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The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

By: Al Jazeera
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 A weekly take on US politics and policies and how they affect the world.2025 Al Jazeera Media Network. All rights reserved. Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Trump declared a 'new Middle East’ – but what has changed? | The Bottom Line

    Trump declared a 'new Middle East’ – but what has changed? | The Bottom Line
    Dec 23 2025
    Two months ago, United States President Donald Trump held an international gala to celebrate his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, but his plan has been stuck in phase one since then. Bronwen Maddox, the director of Chatham House – one of the world’s leading think tanks – argues that while Trump’s ceasefire slowed the horrific Israeli bombing of Gaza, “that doesn't mean we've got a plan for the future". Maddox tells host Steve Clemons that Iran is weaker, but Israel’s campaign to destabilise its neighbours, such as Syria, is dragging the region into further conflict, not peace and prosperity.
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    24 mins
  • Will Trump’s ‘imperfect plan’ for ending the Ukraine war work? | The Bottom Line

    Will Trump’s ‘imperfect plan’ for ending the Ukraine war work? | The Bottom Line
    Dec 21 2025
    After years of support from the United States for the Ukraine war to continue “as long as it takes”, the Trump administration is now pushing to end Europe’s war – quickly and imperfectly. While details are still under negotiation, they include issues such as ensuring Ukraine never joins NATO and Russia’s control over about 20 percent of Ukraine. To understand the implications for Europe, the US and their relations, host Steve Clemons speaks with Kurt Volker, Trump’s former special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and retired Colonel Heino Klinck, former director of US Army international affairs.
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    24 mins
  • Kagame: ‘Never seen this much attention’ to ending Africa war

    Kagame: ‘Never seen this much attention’ to ending Africa war
    Dec 7 2025
    US diplomacy under President Donald Trump has a bigger chance of success because it focuses on transactional deals that “translate into improvements of people’s lives” instead of “theories about democracy, freedom and human rights”, argues Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Kagame, who has led Rwanda for more than 30 years, tells host Steve Clemons that he’s “never seen the level of focus, attention, energy and pressure” that the US president brought to the conflict between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, which led to the signing of a tentative deal between the two sides in Washington on December 4.
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    24 mins
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