Today’s Battlegrounds

Cuba at a Crossroads: Crisis and the Long Struggle for Liberty | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution

Join Rosa María Payá, founder of Cuba Decide and a commissioner on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss US-Cuba relations, Cuba’s deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, its internal challenges of governance and repression, and prospects for a more peaceful and secure future for the Cuban people.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Rosa María Payá is the founder of Cuba Decide and a commissioner on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She is the daughter of Oswaldo Payá, who led the Varela Project — a citizen initiative that invoked Cuba’s own constitution to demand a referendum on free elections, free assembly, and free expression. The regime responded in 2003 with what became known as the Black Spring, jailing 75 activists, many of them Varela organizers. Oswaldo Payá pressed on with his work until he died in a 2012 car crash that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights later concluded was caused by agents of the Cuban state. Rosa María has continued her father’s work, documenting abuses before international bodies and building support for a binding plebiscite on Cuba’s political future.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

The Iran Wars: History, Ideology, and Prospects for Peace | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution

Join Abbas Milani and H.R. McMaster as they discuss the Iran War, its effects on the Iranian people, the Iranian regime, and prospects for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Professor Abbas Milani is the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Professor Milani taught at Tehran University before 1986. He has written extensively on Iranian political development, US–Iran relations, and the ideology of the Islamic Republic. His work on the 1979 Revolution and the evolution of Iran’s ruling system informs debates over regime stability and the prospects for political change.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Denmark and the Future of NATO: What Comes Next for Western Security? | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution

Join Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former prime minister of Denmark, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss international security, the prospects for the US-Danish relationship, and the health of NATO and the transatlantic alliance as wars continue in Ukraine and the Middle East.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Anders Fogh Rasmussen served as prime minister of Denmark from 2001 to 2009 and as the 12th Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 2009 to 2014. Rasmussen became Denmark’s youngest member of parliament at the age of 25, and he was named minister of economic affairs in 1990. In June 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Rasmussen to co-chair an international task force on security guarantees for Ukraine. The resulting Kyiv Security Compact became the basis for a web of security guarantees negotiated between Ukraine and NATO allies that was formalized in a new Ukraine Compact at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington. 

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Haiti: From Aid to Trade with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution

Join Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, prime minister of Haiti, and Hoover senior fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Haiti’s escalating security crisis, efforts to dismantle gang control, and the role of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force in restoring order. Fils-Aimé outlines how his government is working to reclaim territory, strengthen police capacity, and restore security to enable long-delayed elections. 

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is a businessman and economist educated at Boston University, who built his career in private enterprise and previously served as president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti. In November 2024, he was selected as acting prime minister by Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, and when that body's mandate expired in February 2026, he became Haiti's de facto executive, focused on defeating gang coalitions and restoring democratic governance.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Turning U.S.-Canada Tension Into Opportunity with H.R. McMaster and David MacNaughton | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution

Join former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Canada and US cooperation on Arctic and North American security, prospects for deepening economic cooperation after the 2026 review of the USMCA trade agreement, and opportunities to turn recent tensions into opportunities for both nations.

Reflecting on current geopolitical forces shaping North America and the Western Hemisphere, MacNaughton provides his insight on shifting dynamics in Venezuela, China’s expanding economic and strategic footprint in Latin America, and the implications of political rhetoric and rising tensions on the US–Canada relationship. Exploring a forward-looking agenda centered on continental defense and resilience, including the modernization of NORAD, missile defense, and the protection of critical infrastructure, McMaster and MacNaughton highlight the growing importance of energy security, critical minerals, and resilient supply chains as pillars of economic and national security.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ambassador David MacNaughton is a veteran Canadian diplomat, business leader, and public affairs strategist who served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States from 2016 to 2019. Over a career spanning more than four decades, MacNaughton has been a central figure in Canadian public policy and cross-border economic relations. Prior to his diplomatic service, MacNaughton led strategy in Canadian public affairs and investment banking. Following his tenure in Washington he served as President of Palantir Canada from 2019 to 2025.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Value of the 'Linchpin' Alliance Between the US and South Korea with Ambassador Chung Eui-yong | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Join Chung Eui-yong, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the future of the US–ROK alliance in the face of North Korea’s accelerating weapons programs, the implications of a growing Russia–North Korea partnership, and how Washington and Seoul can strengthen deterrence while preserving space for diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Chung Eui-yong is the former minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Korea. Minister Chung joined South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971. He later served in the National Assembly and contributed to deliberations over the US–Korea Free Trade Agreement. In 2017, President Moon Jae-in appointed him director of the National Security Office, where he coordinated South Korea’s national security strategy. He went on to serve as foreign minister from 2021 to 2022, helping steer South Korea’s alliance management, North Korea policy, and regional engagement.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Cultivating Agency, Character, and Citizenship: A Visit to Vertex Partnership Academies | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Join Ian Rowe, cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss education reform and the importance of cultivating agency, character, and civic understanding in young people. Recorded at Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx, the conversation explores how education can help students develop responsibility, meaning, and moral discernment.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ian Rowe is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where his work centers on education, upward mobility, family formation, and adoption. Mr. Rowe holds degrees from Cornell University and Harvard Business School. He is the author of Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover their Pathway to Power. The FREE acronym stands for Family, Religion, Education and Entrepreneurship. Rowe is cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a network of virtues-based International Baccalaureate public charter high schools launched in the Bronx in 2022.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Israel's Wars and Prospects for Peace in the Middle East | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Join Mr. Zohar Palti, former director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss Israel’s security posture after the October 7 attacks, strategic lessons of the war in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and beyond, and the implications of the Trump-brokered peace agreement for Israel, the broader Middle East, and global security. Drawing on decades of experience within Israel’s security and intelligence community, Palti assesses the prospects for regional stability, the future of Hamas in Gaza, emerging opportunities and risks in Lebanon and Syria, and the critical role of U.S.–Israel cooperation in countering Iranian aggression. Palti reflects on the necessity of sustained American engagement in the Middle East and the shared responsibility of democratic nations to confront terrorist and proxy threats while upholding the democratic principles they seek to protect.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Zohar Palti is the former Director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense. He previously led the Mossad Intelligence Directorate and served as the agency’s Chief of Counterterrorism, following twenty-five years in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Corps. Mr. Palti has also been a senior research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and is currently a fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Public Service for strengthening U.S.–Israel strategic defense cooperation.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Inside Iran’s Islamic Republic: Myths, Failures, and What Comes Next | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Join Dr. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they examine the nature of the Islamic Republic, Western misunderstandings about the regime and why engagement strategies have repeatedly failed, and the widening gap between the regime’s propagandized image of strength and the vulnerabilities revealed in recent conflicts. Drawing on recent events, including the 12-day Israeli campaign exposing profound intelligence and air-defense failures, Ansari examines the IRGC’s struggles to reconstitute its terrorist and militia proxies in the region while confronting severe financial and economic crises at home, including shortages of electricity and a growing water crisis in the capital city of Tehran. Despite these mounting pressures, Ansari reflects on Iran’s potential futures, from the emergence of new leadership to the enduring resilience of the Iranian people.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ali Ansari is a Professor of Iranian History, the Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. As a leading historian of modern Iran, Dr. Ansari combines archival research with a deep understanding of Iranian political culture and nationalism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and President of the British Institute of Persian Studies. His books include Modern Iran since 1797 and Confronting Iran.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Restoring Agency: President Sagasti on Peru and Latin America’s Future | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Join Dr. Francisco Sagasti, former President of Peru, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss lessons from Sagasti's leadership, regional challenges to freedom and prosperity in Latin America, and his latest books, which explore the life and relevance of Sir Francis Bacon’s philosophy for today’s international system. Reflecting on Peru’s turbulent political landscape and its role in a new era of geopolitical competition, Sagasti shares his perspective on the recent ouster of President Dina Boluarte and his advice to the interim leadership. He explores the roots of popular discontent in Peru, the demands of citizens seeking accountable governance, and his concerns about sovereignty from an economic and cognitive warfare perspective. Despite these pressures, Sagasti discusses his continued confidence in democracy and the qualities that must be rekindled in political leadership to sustain it for future generations.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Dr. Francisco Sagasti served as President of Peru from November 2020 to July 2021. Sagasti previously served in the Peruvian Congress where he headed his party’s parliamentary caucus and chaired the Science, Technology, and Innovation Committee. He has been Head of Strategic Planning at the World Bank and President of the United Nations Council on Science and Technology.  Sagasti has taught at the Wharton School, IE Business School, and the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Sagasti is currently a professor at Pacífico Business School in Lima. He is the founder of the Peruvian think tank GRADE.  He is a prolific scholar who has authored over 25 books and hundreds of academic papers. Sagasti holds engineering degrees from the National Engineering University in Peru and Penn State University, as well as a PhD in operations research and social systems sciences from the University of Pennsylvania.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25^th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.