Thatcher to Trump: Lawrence Freedman on UK foreign policy in wars and crises

Lawrence Freedman, author and international relations authority, reflects on the ‘utter chaos’ of the Trump administration, America’s ‘catastrophic’ foreign policy, the likelihood of an international shock to Britain’s politics, the impact of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in his time working at Chatham House, his meetings with KGB agents – and much more in a wide-ranging conversation with Olivia O’Sullivan, director of the UK in the World Programme, Chatham House. For an edited version of this conversation, read the summer issue of The World Today, (https://www.theworldtoday.org/) including: Article | Can the deal between the US and Iran become a lasting settlement? https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2026-06/can-deal-between-us-and-iran-become-lasting-settlement Article | ‘Happy vassal’ or ‘strategic hedging’? Europe’s hard choices as NATO crumbles https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2026-06/happy-vassal-or-strategic-hedging-europes-hard-choices-nato Article | The Open Centre: Reimagining Europe’s offer to a fractured world https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2026-06/open-centre-reimagining-europes-offer-fractured-world Lawrence Freedman’s latest book is ‘On Strategists and Strategy: Collected Essays 2014-2024’ (Oxford University Press) and he contributed a chapter to the recently published ‘Chatham House: The First Hundred Years’ (Oxford University Press). He also co-authors ‘Comment is Freed’, a Substack newsletter. #chathamhouse #ForeignPolicy #TrumpAdministration #UKPolitics #ForeignPolicy --- Chatham House is a London-based international affairs think-tank. Its mission is to address geopolitical challenges and international problems, aiming to help governments and societies build a secure, sustainable, prosperous and just world. Find out more about our mission and values here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-mission-and-values?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=comms