The John Batchelor Show

PREVIEW — Mary Kissel — European Alarm Over Initial Ukraine Negotiation Strategy. Kissel analyzes ongoing Ukraine negotiations, highlighting concern generated by involving presidential counselors rather than European allies and the State Department in foundational deal-making. This approach allowed the aggressor to shape the negotiating framework. European partners express alarm given their geographic proximity to Russia and feel directly threatened by Russian capabilities to destabilize their societies.

PREVIEW — Kevin Fraser — Regulating the AI Frontier vs. Focusing on Practical User Experience. Fraser examines the central dilemma in AI regulation, observing that proponents prioritize regulating sophisticated frontier AI developed internally by major labs including OpenAI, Anthropic, and XAI. Fraser contends that regulatory focus should instead prioritize real-world user experiences when AI is deployed in practical settings such as hospitals and educational institutions, ensuring policymakers develop a comprehensive understanding of both risks and benefits.

PREVIEW — Judy Dempsey — Ireland's Undefended Western Approaches and the Russian Threat. Ireland, a neutral EU member, remains militarily undefended with only four warships and lacks a strategic plan to protect the western approaches where vital undersea financial cables are located. Russia is reportedly aware of this critical vulnerability. While Ireland compensates by paying the Royal Air Force (RAF) to guard the Irish Sea, the Atlantic flank demands robust defense against the recognized Russian threat, necessitating a fundamental shift in Ireland's strategic mindset.

SHOW 11-24-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1852 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE PEACE PLANS. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Ukraine Peace Plans, Concessions, and the Impact on US AlliancesBill Roggio, Husain HaqqaniBill RoggioHaqqaniU.S.ChinaIranNorth KoreaU.S. 915-930 930-945 945-1000 China's Floating Island, Metamaterials, and Polar AmbitionsBrandon Weichert, Gordon ChangBrandon WeichertChinaGordon ChangChina SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Targeting Terror: Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, and Iran's CrisesMalcolm HoenleinMalcolm HoenleinU.S.Muslim BrotherhoodHamasIran'sHezbollah'sHashem SafieddineHezbollah'sU.S.Saudi ArabiaChinaRussia Share 1015-1030 1030-1045 Geopolitical Realignment: Venezuelan Cartel and Latin America's Rightward ShiftErnesto Araujo, Alejandro Peña EsclusaAlejandro Peña EsclusaU.S.Venezuela'sHezbollahErnesto AraujoBolsonaro'sLulaCOP 30 1045-1100 THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The Unacceptable Price of Peace: Ukraine's Sticking PointsJohn HardieJohn HardieNATOUkraineRussia's 1115-1130 1130-1145 Russia's Ambitions in Southern Syria and Israel's Strategic CalculusAkmed SharawariFDD's Akmed SharawariHezbollahHezbollah's 1145-1200 Prime Minister Carney's Early Highwire Act in Canadian PoliticsConrad BlackConrad BlackChrystia FreelandDonald TrumpBlackCanadaChina FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Iran's Strategic Gains from the War in UkraineJonathan SayehJonathan SayehIranRussia'sIranIranRussiaIran'sIranU.S. 1215-1230 1230-1245 Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut StrikeDavid Daoud, Bill RoggioDavid DaoudHezbollah'sHashem SafieddineHezbollah'sIranHezbollahHamas 1245-100 AM

CONTINUED Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut Strike — David Daoud, Bill Roggio — David Daoud reports that Israel killed Hezbollah's top military commandeR IN operations. Hezbollah and Hamas view Russia's success in Ukraine as strategically beneficial because it diminishes American global hegemony. BEIRUT CASTLE

Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut Strike — David Daoud, Bill Roggio — David Daoud reports that Israel killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, marking an expansion of Israeli operations into the Lebanese capital. This escalation reflects Hezbollah's comprehensive regeneration efforts—including receiving billions in funding from Iran and developing domestic drone production capabilities—which are outpacing Israeli degradation operations. Hezbollah and Hamas view Russia's success in Ukraine as strategically beneficial because it diminishes American global hegemony.

CONTINUED Iran's Strategic Gains from the War in Ukraine — Jonathan Sayeh — Jonathan Sayeh states that Iran is celebrating Russia's advantageous position in Ukraine as a geopolitical win ...

Iran's Strategic Gains from the War in Ukraine — Jonathan Sayeh — Jonathan Sayeh states that Iran is celebrating Russia's advantageous position in Ukraine as a geopolitical win because it enabled Iran to export military weaponry and demonstrate combat capabilities internationally. Iran expects Russia to reciprocate this military assistance, potentially through air defense system modernization or advancement of Iran's nuclear program, despite profound mutual mistrust between the strategic partners. Iran benefits globally by selling weapons and leveraging instability to argue the U.S. has become an unreliable superpower. 1832 PERSIAN GIRL

Prime Minister Carney's Early Highwire Act in Canadian PoliticsConrad BlackConrad BlackChrystia FreelandDonald TrumpBlackCanadaChina

Russia's Ambitions in Southern Syria and Israel's Strategic CalculusAkmed SharawariFDD's Akmed SharawariHezbollahHezbollah's

CONTINUED The Unacceptable Price of Peace: Ukraine's Sticking Points — John Hardie — John Hardie details the Russian-drafted 28-point peace plan, which demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbass, prohibition of NATO ... `899 UKRAINE

The Unacceptable Price of Peace: Ukraine's Sticking Points — John Hardie — John Hardie details the Russian-drafted 28-point peace plan, which demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbass, prohibition of NATO accession, and limitations on military force size. Ukraine, approaching negotiations strategically, refuses to surrender fortified Donbass territory essential for defense against future Russian aggression. Russia's maximalist demands render an acceptable settlement nearly impossible, though Ukrainians would accept a military freeze in place coupled with robust Western security guarantees. 1900 KYI1V

CONTINUED Geopolitical Realignment: Venezuelan Cartel and Latin America's Rightward Shift — Ernesto Araujo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa — Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the U.S. designating Venezuela's Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,

Geopolitical Realignment: Venezuelan Cartel and Latin America's Rightward Shift — Ernesto Araujo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa — Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the U.S. designating Venezuela's Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, noting they weaponize drug trafficking and maintain alliances with groups including Hezbollah. Ernesto Araujo addresses former Brazilian President Bolsonaro's recent detention and notes that indigenous protests undermined the Lula administration's narrative at COP 30. The upcoming Honduras election reflects a continental trend away from the corrupt "pink tide" regimes.

CONTINUED Targeting Terror: Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, and Iran's Crises — Malcolm Hoenlein — Malcolm Hoenlein 1903

Targeting Terror: Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, and Iran's Crises — Malcolm Hoenlein — Malcolm Hoenlein reports the U.S. is moving to designate the Muslim Brotherhood—Hamas progenitors—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He details Iran's severe internal crises, including critical water shortages and power blackouts caused by illegal cryptocurrency mining, alongside its continued drive to rebuild nuclear and conventional arsenals. Israel eliminated Hezbollah's second-in-command, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, directly countering Hezbollah's regeneration efforts in Lebanon. The U.S. is actively courting Saudi Arabia to counter China and Russia and encourage participation in the Abraham Accords.

China's Floating Island, Metamaterials, and Polar Ambitions — Brandon Weichert, Gordon Chang — Brandon Weichert discusses China developing an artificial floating island, potentially engineered to withstand nuclear detonation. He characterizes the platform as a next-generation man-made island designed for anti-access and area-denial capabilities. Weichert emphasizes that the core technology—metamaterials—holds critical applications for infrastructure in extreme polar environments, including the Arctic and Antarctic. Gordon Chang notes widespread pessimism in China regarding the prohibitive cost of such massive engineering projects. 1906 DRUM TOWER

Geopolitics of the Gulf and Eurasia: US-Saudi Relations and China's Global Strategy — Victoria Coates, Vice President, Heritage Foundation — Victoria Coates addresses U.S.-Saudi relations, noting that technology transfer risks from China exist but remain manageable through export-controlled F-35 versions. She argues that Russia is dependent on Beijing in the Ukraine war, which serves China's strategic objective of distracting the West from Indo-Pacific developments. A perceived Russian victory would embolden China toward aggression in East Asia. Coates identifies security guarantees and Saudi openness to the Abraham Accords as key priorities for regional stability. 1922 PEKING

CONTINUED Ukraine Peace Plans, Concessions, and the Impact on US Alliances — Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani 1855 CRIMEAN WAR GRENADIER GUARDS

Ukraine Peace Plans, Concessions, and the Impact on US Alliances — Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani — Bill Roggiosuggests Ukraine is losing militarily and must accept difficult territorial and military concessions to ensure state survival, predicting that proposed peace deals will ultimately collapse. Ambassador Haqqani emphasizes that U.S. abandonment of allies, exemplified in Afghanistan and Iraq, creates an international perception that America cannot be relied upon. Russia's prevailing would constitute a victory for the "axis of aggressors," including China, Iran, and North Korea, fundamentally weakening U.S. global influence. 1855 CRIMEAN WAR, SCOTS FUSILIER GUARDS