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This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

Podmasters
Russia
Ukraine
United States
NATO
Donald Trump
Iran
China
Israel
European Union
Middle East
Climate Change
Syria
Vladimir Putin
Artificial Intelligence
Trump Administration
Hezbollah
Gaza
Taiwan
Hamas
Ukraine War

Exploring threats to global stability from Ukraine to China to the Middle East with host Gavin Esler – former BBC News presenter, Washington correspondent and host of Newsnight – plus Ukraine-based war reporter Oz Katerji and independent conflict analyst Emma Beals. This Is Not A Drill dives deep into the dangers, corruption, conflicts, disinformation, rivalries and ruthless realpolitik that are m... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes276Founded5 years ago
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Artwork for This Is Not A Drill

Latest Episodes

Trump’s erratic actions around Ukraine look less and less like sincere bids to end the war and more like attempts to cosy up to Putin, sell out Ukraine and save himself in the midterms. And Putin is using his increased impunity. Within hours of any m... more

A new Great Game is under way. As the frozen poles start to melt, a new “ice silk road” is emerging in the newly-navigable Arctic Ocean – and it’s subject of intense commercial and military competition between China, Europe, the US and Russia. Trump’... more

Trump’s sanction-busting diesel deal with Vladimir Putin has sent shockwaves across the world. As Ukraine braces for a Russian winter offensive, have US threats to withhold intelligence and access to weapons sold out the Ukrainian people?

Gavin Esle... more

On August 4th a drone strapped with explosives failed to detonate when it struck a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig Airport. German security services investigating the device pointed the blame at Russia’s GRU.

Putin is ramping up his hybrid warfare agains... more

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Recent Guests

Michael Kimmage
History professor at Catholic University of America and author of The Abandonment of the West
Catholic University of America
Episode: How Putin is playing Trump’s chaotic Ukraine “diplomacy” – with Oz Katerji
Rana Foroohar
Associate Editor of the Financial Times, Global Economic Analyst for CNN and author of Sea Change
Financial Times
Episode: Cold War – The new battle for the Arctic
Steven Pifer
Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former US ambassador to Ukraine
Brookings Institution
Episode: What Trump’s latest gift to Putin means for Ukraine
Ulrike Franke
Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations
European Council on Foreign Relations
Episode: Russia’s Drone War on Europe has begun
Elisabeth Kendall
British Arabist, academic and commentator; Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Episode: The Middle East’s new choke point – How the Houthis could spark a fresh oil crisis
Matthew Campbell
Award-winning reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek; author of The War The World Forgot
Bloomberg Businessweek
Episode: Chaos, rare earths and ethnic cleansing – The major conflict you know nothing about
Mick Ryan
Retired Australian Army Major General and author of Futura Doctrina
Substack: Futura Doctrina
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE goes to war
Dr. Neda Bolourchi
Specialist in Iran and the Middle East
Eurasia Group Institute for Global Affairs
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE goes to war
Jessica Dorsey
Assistant Professor of International Law at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE goes to war

Hosts

Gavin Esler
Host of This Is Not A Drill, Podmasters
Oz Katerji
Host of This Is Not A Drill, This Is Not A Drill (podcast)

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 2.8k ratings
  • Nice podcast - horrible music

    This podcast’s introductory music is just unbearable.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Jay remi
    Francea year ago
  • Appetite for corruption episode

    Brilliant episode from a highly respected author who can also explain the highly complex nature of money and corruption to a level that this layman finds easy to access. Also thanks to Gavin for his calm and measured analysis.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    agah1971
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Advertisements everywhere

    Ads every few minutes in the middle of content not just at the beginning and end.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    IMO_2000
    Australiaa year ago
  • Blatantly Biased

    Iran escaping blame though it’s been attacking Israel through proxies… how can u not apply the same logic to for Israel invading Palestine for decades … just another sold out show

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    alexis7778
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Superb

    Really learn a lot from this podcast. Analysis of complex issues presented in an accessible way.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AW PCloud
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are consistently described as experts with strong analytical insights.
Some feedback notes ad load and pacing as areas for improvement.
Listeners appreciate the depth and rigor of discussions across global hotspots.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#131
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#221
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#195
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#239
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#31
Saudi Arabia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#54
Ukraine/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Putin is playing Trump’s chaotic Ukraine “diplomacy” – with Oz Katerji
Q: What do you think objectively the Trump Administration's strategy appears to be at the moment?
Kimmage describes competing factions within the administration, a president approaching foreign policy through domestic political interests, and an incoherent strategy that leaves the administration unable to establish a consistent agenda.
How Putin is playing Trump’s chaotic Ukraine “diplomacy” – with Oz Katerji
Q: Could you give us a sort of overall wrap up of the last few weeks of diplomacy and where you think we are?
Kimmage says the administration produces considerable diplomatic activity without progress, lacks a clear agenda Ukraine could accept, and does not coordinate effectively with Europe.
What Trump’s latest gift to Putin means for Ukraine
Q: What do you think Europeans can do?
Pifer says European countries can help Ukraine restore energy infrastructure and expand production of interceptor drones, though Europe currently lacks a replacement for Patriot missiles against ballistic attacks.
What Trump’s latest gift to Putin means for Ukraine
Q: What do you make of the Trump administration's deal to buy Russian diesel?
Pifer calls it a deplorable, misguided decision that will send money into Russia's economy without significantly affecting US diesel prices, while undermining pressure on Moscow.
Cold War – The new battle for the Arctic
Q: Are there any laws and regulations about this? I mean, is there some kind of agreement that this bit is yours and this bit is ours? Or is it still up for grabs?
Foroohar says the United States has not signed the international law of the sea convention, while countries are competing to define continental shelf boundaries and claim associated mineral and fishing rights.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Is Not A Drill

What is This Is Not A Drill about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program consistently analyzes escalating global flashpoints, with a focus on Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and European defense dynamics. It features in-depth conversations with policy experts, journalists, and regional specialists, unpacking how geopolitical competition, disinformation, and realpolitik shape stability and risk. A standout is its willingness to connect broad strategic trends to concrete incidents, from military leadership shifts to alliance reconfigurations, often through historical context and forecasting. Listeners looking for rigorous, issue-driven geopolitics with expert guests will likely find it valuable, though the format can be dense for casual news consumers. The breadth of topics and access to frontline an... more

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1. The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive
2. Oh God, What Now?
3. Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell
4. American Friction
5. Quiet Riot

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This Is Not A Drill launched 5 years ago and published 276 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on This Is Not A Drill?

Recent guests on This Is Not A Drill include:

1. Michael Kimmage
2. Rana Foroohar
3. Steven Pifer
4. Ulrike Franke
5. Elisabeth Kendall
6. Matthew Campbell
7. Mick Ryan
8. Dr. Neda Bolourchi

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