more than 100 years.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs has sought to play a positive role and helping to shape American foreign policy and its engagement with the world.

But with war raging in Europe and the Middle East and the Trump administration's tariff policies, a pending longstanding trade relationships, the challenges are immense.

So what role can the organization play in a world that too many people feels increasingly unstable?

Joining us to discuss more is Leslie binge Amaury.

The new president and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs prior to this role.

She was with the Royal Institute of International Affairs known as Chatham House in London.

She served as the director of the U.S. and the Americas Program.

Welcome to Chicago Tonight and Welcome.

Thank Thank please, to have you here.

So what Drew you to this role with the Council on Global Affairs?

Well, for those of us in the world of global affairs, the Chicago Council has a very big reputation as one of the world's.

>> Leading organizations created at that moment that many of the global affairs organizations were formed, including where come from Chatham House.

Also the Council on Foreign Relations.

The Chicago Council was formed in 1922. and really for the last at least 5 decades, it has been a leading authority on questions of where Americans sit, how they feel about the big issues war and peace in the global economy, but also has sort of convene globally has certainly convened around the country.

And here in Chicago has just a tremendous history and reputation for really elevating the public conversation, public knowledge.

And when when leaders come, whether it's from Washington, New Yorker or from across Europe, Asia and beyond its really the Chicago Council, that is host of that conversation and brought people together.

Well, you know, and speaking of, you know, sort of America's role and the council's thinking on that, you know, we're in a moment, as we mentioned, multiple conflicts around the globe.

>> You know, in some of the country's political leaders here at home with sort of an America first mindset, how has that affected?

The United States has role on world stage?

Well, you know, I've just spent 19 living in London of traveling across Europe in Asia.

But back in the U.S. every month.

>> And and I think we all assume, but I can tell you it's true that people are very concerned about where America is going.

There is a to sort sometime shock sometimes score that America doesn't seem to be invested in playing that role of leading on the provision of the major global public goods, whether it's global health, the Climate War and peace.

Introducing measure of balance and committing to rules that have made trade possible.

That of allowed people to be lifted out of poverty to provided for development.

All of those things, people are just very concerned about where America is heading.

And also, you know, we know the world is transitioning.

We know that China has extraordinary power now that the rules have to be renewed renegotiated.

But it's really time when people want to see America in that conversation leading that conversation and the and there's just real concern about, you know, whether the American people want and where is the United States having turning to some recent news?

We just saw President Trump's Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin followed pretty quickly by meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders.

>> We have a good sand, a sense of of where United States support for Ukraine currently stands.

Yeah.

I think that Americans, if you pull Americans and again, the Chicago Council has done this brilliantly.

>> You'll see that that Americans across the think that support for Ukraine is important.

If you break it down, we all know that the partisan divisions are very strong, but even Republican support for a defending Ukraine for America, providing defense for Ukraine.

>> Has risen by 20% just in the last few That's a significant ship.

So Americans are in the game.

Is America in the game will clearly President Trump wants to see a peace deal.

he made this clear on the campaign trail.

He wanted to do it very quickly.

And, you know, to his credit, he's trying to create diplomatic momentum behind that piece.

The question is, you know, as soon as you then drill down, what does that mean?

The Ukrainians and the Europeans insist on the cease-fire.

President Trump has already walked back America's commitment to having a cease-fire before a peace deal on the question of, you know, land for peace.

Is Ukraine going to see the land that it considers to be vital to its sovereignty to its people.

Doesn't wish to do that.

That that question is very much unsettled on the question of security assurances, will the United States provide assurance that of Russia violates the terms of an agreement tries to take more land.

What we the United States to all of this is, you know, very opaque, a very undefined.

But at least President said, yes, we are willing to talk about security assurances.

So the tough crushed the quest.

The tough questions are unresolved.

But to Europe's credit, it, you know, the Europeans at peak summer for Europe, right?

Peak sometime August turned up all Mass in Washington because they understand that the West that for them really means the transatlantic partnership, the United States and Europe must be united.

A signal that clearly not only to Vladimir Putin but also to Zelensky.

He's fighting a war home.

They did And now the question is, you know what, what are the next steps?

Very difficult moment.

The war is there's no sign of the war ending.

but Donald Trump has, you know, made this one of his signature I think many of us are skeptical, but it but it's incredibly important that diplomacy move forward.

>> Well, I mean, seeing, you know, the the European leaders mobilize so quickly, as you said, you know, many of them leaving their summer vacations reportedly what sorts of concerns do you think Americans, European America's European allies have about their relationship with the United States, the reliability of the United States under a second Trump administration?

Well, clearly, you know, this was the most extraordinary thing to me to watch after the election and especially the inauguration of President Trump.

Again, I was in Europe.

>> Traveling across the continent, listening to European leaders talk and the level of energy and drive and desire to reduce Europe's dependence on the United States.

You know that the conversation had has been for decades.

Europe must do more to provide for its own security.

Europeans notice they have stalled growth.

Productivity is low.

All sorts of internal issues that prevented them from doing this.

Now there's tremendous momentum and it's really sparked by the uncertainty that they feel coming from the White They're in a precarious position.

They're dependent on the United States.

They need to keep the United States in as a supporter of Europe's security at the same time that they're moving as quickly as they can.

And this is not something that's going to happen very quickly to provide for their own security also said that they can secure the continent so they can support Ukraine before we run out of time.

I want to turn to the Middle East as well you know, recent reporting that Hamas appears close to, you know, accepting a cease-fire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

Do you think the Netanyahu government interested in such a deal?

Well, they're they're clearly under pressure.

We saw the extraordinary photos of the hundreds of thousands of Israelis on the street saying we want a deal.

We want those remaining 20 hostages who they believed to be alive to come home.

They want peace.

I believe that they they wished have food delivered so that the Palestinians can not suffer the severe hunger that they're suffering.

But, you know, Netanyahu said that he will let us know on Friday.

I think likely not satisfied with the terms of the current proposal, which, you know, as we're hearing are not very far off what they had previously agreed to a deal that had been brokered by Steve Witkoff.

But are there enough?

Is there a great enough promise for all the remaining hostages to sent home?

Not clear, but Netanyahu seems to again not be very committed to ending this war.

He has his own personal situation.

He's his authority.

Depends many people believe on this war continuing.

So a very difficult position for Israeli citizens for the security of Israel and for the Palestinians in Gaza who are suffering and extraordinary plate.

Right now.

We've got about a minute left.

But, you know, a growing number of countries are moving toward recognizing a Palestinian state.

How might that affect the equation in terms of, you know, bring an end to this conflict?

All right.

You know, I don't think this is the this this is symbolic.

It's certainly significant for some in Palestine.

>> For others, it creates more political problems, right?

Because it sort puts Israel's back out at a time when you're trying to get a government that has not been keen to to solve this problem that isn't supportive of a two-state solution.

Historically on the back foot, the U.S. position has been that we arrive at that through a negotiated solution with the parties at the table.

I think the symbolic move is coming out of, you know, images that we're seeing of children dying of starving Palestinians in Gaza.

So one understands the symbolism.

It's extremely important.

I think we all know that a two-state solution has got to be the way to go.

It seems a very long way off