Available to book
John Kampfner
Geopolitics
Europe
Russia
Gain strategic clarity on geopolitical risk and global trade with John Kampfner, foreign correspondent and international affairs keynote speaker. John equips business and policy audiences to navigate geopolitical tensions, European politics, and Russia-Ukraine dynamics. Bestselling author of eight books and Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI.
Journalist
Political Analyst
Author
Broadcaster
BBC
Event Moderators
John Kampfner is an award-winning author, journalist, and foreign affairs specialist who draws on four decades of experience at the frontline of international politics to help organisations make sense of a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
As Berlin and then Moscow bureau chief for the Daily Telegraph in the early 90s, John reported on events from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the war in Ukraine. He went on to work at the BBC across the Today programme and Newsnight, before becoming Editor of the New Statesman from 2005 to 2008, taking the magazine to its highest circulation in 30 years.
John is the author of eight books, including the Sunday Times bestsellers Why the Germans Do It Better and Blair's Wars, and Freedom for Sale, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. A Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, he writes regularly for the Guardian, Foreign Policy, and Politico, and continues to make programmes for BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
John combines firsthand reporting with deep political analysis across Europe, Russia, the UK. His experience in journalism, diplomacy, cultural leadership, and policy gives audiences a practical understanding of geopolitical risk, democratic change, populism, trade tensions, and shifting global alliances. He explains complex issues clearly, linking political developments directly to business strategy, investment decisions, and institutional resilience.
Audiences leave his sessions better equipped to read the international environment, more confident in connecting global developments to their own strategic context, and with a clearer framework for anticipating what comes next.
Book John Kampfner to gain a sharper understanding of where geopolitical tensions are heading and what they mean for trade and investment.
Topics, sessions and talks
In this talk, John Kampfner dissects the intentions of China, Russia and other hostile forces. What are the next steps? What can and should the West do? What about the role of the growing force of non-aligned states, the likes of India, Brazil and South Africa in navigating the many hotspots that affect trade and investment decisions?
The Germans are praised for their skilled engineering, exporting prowess and R&D. But they’ve fallen behind on digitisation and innovation. A country that prides itself on its prudence is now having to find tens of billions to upgrade its armed forces - and to change the national mindset at a time of high tension. In this keynote, John Kampfner looks at the impact on Germany today and what the future holds for a country recognised as powerhouse of Europe for many years.
2004 saw John Kampfner engaged in a bizarre encounter, a four-hour diatribe in which Putin set out his grievances towards the West. In this keynote, John explains Putin’s obsession with Russia’s great power past and his refusal to allow other Slav nations (notably Ukraine) their independence. He also considers Putin’s next likely incursions into Europe and whether he can be stopped at home or abroad.
Half the world’s population, theoretically at least, will vote in 2024. Yet this “super-year” comes at a time when post-war democracy has never been more in jeopardy. This tour d’horizon takes in the conduct and impact of elections in populous states such as India, Indonesia and Mexico, to the big votes in the US and the EU that are in the grip of a new populist wave. John Kampfner discusses the impact this will have on global politics.
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frequently asked questions
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Email john.kampfner@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm John's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
John Kampfner draws on firsthand reporting experience — including a four-hour encounter with Putin in 2004 — to ground geopolitical analysis in direct observation, then connects those events to business strategy and investment decisions.
John Kampfner speaks on geopolitical risk and global business, Russia and Putin's strategic intentions, and Germany's economic and political transformation. He is a former Berlin and Moscow bureau chief for the Daily Telegraph, BBC broadcaster, and editor of the New Statesman, and the author of Sunday Times bestsellers including Why the Germans Do It Better and Blair's Wars.
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