Belarusian ’hijack’ — Brussels food fight — Art of diplomacy

The Belarus airliner drama and EU leaders' response, as well as a big bunfight over farm subsidies, are up for debate this week. And longtime EU diplomat Robert Cooper talks about his new book "The Ambassadors."

POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Jan Cienski analyze the repercussions of what has been branded a state-sponsored hijack — Belarus forcing a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk, where an opposition activist and his partner were detained. The team also asks: Did EU leaders step up to the challenge?

POLITICO's Eddy Wax sheds light on a big Brussels battle coming to a head this week: the fight over the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. With billions of euros at stake, Eddy has the inside scoop on how the reforms are taking shape, and who's trying to influence them. Read more here.

Robert Cooper — a former British diplomat who played a key role in building up the EU's foreign policy apparatus — is our special guest to discuss his new book, "The Ambassadors: Thinking about Diplomacy from Machiavelli to Modern Times." He has a frank assessment of EU foreign policy today when it comes to China — he's not a fan of "pinprick" sanctions over human rights abuses. He also has some recommended reading for listeners, including a book on democracy under threat and some lighter fare, which he enjoys en français.

The podcast panel also has a few recommended reads. Jan's tip is a profound book about how life on Earth arose. Rym's recommendation may have you rethinking how you view relationships. And David previews this tome by a recently-retired NATO bigwig.