The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

President Trump has struck a diesel deal with Russia as fuel prices squeeze Americans. But what does easing restrictions on Russian exports mean for Ukraine and for efforts to end the war? Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer examine the deal’s potential economic impact, the growing tension between Washington and Kyiv, and the prospects for an energy ceasefire as winter approaches.

Then, renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis raises difficult questions about American commitments in the Middle East. With Saudi airports and energy infrastructure under attack, could the United States or Israel enter the fight? What could either accomplish?

Finally, an Options Memo for NATO’s Secretary General: How should the alliance respond if Russian sabotage kills civilians in a member country? Jake and Jon weigh “light,” “medium,” and “heavy” responses, exploring the challenge of restoring deterrence without triggering a wider war. Listen for the hard choices behind the headlines and the risks each carries.

Access to video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame

Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

References and supplemental materials

Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO, Theory of Victory: How Do We Achieve Military Success Against Russia in Deterrence and Defence?, Warsaw Security Forum, October 12, 2026.

Feras Dalatey, “Amazon's AWS is unable to restore access to Bahrain, one UAE cloud data zone after war damage,” Reuters, September 15, 2026

Photo credit: Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images

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Javier Blas, Bloomberg Opinion’s energy and commodities columnist, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to explain why the Iran war has produced an oil market few expected: crude prices hovering around $100 a barrel while tankers are braving missile attacks, and sharper pain for people buying diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil.

How has China’s retreat from the oil market changed the pressure on Washington and Tehran? Why are some traders reluctant to bet on higher prices even when they fear escalation? And how long can the improvised system keeping oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz hold together?

Access to video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame

Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Photo credit: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
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Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss how far-right ideology and private profit have become intertwined in the Trump administration’s approach to the world; the subject of her new cover story for The Atlantic.

They also examine the opaque U.S. oil arrangements in Venezuela, the campaign for political influence in Greenland, and the difficult work of rebuilding American institutions and alliances after Trump.

For paid subscribers, Jake and Jon continue their conversation with Anne Applebaum. She details what changes to the White House and the Kennedy Center reveal about political power and culture in Washington.Subscribe to Long Game + on Apple or Substack for access and to support the show.

Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame

Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Photo Credit: Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images.
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PHOTO CREDIT

China experts Jessica Chen Weiss, David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Julian Gewirtz, fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and senior research scholar at Columbia University, join Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington.

What does Xi hope to secure from President Trump—and what should the United States seek in return? Could the current truce become a durable détente, or is the relationship moving in two directions at once: greater stability at the top and deeper competition underneath? And as concern grows about advanced AI, can Washington and Beijing reduce the risks without resolving their fundamental distrust?

The conversation also examines Taiwan, rare-earth export controls, China’s expanding global role, and the choices that could shape the relationship long after this week’s summit.

For paid subscribers, Jake and Jon break down President Trump’s United Nations General Assembly speech in a special segment. Subscribe to Long Game + on Apple or Substack for access and to support the show.

Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame

Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst and acting senior director at the National Security Council, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to explain why she believes America’s intelligence system is being weakened from within.

Curlee also discusses her experience briefing Vice President Mike Pence and why she left government after nearly 20 years. After the interview, Then to argue for and against reaching a deal with the U.S. and continuing Beijing’s open-weight strategy.

Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame

Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Photo Credit : Julia Curlee
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