Inside Geneva: War, Peace and Cake — The World in 2025

Hosted by Imogen Foulkes | Produced by SWI swissinfo.ch | Release Date: June 24, 2025

In this gripping episode of Inside Geneva, host Imogen Foulkes delves deep into the tumultuous global landscape of 2025, a year marked by escalating conflicts, significant policy shifts, and humanitarian crises. Joined by esteemed guests Gunilla Van Hall of Svenska Dagbladet and Nick Cumming-Bruce, a regular contributor to The New York Times, the discussion navigates through the complexities shaping international relations and aid.

1. A Grim Outlook: Setting the Stage for 2025

Imogen Foulkes opens the episode with a stark portrayal of the year 2025, likening it to an apocalyptic scenario. She juxtaposes this grim reality with a touch of levity—"to comfort ourselves in this grim year so far, we even got some cake." This metaphor underscores the precarious balance between dire global events and the small comforts that persist amidst chaos.

2. Humanitarian Aid Cuts: A Global Setback

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the severe cuts to international humanitarian aid orchestrated by the Trump administration. Imogen highlights the abrupt suspension of U.S. foreign assistance:

• [05:09] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "Late today, the U.S. State Department suspended all foreign assistance around the world for at least three months."

These cuts have had devastating effects:

• [05:14] Imogen Foulkes: "For programs that extend from in Colombia. They've just had to lay off 200 staff that were doing the demining in the south of the country."

Gunilla Van Hall emphasizes the bleakness of the situation:

• [05:32] Gunilla Van Hall: "The Ukraine war will be over in 24 hours. Nothing happened. It just got worse."

Nick further elaborates on the broader implications:

• [03:43] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "We've watched essentially the unraveling of all the international frameworks that exist to try and mitigate the effects of conflict in the world."

3. The Gaza Humanitarian Crisis: Militarization of Aid

The episode shifts focus to the dire situation in Gaza, where the introduction of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has led to catastrophic outcomes:

• [19:06] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "Reports from Gaza say at least 26 Palestinians have been killed and many more wounded after Israeli tank fire hit people near a US Funded aid distribution center."

Imogen underscores the failure of traditional aid agencies:

• [25:04] Imogen Foulkes: "Chris Lockley of MSF made, is that they know how to deliver aid in conflict zones. That is what they are trained for. It's not a bring and buy Tennessee potluck, which seems to be a bit how it is, how it's being run."

Gunilla highlights the systemic issues:

• [23:31] Gunilla Van Hall: "This is creating here you see the images, people being filmed in Gaza and you hear kids screaming revenge, revenge. This will create a new, maybe more vicious Hamas. This is the big problem that I don't know if Israel is realizing but they're creating a monster."

4. Multilateral Aid Under Strain: The Role of the United States and Beyond

The conversation delves into the broader implications of U.S. withdrawal from multilateral aid systems:

• [07:08] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "There are much bigger swathes of humanitarian action which are dealing with more immediate crises in Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, wherever there is major conflict running. And these are suffering acutely."

Gunilla raises concerns about emerging power dynamics:

• [12:31] Gunilla Van Hall: "China, for example, they're going to see the chance to move in and take over in this power, financial, but also power vacuum."

Imogen critiques China's unilateral approach:

• [37:28] Imogen Foulkes: "They want to do it all bilaterally. I think they want to have control these countries, as the United States does over an aid project, so that it fits into their own view of what's in their interests."

5. The World Health Organization and Pandemic Preparedness

The episode touches on the critical state of global health institutions amidst geopolitical shifts:

• [26:36] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "When the most powerful country in the world takes these kinds of initiatives, there are going to be people who follow in the slipstream."

Discussion around the Pandemic Treaty reveals uncertainties:

• [27:06] Gunilla Van Hall: "Is it going to be the United States if there's another pandemic or is it going to be the rest of the world?"

Nick emphasizes the treaty's fragile status:

• [27:29] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "That annex is really key. It's critical. This will either give it some real muscle or leave it as a rather symbolic, wishful kind of let's get back."

6. Conflict and Diplomacy: The Ongoing Struggle for Peace

A significant portion of the episode examines the tangled web of conflicts and the challenges in diplomatic negotiations:

• [30:12] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "Tonight, in a radical break with the past, the US and Russia agreeing to work together, the two sides discussing how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, but doing so without any Ukrainian officials present."

Imogen questions the absence of key stakeholders:

• [32:26] Nick Cumming-Bruce: "How does that serve American interests, let alone the damage that it does to people who are on the receiving end of, of that massive aid program?"

Gunilla offers a perspective on Russia's stance:

• [33:36] Gunilla Van Hall: "Russia is winning because they have the weapons and they have the manpower, because they pay people coming from the regions and they just throw money on the problem."

7. The Future of Humanitarian Efforts: A Glimmer of Hope

Despite the pervasive gloom, the hosts maintain a thread of optimism regarding the resilience of humanitarian workers and future generations:

• [39:40] Gunilla Van Hall: "There's a whole generation now and there's a future generation and they consider themselves, they label themselves as humanitarians and that's not going to go away."

Imogen echoes this sentiment, highlighting the unwavering commitment of aid organizations:

• [40:19] Imogen Foulkes: "People see these crises. We see these wars, these civilizations suffering. People feel, you know, the generation coming after us, they're not just going to give up and say we're not going to do anything."

Notable Quotes

• Nick Cumming-Bruce [03:43]: "We've watched essentially the unraveling of all the international frameworks that exist to try and mitigate the effects of conflict in the world."

• Gunilla Van Hall [12:31]: "China, for example, they're going to see the chance to move in and take over in this power, financial, but also power vacuum."

• Imogen Foulkes [25:04]: "Chris Lockley of MSF made, is that they know how to deliver aid in conflict zones. That is what they are trained for."

• Nick Cumming-Bruce [19:06]: "Reports from Gaza say at least 26 Palestinians have been killed and many more wounded after Israeli tank fire hit people near a US Funded aid distribution center."

Conclusion: Navigating a Fractured World

As the episode draws to a close, Imogen Foulkes and her guests reflect on the resilience of humanitarian efforts amid escalating global tensions. While acknowledging the significant challenges—ranging from unilateral policies and funding cuts to intensified conflicts—the conversation underscores the enduring spirit of those dedicated to alleviating suffering worldwide. The hope lies in the commitment of a new generation of humanitarians who strive to restore and uphold the principles of peace and aid in an increasingly fractured world.

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