The Delegates Lounge
Join us in The Delegates Lounge, an independent podcast on world affairs based in New York City at the United Nations, the hub of global insights in plain sight. We hope you’ll come back often to listen in on some fascinating conversations hosted by J. Alex Tarquinio, a veteran journalist who writes essays for Foreign Policy from her office across the hallway from the UN Security Council chamber.
We’ll wade into the rising tide of global threats to peace and security in our discussions with the denizens of high-level diplomacy, as well as assorted scholars, scientists, soldiers, spies, and other influencers. From time to time, we’ll hit the road for sit downs with the world’s movers and shakers, whether it be at NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C. or to parts as yet unknown.
This podcast is solely a production of The Delegates Lounge LLC, which was co-founded by the host and her husband and executive producer, Frank Radford.
As we’re a small team, we can’t respond to every message, but we promise to read your messages if you contact us at:
Or on X, formerly (and still affectionately) known as Twitter:
Episodes
32 episodes
Inside Slovenia’s Security Council Finale
From the office of the United Nations Security Council president, we sit down with Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon to unpack how a small state navigates big political storms.The conversation addresses Gaz...
Welcome to The Delegates Lounge!
J. Alex Tarquinio, your host and a journalist based at the United Nations in New York, guides you through what to expect on the show. Launched in 2024 with her husband and executive producer, Frank Radford, the podcast is available on
Exclusive: Estonia's Foreign Minister at the United Nations
Want to watch the episode? Check out our video interview on our NEW YouTube channel!While in New York for the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Estonia’s foreign minister sat ...
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Exclusive: Romania's Foreign Minister at the United Nations
Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu sat down with The Delegates Lounge podcast on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. From an official Romanian office overlooking the East River, she spoke candidly about Eastern European securi...
The United Nations at 80: Former U.S. Deputy Robert Wood on the Winds of Change
Want to watch the episode? Check out our video interview on our NEW YouTube channel!Drama unfolds at the United Nations this week, as the 80th session of the UN General Assembly g...
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...
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 ...
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 per...
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...
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....
A Maritime Expert on Perils at Sea: Undercurrents Part 3
Welcome to the third edition of "Undercurrents," an ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. In this episode, we're continuing our conversation with Michelle W...
Shadow Fleet is Russia's Dark Gambit: Undercurrents Part 2
Welcome to the second edition of "Undercurrents," an ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. In this episode, we're joined by Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a forme...
Estonia's Defense Minister on Baltic Security: Undercurrents Part 1
Welcome to the first edition of "Undercurrents," a new ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us. In this episode, we're joined by Estonian Defense Minister Hann...
The Trouble with Tariffs: Harvard Economist Jason Furman Weighs In
In pursuit of economic understanding, we speak with Jason Furman, the Harvard economist who co-teaches the university’s core course in the discipline, “Principles of Economics,” Harvard’s most popular course.The conversation tackles Pres...
Victor Cha on Korea's Crossroads
The Delegates Lounge podcast commences our third season in a timely conversation with Victor Cha, the well-known Korea watcher who is both president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic an...
Talking Tariffs with Mark Zandi, Moody's Chief Economist
As President Donald Trump's self-proclaimed "Liberation Day" approaches on April 2nd, bringing with it a wave of new tariffs, we're joined by an expert who can help us parse rhetoric from reality. Moody's Chief Economist Mark Zandi ...
The United Nations Adrift in a Sea of Change
In this episode, we explore the seismic shifts reshaping global diplomacy with Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's UN expert and our first-ever return guest, or "friend of the pod."Recorded at UN headquarters while Trump and...
Slovenia’s Ambassador Pulls Back the Curtain on a Surprise Act at the UN
As the world marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Monday, competing resolutions at the United Nations brought tensions within the international community to the forefront. This episode dives deep into the d...
The View From Paris: A French Political Scientist on the New Direction in Washington
Get ready to explore the turbulent waters of transatlantic relations with our guest, French political scientist Célia Belin. Discover how the Trump administration's controversial actions, including remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth an...
Ukraine's UN Ambassador Reflects on Diplomatic Frontlines
We’re beginning our second season in conversation with Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya. As listeners will recall, he challenged Russia’s representative to the United Nations during a late-night emergency session of ...
Dining with Diplomats: The Secret Sauce of Gastrodiplomacy
Welcome back to the second part of our culinary special podcast miniseries: “Dining with a Dozen Diplomats.” Discover how joining together over a simmering pot of gumbo or carving a roast lamb can bridge cultural divides and foster diplomacy. A...
Dining with Diplomats: Holiday Edition 2024
Embark on a culinary exploration with us as we uncover the cherished comfort foods and cultural tales shared by diplomats from an assortment of countries. These twelve diplomats offer insights into how food can serve as a bridge between peoples...
A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 3
Join us for a firsthand account of life on and near the battlelines in Eastern Ukraine by Dave Smith, a former Canadian infantry officer who resigned to fight for Ukraine. This is the third episode in our multi-part series where Dave explores t...
A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 2
Join Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces, fighting alongside Belarusian Partisans for Ukraine. From the intense battlegrounds North of Kharkiv to the life-saving professional efforts within its hospitals, Dave offers a raw a...
A Canadian Officer Resigns to Join Belarusians Fighting for Ukraine, Part 1
Discover why the traditional military doctrines are being upended as we engage with Dave Smith, a former major in the Canadian Armed Forces who made the extraordinary leap to volunteer as a fighter in Ukraine. Listen to Dave's compelling narrat...
