Bacon House: “Remarks on Foreign Service Day”
Nicholas Burns, Meghan O’Sullivan, Mike Pompeo, Robert Mnookin, and James Sebenius for the Harvard American Secretaries of State Project
Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Houston Chronicle: “Trump Energy Strategy Can Meet Demand With All of the Above Approach”
Kurt Campbell quoted by Derek Thompson for The Atlantic: “The Disturbing Rise of MAGA Maoism”
Chris Coons interviewed by Mika Brzezinski and Jonathan Lemire for MSNBC: “Trump Needs to ‘Get Moving Fast’ and ‘Deliver More’ on Trade: Senator Slams ‘Chaotic’ Tariff Rollout”
Elizabeth Economy interviewed Michael Dunne for the China Considered podcast: “Electric Empire: China’s EV Takeover With Michael Dunne”
Michael Froman received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from the Government of Japan
Susan B. Glasser for The New Yorker: “A Day in the Live-Streamed Life of Donald Trump”
Michael Green for Korea JoongAng Daily: “Trump’s First 100 Days: Art of the Deal or Just Chaos?”
Stephen Hadley received the Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Service Award
David Ignatius for The Washington Post: “This Diplomatic Feat in Africa Shouldn’t Go Unnoticed”
Meghan O’Sullivan, Stephen Hadley, Ernest J. Moniz, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, and moderator Nancy Youssef at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s 2025 International Nuclear Policy Conference: “Back to the Future? Nuclear Proliferation Risks in an Era of Uncertainty”
Jack Reed quoted by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali for Reuters: “U.S. Democratic Lawmaker Asks Pentagon Watchdog to Probe If Deportation Flight Broke Law”
Susan Schwab interviewed by David Westin for Bloomberg’s Wall Street Week: “How Will Trump’s Tariffs Influence Trade?”
Dan Sullivan interviewed by Fox News Digital: “From Floppy Disks to Flight Delays: Top Lawmaker Warns U.S. Air System Is Due for a Reboot”
Lawrence Summers interviewed by Eliot Cohen and Eric Edelman for the Shield of the Republic podcast: “America Is Torching Its Credibility”
Robert B. Zoellick and Ajay Banga for Big Cats: “Preserving Nature Makes Smart Economics”
Rising Leaders Program
The ASG was pleased to host a Rising Leaders Program alumni event featuring a conversation with ASG member Dina Powell McCormick and Senator David McCormick on their new book, Who Believed in You: How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World, moderated by Virginia Boney (‘21).
Post of the Week
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Natalie Andrews and Max Colchester for The Wall Street Journal: “U.S. and U.K. Unveil Framework for Trade Deal”
Scott Bessent for The Wall Street Journal: “Trump’s Three Steps to Economic Growth”
Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko for Foreign Affairs: “Why Peace Talks Fail in Ukraine”
Rudra Chaudhuri for Carnegie India: “Indian Airstrikes in Pakistan: May 7, 2025”
Peter J. Dean for the Atlantic Council: “What Will Labor’s Landslide Mean for Australia’s Foreign Policy?”
Robyn Dixon, Francesca Ebel, and Ellen Francis for The Washington Post: “Russia Exudes Confidence at Parade Marking 80 Years Since Nazi Defeat”
Paul Kirby and Ione Wells for BBC News: “Who is Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV?”
Shannon Proudfoot for The Globe and Mail: “Mark Carney Goes to the Oval Office and Learns a New Skill From Donald Trump”
Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu for The New York Times: “DeepSeek. Temu. TikTok. China Tech Is Starting to Pull Ahead.”
Felicia Schwartz and Robbie Gramer for POLITICO: “Vance Says Russia ‘Asking for Too Much’ to End War With Ukraine”
Constanze Stelzenmüller for the Financial Times: “Merz Averted Disaster, But the Knives Are Out”
Salil Tripathi for Foreign Policy: “Why Singapore’s Ruling Party Won Yet Again”
Robert F. Worth for The Atlantic: “An ‘America First’ Deal With the Houthis”
Upcoming ASG Event
Please join us for a conversation with ASG member, Chairman and Co-founder of The Asia Group, and former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and U.S. National Editor and Columnist at the Financial Times Edward Luce on Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America’s Great Power Prophet.
Tuesday, May 13
5:00 – 7:00 PM
Aspen Institute Headquarters
2300 N St NW in Washington, DC
Featured Event
SCSP AI+ Expo
Join the Special Competitive Studies Project on June 2 – 4, 2025, for the AI+ Expo in DC! Build meaningful connections with over 15,000 attendees from government, industry, and academia at this premier AI and emerging tech event. Experience the thrill of the Drone Arena, join the massive hackathon to solve real-world problems, and explore career pathways at ai+careers stage. Plus, discover insightful reads at the Expo Bookstore with author talks!
Register here.
Podcast of the Week
Steve Weissman joined Mvemba Phezo Dizolele on the CSIS Into Africa podcast: “The Congo, the Cold War, and Capitol Hill”
