Heart UK

The Rachman Review

Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist talks to the decision-makers and thinkers who are shaping world affairs.<p style="color:grey; font-size:0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Financial Times

The UN is choosing a new secretary-general at a time when it’s struggling to remain relevant. Sidelined in the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East, and facing a severe funding crisis, the organisation is under growing pressure. This week, guest host Alec Russell speaks to Thant Myint-U, a former UN official, author and the grandson of former UN secretary-general U Thant, about the challenges its new leader will face. Clip: AP ArchiveFree links to read more on this topic:António Guterres on the future of the UNSuperpowers are discovering their limits, says UN chiefThe new world order? Every man for himselfWanted: a leader to rescue the UNNuclear watchdog chief pitches ‘leaner’ UN in secretary-general bidSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts Join us at the FT Weekend Festival on Saturday, September 5 at Kenwood House Gardens in London and spend the day with FT journalists and leading voices across business, politics, economics, culture and the arts. FT podcast listeners can save 10% off tickets with the code FTPODCAST. Click on this link to find out more.Follow Alec on X @alecurussellPresented by Alec Russell. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making the UN great again

Gideon Rachman speaks to historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore about his new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. They discuss the forces that shaped the region, from the Ottoman Empire and Ataturk to the ongoing tensions between the US, Israel and Iran. Gideon and Simon examine the region's complexities and interconnectedness and whether lessons from the past can offer a glimpse into the future. CLIP: British PathéJoin us at the FT Weekend Festival on Saturday, September 5 at Kenwood House Gardens in London and spend the day with FT journalists and leading voices across business, politics, economics, culture and the arts. FT podcast listeners can save 10% off tickets with the code FTPODCAST. Click on this link to find out more.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanWant more? Free links:Israeli settlers besiege Palestinian homesThe exodus from IsraelEgypt deploys jets to UAE as Iran war strains Arab alliancesFar-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each nightIsrael moves to give police powers in occupied West BankFar-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each nightSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The making of the modern Middle East

Gideon talks to Vali Nasr, author of Iran’s Grand Strategy and professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, about how the balance of power in the Middle East is changing. After six months of on-off hostilities, Nasr argues, Iran’s core aims are unchanged - ending the US threat and securing economic relief. But Iran now looks to have the upper hand and is using its leverage from controlling the Strait of Hormuz to seek ever more far-reaching concessions from the superpower. Clip: CTVFree links to read more on this topic:Will failure in Iran reshape how the US fights?Iran’s supreme leader elevates loyalists as he tightens gripTrump and the failure of the Fafo doctrineBrinkmanship in the Strait of HormuzIsrael’s campaign to make southern Lebanon ‘unliveable’ Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen TurnerFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran’s growing strategic ambitions

What began as outrage over a senior judge's comments has become one of the most striking youth protest movements India has seen in years. Gideon talks to Professor Mukulika Banerjee of the London School of Economics about why so many young Indians have taken to the streets, what the "cockroach movement" says about the country's economic and educational pressures, and whether it poses a genuine challenge to Narendra Modi's government.Clip: BBCFree links to read more on this topic:Abhijeet Dipke, the face of India’s victorious ‘cockroach’ protestsIndia’s ‘Cockroach’ Gen Z has had enoughIndia should listen to its frustrated youthWhy India’s student protests are differentIndia’s ‘cockroach’ movement halts protests after minister quitsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen TurnerFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cockroach rebellion in India

Tariffs, sanctions and chokepoints have become the weapon of choice to punish political rivals - but what happens when these fail? Gideon discusses the impact of geopolitical disputes on global trade with Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. Clip: Al JazeeraFree links to read more on this topic:Trump vows to deliver ‘beating’ to Iran in retaliation for latest attackSaudi Arabia joins US strikes on Iran-backed militias in IraqUkraine, Iran and how regional wars go globalDonald Trump rebuilds his tariff wallSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weaponisation of trade

Gideon talks to Julianne Smith, former US ambassador to Nato about the future of the alliance. There seems to be greater transatlantic agreement on Ukraine, but tensions remain over Europe’s stance on Donald Trump’s war on Iran. So can the alliance survive without the US at the helm? Clip: ANI NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Nato’s carnival of Trumpian capriceWhy the world trusts China more than AmericaUkraine’s drone swarms test Moscow air defencesNato opens its cheque books in bid to keep Trump engagedSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Nato have a future without US leadership?

Gideon talks to Simon Kuper, FT columnist and author of World Cup Fever, about what distinguishes this World Cup from previous tournaments. What role has geopolitics played historically in the World Cup and is there any truth to some of the conspiracy theories surrounding this year's events? Clip: ITV SportFree links to read more on this topic:Bellingham brace carries England past Norway into World Cup semi-finalWorld Cup shows US is ‘golden market’ for football, says Major League Soccer bossHow western Europe became a formidable football factoryWhy are China and India so bad at football?Inside the secretive Fifa committee that suspended the US red cardSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump, Infantino and the political history of the World Cup

Marine Le Pen has run for the French presidency several times before, but her chances of winning next year look better than ever. Gideon talks to the FT's Victor Mallet about the source of her growing popularity and what a far-right government would mean for France and the EU. Clip: The GuardianFree links to read more on this topic: Le Pen revives presidential bid echoing TrumpFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will run for presidentMarine Le Pen’s massive double gamble on presidencyFrance’s crowded race to replace Emmanuel MacronSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would a far-right government in France look like?

The war in Iran triggered a new round of conflict between the Hizbollah militia in Lebanon and the Israeli army. More than 4,000 people have been killed and about a million displaced. Lebanon and Israel signed a peace deal in Washington at the weekend to end the fighting, but without Hizbollah’s participation, can the deal hold? Gideon puts the question to the FT's editor Roula Khalaf and Andrew England, the FT's Middle East editor. Clip: This is BeirutFree links to read more on this topic:Lebanon’s deal with Israel sparks backlashHow Hizbollah’s fighters ended up in courtSteve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Doha for talks over US-Iran dealHow Benjamin Netanyahu’s big moment backfiredSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lebanon peace deal: can it hold?

In this special edition of the Rachman Review, Edward Luce, the FT's Washington commentator, talks to Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff for Barack Obama, about where the Democratic party has gone wrong in recent years and how to win back the confidence of middle America. This is an edited version of a discussion that took place at the recent FT Weekend Festival in New York.Free links to read more on this topic:Rahm Emanuel says Trump ‘got schooled’ by Iran in bad ceasefire deal Why young America is trending socialistRahm Emanuel and the 2028 ‘ideas primary’How Benjamin Netanyahu’s big moment backfiredSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman and Edward Luce. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus episode: Rahm Emanuel on how to fix America

What are the repercussions of the Iran war for American power? How will the outcome be viewed by America’s allies and the leadership in Beijing? Gideon discusses these questions with Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister of Australia, Katherine Thompson, who until recently was a senior official in the Pentagon under President Trump, and Philip Gordon, who was national security adviser to vice-president Kamala Harris. This is an edited version of a discussion that took place at the recent FT Weekend Festival in New York. News clip: Fox NewsFree links to read more on this topic:America’s allies look to declare independence from the USThe rise and fall of US hegemonyNato chief reveals Italy allowed US planes to use bases in Iran warTrump and Xi will not determine Taiwan’s fateSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America's waning power

How much should we care about wars that are not in our neighbourhood? What role can countries not directly involved play in paving the way for a more peaceful world? Gideon discusses these questions with India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar, Lana Nusseibeh, minister of state for foreign affairs for the United Arab Emirates, and Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen. The discussion was recorded at the Kultaranta conference in Finland. Clip: CNNJoin Gideon live on Saturday, June 20 at the FT's inaugural NYC Weekend FestivalFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump says US will not invest in $300bn fund for IranBrussels approaches Kremlin over potential Ukraine talksA fragile Iran peace follows a war without victorsThe long way back from the Iran energy shockHow the US-Iran deal came togetherSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaishankar and Nusseibeh on the challenges of a world at war

Where should Britain stand in the great power struggle between the US and China? Does the special relationship with Washington mean anything anymore or do all roads lead back to Europe? Gideon discusses these questions with Ben Judah, former special adviser to deputy prime minister David Lammy.Clip: Channel 4 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump warns US will soon hit Iran ‘hard’ againWill Trump abandon Taiwan?It is time for a European Security Council Britain re-entering the EU ‘an inevitability’, says Treasury ministerPutin and Trump don’t have the cardsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain’s post-Brexit policy options

What is life like in the Iranian capital and is the regime ready to compromise to achieve a lasting peace? Gideon discusses the mood in Tehran and the changing political landscape in the country with the FT’s Tehran correspondent, Najmeh Bozorgmehr. Clips: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg.Free links to read more on this topic:Greek shipping tycoon Evangelos Marinakis ready to pay Strait of Hormuz transit feesOne killed and dozens hurt in Iranian strike on Kuwait airportBenjamin Netanyahu faces backlash after Donald Trump callWhy Iran fears a deal today means more war tomorrow Iran is beating Trump at the art of the dealSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mideast war: The view from Tehran

Gideon talks to Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine, a book about the career of Demis Hassabis and his AI company, Google DeepMind. They discuss the growing backlash against AI, why people are worried, and what governments can do to mitigate the risks of the coming technological revolution. Clip: WSJFree links to read more on this topic:OpenAI’s foundation to spend $250mn on research into AI’s impact on economyPope’s appeal can’t change the AI race’s risky logicAI guardrails stripped from Meta and Google models in minutesHow AI threatens the giants of consulting AI companies are just companiesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The backlash against AI

Gideon talks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on Greece as a leading shipping nation. They discuss Greece’s recovery from the financial crisis of 2015, how to achieve European strategic autonomy and the best way to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. Clip: France 24Free links to read more on this topic:Three supertankers attempt Strait of Hormuz crossingAmerica owes its European allies a defence roadmapProtests spread in Africa as fuel crisis deepensUAE says drone strike caused fire at nuclear plantTipping point looms for global energy crisisSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mitsotakis on Hormuz, Iran and how to escape a debt trap

Gideon Rachman speaks to James Crabtree, former head of the Asia programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and author of The Perimeter, about Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, his first in a decade. What do Washington and Beijing hope to gain, and what does the trip reveal about the evolving balance of power between the world’s two leading superpowers?Free links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump’s plan to discuss Taiwan arms sales with Xi Jinping rattles Asian alliesTrump is up against China’s great wall of confidenceTrump’s war has given China an economic openingTrump, Xi and the bid for a ‘grand bargain’ between superpowers  Trump prepares to press Xi on Iran war Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts — please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Nisha Patel. Sound design is by Breen TurnerFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump returns to Beijing: what’s at stake

Gideon talks to Lloyd Austin, who served as US defence secretary under the Biden administration, about the need to adapt to new forms of warfare, accusations that he presided over a ‘woke military’ and how he headed off a nuclear threat from Russia in the early days of the Ukraine conflict. Clip: APFree links to read more on this topic:US pauses ‘Project Freedom’ as Trump seeks way out of Hormuz impasseUS warns Europe of delays to arms shipments as Iran war drains stockpilesPentagon to pull 5,000 soldiers out of Germany in dispute over Iran warDonald Trump’s Iran war has cost $25bn, Pentagon saysOur inaugural FT Weekend Festival in NYC is quickly approaching! Join John Lithgow, Orna Guralnik, Jancis Robinson and more on Saturday, June 20 at Spring Studios or online — as the FT Weekend comes to life for one unforgettable day. Register now and as a podcast listener save 10% off using our code FTPodcast— this is the Saturday you won’t want to miss it.Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts — please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lloyd Austin on Ukraine, Iran and the lessons of war

Gideon talks to Dmytro Kuleba, former Ukrainian foreign minister, about the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine. What would it take to break the stalemate and how has the conflict been impacted by the US-Israeli attack on Iran? Clips: DW; ReutersFree links to read more on this topic:Vladimir Putin pares back Victory Day parade over fear of Ukrainian strikes US ambassador to Ukraine to leave over differences with Donald TrumpUkraine’s drone pilots hit Russian targets from 500km awayToxic rain falls on Russian city after refinery blazeSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine’s ‘existential’ battle with Russia

Those who do not study history may be destined to repeat it . . . and lose money. The Story of Money is a new podcast from The Financial Times exploring the past to see where the next opportunities — and disasters — may lie. Hosted by FT columnist Gillian Tett and FT Alphaville editor Robin Wigglesworth, The Story of Money explores the history of global finance through the people, ideas, events, and institutions that have shaped it. From unregulated frontier banking experiments in 19th-century America to institutionalised debt forgiveness in ancient Mesopotamia, The Story of Money traces how financial systems evolve — and why familiar patterns often repeat — offering context for everything from market cycles to emerging AI trends.Watch episode 1: They are history’s geniuses. But were they any good at investing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: The Story of Money

Gideon discusses why the Iran conflict is proving so difficult to end with Michael Singh and Dana Stroul of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. What are the options on the table for both sides and can America’s allies play a useful role? Clip: New York PostFree links to read more on this topic:The Iran crisis has not yet peakedIranian tankers bypass US blockadeMacron and Starmer to hold summit on plan to secure Strait of HormuzLufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save fuel as prices soarSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump finds it’s easier to start a war than to end one

Gideon discusses possible negotiated solutions to the Iran war with Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution. What do Tehran's leaders want and how long can they hold out for a winning settlement that will ease the country’s economic pain? What are the stakes for Trump and the global economy? And what role, if any, can Gulf countries play in curbing the regime’s power to blight progress in the region? Clip: Fox NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Why time is on Iran’s sideIran is America’s Suez crisis — and just as ridiculousIran used Chinese spy satellite to target US basesIran faces halt to oil production within weeks if US blockade succeedsLife inside Iran’s internet blackoutSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran war: What does Tehran want and will it get it?

What is it like to negotiate with Iran and what are the key issues that need to be resolved if the war is to end? Has the war permanently reshaped the relationship between the US and Europe? Gideon talks to Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was the EU’s high representative for foreign policy from 2009 until 2014 and played a leading role in negotiations with Iran.More on this topic:Armageddon is off . . . for nowUS and Iran agree 2-week ceasefire that will open Strait of Hormuz Has Trump officially united Europe Trump’s threats to pull out of Nato leave alliance exposed  Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Nisha Patel. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it possible to negotiate with Iran?

Donald Trump has said the US military action against Iran may be coming to an end. If so, what would it have achieved and where does this leave the key question of safe passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz? Gideon discusses the consequences of the war for the US and its allies with Philip Gordon of the Brookings Institution. Clip: NBC NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Trump threatened to stop weapons for Ukraine unless Europe joined Hormuz coalitionShutting Hormuz is a template for China in TaiwanIran could emerge from the war stronger and more dangerousUK to host coalition talks on securing Strait of HormuzOne battle after another: Netanyahu’s new security doctrinePresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump says the Iran war may be ending soon: mission accomplished?

Viktor Orbán has been a thorn in the side of the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections. So could this mark the end of the Orbán era? Gideon discusses this with Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund. They also discuss Orbán's close relationship with Russia and hostility to Ukraine. Clip: APTFree links to read more on this topic: ECB warns Hungary’s seizure of Ukraine cash risks euro credibilityHungarian opposition groups quit to make way for Orbán challengerKremlin backs covert campaign to keep Viktor Orbán in powerThe riches of Viktor Orbán’s home villageHow Viktor Orbán’s oligarchs reaped billions in public contractsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hungary’s pivotal election

Gideon discusses the Iran war with defence analyst Jack Watling, author of Statecraft - The New Rules of Power in a Divided World. Why did the US fail to foresee the need to protect the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route? What options are there to bring the war to a close?Clip: NYTFree links to read more on this topic:Iran vows retaliation against energy sites across Gulf after largest gasfield hitTrump ally warns US economy not strong enough to cope with Iran warIran still seen capable of escalating attacks on Gulf’s energyIsrael says it has killed Iran’s top security official Top US counterterrorism official resigns over war against IranSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heavy cost of the war on Iran

Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches March 25. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Untold: Opus Dei

Gideon speaks to Sir Simon Gass, a former UK ambassador to Iran, about why the formidable destructive power of the US and Israel has failed to dislodge the Islamic regime. They discuss how long the war can continue as well as likely outcomes for the US, Iran and the Gulf region. Clip: Middle East EyeFree links to read more on this topic:Trump’s Venezuela strategy has failed in Iran Iranians rethink the price of regime changeIran official says new supreme leader is ‘fine’ despite absence from viewDrones, lasers and radars: Middle East war spurs hunt for cheaper air defenceTaco on Iran will come too late for TrumpSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Formidable US firepower fails to unseat Iran’s regime

Gideon discusses the US and Israeli war against Iran with Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. What are the war aims, can they be achieved and where does this leave the future of the region and its relations with Israel? Clips: CBS; CNN Free links to read more on this topic:Gulf insurance costs soar 12-fold despite Trump guaranteeTrump has no realistic plan for Iran’s futureMilitary briefing: how Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’The cynical opportunities of ‘Epic Fury’The influencers leaping to Dubai’s defenceSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran war risks turning into a battle of endurance

Gideon discusses the state of peace talks on Ukraine with Boris Johnson at a conference organised by the Yalta European Strategy group in Kyiv. The former UK prime minister offers his view of what needs to be done to bring an end to the conflict: put more pressure on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, we are “setting a course for years more of conflict”. Clip: BBCFree links to read more on this topic:Volodymyr Zelenskyy says war in Ukraine at ‘beginning of the end’European leaders express solidarity with Ukraine as US hangs backUkraine’s economy shows grit amid lasting war damageEurope re-arms as US slows defence spendingSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boris Johnson: Pressure on Putin is the price of peace

Gideon talks to Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister of Canada, about different approaches to negotiating with the Trump administration. They also discuss the current state of the war in Ukraine, her new role as adviser to President Zelenskyy and how to pressure Russia into ending the conflict. Clip: US Department of StateFree links to read more on this topic:Why Rubio failed to repair the transatlantic riftCarney’s new global order needs a huge shift in political willRussia-Ukraine talks yield ‘some progress’ on ceasefire, says ZelenskyyEurope’s path to security without the USSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chrystia Freeland on how to negotiate with autocrats — and allies

Gideon talks to American political scientist Stephen Walt about the phrase ‘predatory hegemon’ that he coined to describe the US administration under Donald Trump. What are the risks and benefits of this policy for the American people, and for those who formerly considered themselves staunch allies? Clip: The White HouseFree links to read more on this topic:A post-Trump restoration is still possibleWhy Maga loathes LondonTrump and the normalisation of devianceSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump's predatory foreign policy

Andrew England, the FT’s Middle East editor, speaks to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, about Iran’s escalating crisis. Can diplomacy prevent a war between the Trump administration and Tehran? What are the prospects for reform of the increasingly unpopular Islamic regime in Iran? Clips: Channel 4 News; CBSFree links to read more on this topic:US and Iran set to meet in Oman as Middle East tensions spiral‘The game is over’: critics of Iranian regime seize on killings to push for changeIran’s people stand to lose whether or not talks succeedArab and Muslim powers mount last-ditch effort to avert US-Iran conflictSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Andrew England. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can diplomacy avert a US-Iran war?

Bill Gates tells Gideon that a climate of fear has taken hold in the US business community under the Trump administration: “People are afraid to speak out about being afraid to speak out.” He discusses falling aid budgets, why philanthropy cannot replace government funding, and an ambitious new collaboration with OpenAI to improve access to healthcare in Africa. Gates also reflects on the more destabilising uses of artificial intelligence and his past association with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clips: NBC4, Bill GatesFree links to read more on this topic: Bill Gates and OpenAI back $50mn AI rollout in African health clinicsTech titans lined up for Trump’s second inauguration. Now they’re even richerBill Gates and Sergey Brin among newly released Epstein photosBill Gates warns aid cuts risk big increase in child deathsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bill Gates: AI, aid cuts and the fear of speaking out

Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, received a standing ovation at the World Economic Forum in Davos after warning that the global order has entered a period of “rupture”. In a post-speech interview with Gideon, Carney reflects on how globalisation went wrong — and on what can still be salvaged through deeper co-operation among countries and institutions that share common values. Interview and clips courtesy of the World Economic ForumFree links to read more on this topic:Mark Carney warns of ‘rupture’ to global order as Donald Trump rattles alliesDonald Trump’s ‘wrecking ball’ set to touch down in DavosRepublicans begin to push back against Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland America’s barbarians inside the gatesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Breen Turner and Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Carney on a world in rupture — and what comes next

Gideon speaks to Finland’s president about how to resolve the stand-off between Europe and the US over Greenland. Alexander Stubb describes the dispute as the "most difficult issue he has faced since taking office", arguing that discreet “back office” diplomacy, rather than public grandstanding, is the best way forward. He also touches on Ukraine, applauding the transatlantic alliance’s achievements so far but cautioning that the Greenland row is beginning to sap momentum from efforts to advance peace talks.. Clips: DWS; BBCFree links to read more on this topic:Greenland is ground zero for Arctic ‘Great Game’How the Greenland deployment of a few European troops enraged Donald TrumpTrump’s Arctic ambitions torch the most important US asset Russia knocks out power, heating and water to Ukraine’s freezing capitalSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribePresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Stubb on Greenland: the good, the bad or the ugly?

Famine, mass killings and the collapse of basic government services have pushed Sudan into what the UN now calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. As regional powers across the Middle East fuel the conflict by backing rival factions, civilians have largely been left to fend for themselves. Gideon speaks to Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair and Sudan expert Alex de Waal to understand how the country reached this point — and where the country and its people go from here. Clips: Sky News; Africa NewsFree links to read more on this topic:There is already an answer to securing Sudan’s futureUS rebukes backers of Sudanese paramilitary force behind ‘horrific’ atrocitiesThe human cost of a world without rulesHow the UAE-Saudi Arabia alliance rupturedIsrael’s Horn of Africa gamble raises tension with Arab and Muslim rivalsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sudan: inside the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

Now that the Trump administration has fully embraced the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ - a policy claiming the western hemisphere as a US sphere of influence - which country will be next in the line of fire? Gideon discusses this with Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group consultancy, which has just published its top risk report for 2026.Free links to read more on this topic:Venezuela and the trouble with the Donroe doctrineGreenland’s future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns TrumpDonald Trump’s imperial Venezuela folly will leave America no richerThe gangs, goons and guerrillas running swaths of VenezuelaNo, Trump is not a fascistSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Regime roulette’ in Venezuela: Is Greenland next?

Gideon and guests look back at 2025 as well as forward to the year ahead in an FT Live discussion for the Global Boardroom. Donald Trump set the tone of world politics this year from his tariff wars to his efforts to make peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, while also bombing Iran and threatening Venezuela. In a bid to make sense of the contradictions, Gideon is joined by Leslie Vinjamuri, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Dan Drezner, professor of international politics at the Fletcher school at Tufts university in Boston, and James Crabtree, author of an acclaimed book on Modi's India and a forthcoming book on US-China tensions in the Pacific. Clip: PBSFree links to read more on this topic:When business and democracy don’t mixThe AfD’s love-in with MagaOpen source could pop the AI bubble — and soonChina is making trade impossibleSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025: a year of chaos and confusion

Donald Trump has accused South Africa of carrying out a genocide against its white population. He also says the nation does not deserve to be a member of the G20, which it hosted last month. FT Africa editor David Pilling - standing in for Gideon - puts these allegations to two South Africans, Lawson Naidoo, a civil society activist, and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, a foreign policy expert. What is the state of race relations in the country and how are South Africans reacting to the allegations? Clip: CNNFree links to read more on this topic:South Africa arrests Kenyans working at US-run Afrikaner ‘refugee’ centreThe ‘pampered princess’ accused of trafficking South Africans to RussiaHow South Africa’s underworld infiltrated its governmentSouth Africans question future of Black empowerment policiesSouth Africa’s credit rating upgraded for first time in two decadesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Devid Pilling. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump takes aim at South Africa

Gideon talks to Jens Stoltenberg, Nato's former secretary-general, about Ukraine and Europe's strategic priorities after recent scathing criticism from US president Donald Trump over its failure to end the war: ‘They talk but they don’t produce.’ Clip: PoliticoFree links to read more on this topic:The White House’s rupture with the western allianceTrump pushes for ‘free economic zone’ in Donbas, says ZelenskyyFriedrich Merz offers to host Ukraine talks so deal not done ‘above Europe’s head’Ukraine’s ‘fortress belt’ that Donald Trump wants to trade for peaceRead a transcript of this episode on FT.comSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe’s rocky relations with Donald Trump

Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, about the rows over racism, Epstein and Israel that have broken out in Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Clips: Tucker Carlson, Right wing watch, Dana LoeschFree links to read more on this topic:Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign from Congress after clash with Donald TrumpTrump’s Maga coalition fractures over far-right interviewMaga vs AI: Donald Trump’s Big Tech courtship risks a backlashDonald Trump’s Maga base split over handling of Jeffrey Epstein filesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Splits in the Maga movement

Gideon talks to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democrat on the US Senate Committee on foreign relations, about Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Can Congress stop the president from making big concessions to Russia and attempting regime change in Caracas? Clip: ABC NewsFree links to read more on this topic: Ukraine has no choice but to engage with US peace planRussia pursues peace deal — on its own termsDonald Trump’s affordability problem: in chartsWhat is Venezuela’s ‘Cartel of the Suns’?Mohammed bin Salman, the autocratic Saudi moderniser trying to escape his pastRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The voice of moderate America

Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved from the super rich to a mass market consumer industry. In this series, we’re covering the past, present and future of the longevity movement. We’ll be looking at where the fixation on longevity is coming from, and trying to understand the practical and ethical issues at the heart of this cutting-edge field of research. From Silicon Valley fantasies, to Singaporean health spas, to Colombian genetic clinics and beyond, the FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Michael Peel ask whether breakthroughs in science and technology can really help us live longer, and even stop us aging altogether.Free to read: US ‘wellness’ industry scents opportunity to go mainstreamThe quest to make young blood into a drugThis season of Tech Tonic was produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Fact checking by Simon Greaves, Lucy Baldwin and Tara Cromie. Original music by Metaphor Music. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon from Tech Tonic: Defying death

The French pioneer of European integration Jean Monnet believed that Europe would be ‘built in crisis’. The war in Ukraine is putting this theory to the test, once again. Gideon discusses with historian Timothy Garton Ash how European leaders are responding to this latest crisis after the brief ‘holiday from history’ that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Clip: ITVFree links to read more on this topic:US and Russian officials draft new peace plan for UkraineThe scramble for Europe is just beginningUkraine secures winter gas support from GreecePoland blames Russia-linked operatives for rail explosionSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe’s triple shock: Putin, Trump and Xi

Gideon Rachman sits down with the FT's innovation editor John Thornhill and Caiwei Chen, China reporter for the MIT Technology Review, to discuss the race between China and the US to become the 21st-century AI superpower. The west is used to hearing about the might of the Silicon Valley giants, US cutting-edge research and chip dominance. But China has a different approach. Will its use of a cheaper and more efficient open AI model allow China to overtake the US with this era-defining technology?Want more? Join John and the FT’s Chinese technology correspondent Eleanor Olcott in a live Q&A on November 13 at 1pm GMT where they will be answering your questions on the tech battle between Silicon Valley and Beijing. Submit your question: Will China win the AI race?And subscribe to a new six part newsletter series - 'The State of AI'. It's a collaboration between the FT and MIT Technology Review where writers from both publications debate the defining questions of the AI era. Sign up here More on this topic:The State of AI: is China about to win the race?China offers tech giants cheap power to boost domestic AI chipsAI pioneers claim human-level general intelligence is already hereThe AI raceWho’s right about AI: economists or technologists?Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanSubscribe to the Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.The Rachman Review is presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips and the sound design is by Simon Panayi.Clip: AxiosRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The battle for AI supremacy

Gideon Rachman talks to historian and author Anne Applebaum about the Trump presidency. The US president is increasingly accused of being a would-be dictator, but is it fair to compare Donald Trump to authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping? This episode is an edited recording of an event organised by Intelligence Squared that took place in central London last month. Clips: CBS 60 MinutesFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:Trump’s fawning cabinet and the threat to US democracyThe Trump doctrine: don’t rely on AmericaThe Trump SupremacySaudi Arabia in talks for US defence pactHow the Trump companies made $1bn from cryptoSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips and sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump and autocracy in America

Gideon talks to former US trade representative Michael Froman about Donald Trump’s visit to Asia this week, culminating in a meeting with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Apec summit in South Korea. What does it tell us about US trade priorities in the region and who is best placed to win the contest of strength between the US and China? Clips: NST online; Times Now Free links to read more on this topic: Will Trump push south-east Asia towards China?China calls for ‘extraordinary measures’ to achieve chip breakthroughsWhy China keeps winning the trade warChina doubles down on industrial policySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US versus China: a test of strength

Gideon talks to the historian and author Serhii Plokhy about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed our calculations about the risk of nuclear war. They discuss the history of the atom bomb from its first use in 1945 to the risk of a resurgence of proliferation. Clip: Harry S Truman Library Free links to read more on this topic: The Nuclear Age by Serhii Plokhy — why nations want the bombUS offers nuclear energy companies access to weapons-grade plutoniumThe covert trip by Iranian nuclear experts to RussiaThe old nuclear rules won’t stop proliferationSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nuclear weapons and the balance of terror

Introducing Toxic Legacy, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Laura Hughes uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic across the UK. You might be living with lead and not know it: the toxin is often invisible to the human eye, but wreaks havoc on our bodies once we’re exposed. The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.For information on how to live safely with lead, please visit the LEAPP Alliance website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Untold: Toxic Legacy

Gideon talks to Taipei-based policy analyst J Michael Cole about how the Taiwanese are handling the threat of invasion from Beijing. Clips: APT News; RTI English.Free links to read more on this topic:TSMC’s stock market rally is a triumph of need over fearTaiwan accelerates ‘T-dome’ missile plan against China threatTaiwan backtracks on chip export curbs to South Africa after China spatTaiwan becomes largest importer of Russian naphthaSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan under threat: how strong are its defences?

Gideon talks to former White House official and Middle East expert Philip Gordon about Donald Trump’s plan for a peaceful end to the Gaza conflict. What are the chances that it can succeed and what are the main stumbling blocks? Clip: TRT WorldSteve Witkoff and Jared Kushner join Israel-Hamas talks in EgyptWhat remains of Gaza?Trump goes mainstream on the Middle EastHow Donald Trump’s Gaza deal came togetherSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Jean-Marc Eck and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What chance for Trump’s Gaza peace plan?

US President Donald Trump has pledged to “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars”, China could send its first crewed mission to Mars within a decade, and Elon Musk wants people to actually settle on Mars, transforming the human race into an interplanetary species. In a new series of Tech Tonic, the FT’s Peggy Hollinger asks if we’re really about to land, and even live, on the red planet. Free to read:Musk’s mission to MarsThree days with America’s rocket chasersTech Tonic is produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon from Tech Tonic: Mission to Mars

Gideon interviews Britain's deputy prime minister David Lammy at the Labour Party conference at a meeting hosted by the Tony Blair Institute. They discuss how the Starmer government, which has had a tough first year in office, can turn things around, as well as the Gaza peace plan, ties with the Trump administration and how to fight 'the politics of grievance'. Clip: Keir StarmerFree links to read more on this topic: Starmer urges Labour to launch ‘patriotic’ fight against ReformHow Donald Trump’s Gaza deal came togetherTrump goes mainstream on the Middle East‘Lost the plot’: Tony Blair’s Gaza role prompts incredulity — and some hopeSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Lammy on the fight for democracy

Gideon talks to Matt Duss, former adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders and executive vice-president of the Washington-based Center for International Policy. They discuss recent curbs on free speech, former president Joe Biden’s foreign policy mistakes, and how identity politics has been used to distract voters from the ever widening gap between rich and poor. Clips: DRM News; ForbesFree links to read more on this topic: Jimmy Kimmel hits out at ‘anti-American’ threats to free speech as show returnsInside Disney’s decision to bring back Jimmy KimmelAmerica’s accelerating exit from itselfSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to fix America

Gideon talks to former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis about Russia’s recent drone incursion into Polish airspace. What message should Europe and Nato take from this? How worried are the Baltic states about a possible expansion of Vladimir Putin’s war aims? And how vulnerable are they to attack? Clips: BBC, BFBSFree links to read more on this topic: What is Vladimir Putin’s game plan against Nato’s eastern flank?Russians lose internet access as Ukrainian drones hit close to homeBaltic states know Russian occupation is never temporaryMoscow holds Ukrainian children at hundreds of sites across RussiaEurope turns to Ukrainian tech for ‘drone wall’ against RussiaPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia’s drone incursions put Baltics on alert

Gideon talks to journalist Anshel Pfeffer about Israel’s ‘strongman’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They discuss how his ‘brazen disregard’ for international norms has helped him to cling to power, but also left him at the mercy of more and more extreme forces in Israel. This episode is an edited recording of an event organised by Intelligence Squared that took place in central London earlier this month. Clips: LBC; CNN; BBCFree links to read more on this topic:Israel unbound: was Qatar a strike too far?EU moves to freeze some funding to Israel over war in GazaIsraeli annexation of the West Bank would be ‘red line’ for UAENetanyahu’s disastrous plan to take control of GazaSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel's man without a plan

Gideon talks to Albanian academic Lea Ypi about her book Indignity. In the book, she describes how living first under the Ottoman empire, then as part of fascist Italy and later in a post-war communist state affected the lives of her grandparents. They discuss possible parallels between the first half of the 20th century and the times we are living in today and ask what lessons can be drawn from this history to avoid making the same mistakes. Clip: AQSHFFree links to read more on this topic:Kant and the case for peaceAlbania’s ‘old sheriff’ on course to win fourth term as prime ministerWhy the EU’s migration dilemma is pushing the bloc further rightSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lea Ypi on parallels between the 1930s and today

The longheld US position to defend Taiwan’s independent status in the face of Chinese aggression is looking shaky under the Trump administration, in spite of Taiwanese efforts to court the American president. This week, Gideon talks to analyst and author James Crabtree - former director of the Asia office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies - about why the US now seems more interested in doing a deal with China than showing support for Taiwan. They also discuss the broader implications that this, and other issues, might have for US alliances across the Indo-Pacific region, including relations with South Korea, Japan, Australia and India.Clips: Amazon PrimeFollow Gideon on Bluesky @gideonrachman.bsky.social or X @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:Taiwan raises defence spending by 23% under US pressure to counter China threatDonald Trump blocks Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te from New York stopoverUS cancelled military talks with TaiwanTrump is the gift that keeps giving to ChinaThe geopolitics of chips: Taiwan’s ‘Silicon Shield’Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner. The executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan’s Trump problem

Gideon discusses the outcome of the recent Alaska and Washington summits with Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Has Russia emerged as a clear winner? What can be achieved without more pressure on Vladimir Putin? How effective would western security guarantees be to prevent future Russian aggression?Clip: Sky NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Ukraine talks expose Trump’s dreadful attention to detailDonald Trump says US could play role ‘by air’ in Ukraine security guaranteeDonald Trump says US to ‘co-ordinate’ Ukraine’s security with Europe‘Stab in the back’: Kyiv reels as Trump embraces Putin’s termsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design by Breen Turner. The executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump ‘plays into Putin’s hands’

The Trump administration has hit India with 50% tariffs. And just after a short military conflict between India and Pakistan, President Trump played host to Pakistan’s army chief of staff at the White House. Gideon discusses what this means for India and for the region with Tanvi Madan, author of a noted history of the US-India relationship. Clip: WION. Weekend Festival linkFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump tariffs threaten Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ driveHow Pakistan wooed Trump — and rattled IndiaNarendra Modi tells Indian farmers he will ‘never compromise’ in face of 50% US tariffsIndia’s Russian oil conundrum: yield to Donald Trump or face tariff backlashPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Manuela Saragosa.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What next for India as Trump-Modi friendship sours?

Zbigniew Brzeziński was one of the most influential statesmen of the cold war. But many of the geopolitical problems he wrestled with in Russia, China and the Middle East, have returned with a vengeance. Among his many prescient ideas, ‘Zbig’ as he was known, predicted that American hubris might lead to an ‘alliance of the aggrieved’ between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Gideon discusses his life and legacy with FT colleague Ed Luce, who has written an acclaimed biography of the Polish-born strategist. Clip: Voice of AmericaFree links to read more on this topic:A new cold war with China won’t help the USThe World of the Cold War — timely reading in an age of US, Russia and China tensionsThe last grand strategists: what Brzezinski and Kissinger could teach TrumpKing of Kings — the 1979 revolution that changed Iran and the worldSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Jean-Marc Eck and the executive producer is Manuela Saragosa.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cold war guru whose warnings on Russia still stand

Israel has demonstrated its capacity to strike at its enemies far and wide since the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023. But what will it do with this military dominance? The FT’s Charles Clover puts this question to Palestinian historian Yezid Sayigh. They discuss the weakness and instability of neighbouring Arab states and how the Netanyahu government’s moves to prevent Palestinian statehood represent the biggest threat to peaceful coexistence in the region. Clips: France 24; Channel 4 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Has Gaza tested the limits of Donald Trump’s support for Benjamin Netanyahu?UK to recognise Palestinian state unless Israel ends Gaza crisisIsrael’s quiet war in the West BankThe world is failing the Palestinian peopleGaza: a war without end?Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Charles Clover. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Israel translate power into peace?

Humans have never been healthier or better fed. We’re living longer, but having fewer children - and many countries’ populations are now shrinking. Gideon discusses these trends with demographer Nicholas Eberstadt. Have smartphones played a role in our declining fertility? How will we look after our elderly people? Is migration the answer? Clip: CBCFree links to read more on this topic:The fight to revive Europe’s shrinking rural areasPopulation undercounting threatens public policy, scientists warnJapan urged to use gloomier population forecasts after plunge in birthsThe unspoken truth about the baby bustBrain ageing is the best predictor of longevity, scientists findSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our shrinking and ageing world

Israel’s military victories have brought little comfort to Israelis who are focused on the fate of those hostages still in Gaza. Sasha Polakow-Suransky, FT executive opinion editor, talks with Dahlia Scheindlin, Israeli pollster and author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel: Promise Unfulfilled about what Israelis want. Why has widespread opposition to many of the Netanyahu government’s policies so far failed to translate into political change? And why do Israelis seem unable to sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians who are also caught up in the conflict? Clips: Reuters; France 24Free links to read more on this topic:Israel strikes Syrian military headquarters in DamascusBenjamin Netanyahu’s government teeters as ultra-Orthodox party quits coalitionEU weighs sanctions on Israel as concerns mount over Gaza aid dealInside Gaza’s ‘death traps’Israel’s quiet war in the West BankSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Sasha Polakow-Suransky. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The war in Gaza - what do Israelis want?

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are escalating, both on the front lines and across urban centres. Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, talks to military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady about Ukraine’s battle to hold onto territory until a ceasefire can be agreed. Clips: Channel 4; ABCFree links to read more on this topic:Russia attacks Ukraine’s draft officesRussia hits Ukraine with biggest air attack of the warNato’s summit cannot disguise Ukraine’s plightKyiv’s sleepless nights under fireSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Ben Hall. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Putin steps up summer offensive against Ukraine

Gideon talks to Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund and author of a new book: How Countries Go Broke. They discuss the size of the US debt and what history tells us about identifying warning signs. Clip: CBSFree links to read more on this topic: Is Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ a political curse for Republicans?Fears over US debt load and inflation ignite exodus from long-term bondsDonald Trump’s big, beautiful act of self-harmThe fall in the dollar is not scarySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the US heading for a debt crisis?

Gideon discusses whether the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran can hold with Vali Nasr, Professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Can anyone claim victory from the war? Where does this leave the battered regime in Tehran and its nuclear ambitions? And what will the US need to do to ensure that intense fighting doesn’t break out again? Clips: Channel 4 News; BBC Free links to read more on this topic:Best summer books of 2025: PoliticsHow Donald Trump brokered a shaky Israel-Iran ceasefireGulf expat bubble punctured by missilesWhere is Iran’s uranium? Search continues for 400kg stockpileIran’s supreme leader faces his defining momentSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Too soon to celebrate peace between Iran and Israel?

Israel has launched an aerial bombardment of Iran, with the aim, it says, of ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Gideon talks to Philip Gordon, who was national security adviser to former US vice-president Kamala Harris, about how realistic Israel’s aims are, Iran’s capacity to fight back, and whether the US is about to be drawn into another conflict in the Middle East. Clips: Channel 4 News, The Independent﻿Free links to read more on this topic:War on Iran is splitting Trump’s Maga movementCan an American bunker-buster destroy Iran’s nuclear mountain?Could strikes on Iran cause a nuclear disaster?Let them kill us’: millions of Iranians refuse to leave TehranSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel goes to war with Iran

Gideon talks to Oana Lungescu, Nato's former and longest-serving spokesperson, about what to expect from this month’s summit and what's at stake? Can Europe convince the Trump administration that Russia is a risk they need to take seriously, and will an agreement to increase defence spending be enough to satisfy the US president? Clips: Sky; Channel 4, AljazeeraFree links to read more on this topic:Europe, the US and the question of valuesEurope confronts Trump’s triple threat on Ukraine, Nato and tradeEurope has a weaker hand than it thinks on UkraineNato defence ministers to discuss path to 5% military spendingSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nato’s moment of truth

Gideon Rachman and China historian Rana Mitter discuss the evolution of Xi Jinping from internal exile, to party apparatchik, to strongman leader. What motivates Xi and what’s behind his friendship with the Russian leader? This episode is an edited recording of an event organised by Intelligence Squared that took place in central London late last month. Clip: CGTNFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump says China’s Xi Jinping is ‘hard to make a deal with’Xi’s history shapes China’s diplomatic strategyChinese defence minister set to skip security forum in SingaporeChina’s Xi Jinping likens ‘US hegemony’ to ‘fascist forces’ ahead of Vladimir Putin summitXi and Putin are the greatest beneficiaries of Trump’s chaosSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What drives China’s strongman?

In a special six-part series of The Economics Show, Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman discuss the economic events reshaping the world in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s election. Subscribe and listen to this series on The Economics Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Episodes will also be available on the FT’s YouTube channel.If you’d like to get in touch and ask Martin and Paul a question, please email economics.show@ft.com Read Martin’s FT column hereSubscribe to Paul’s substack here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon: The Wolf-Krugman Exchange

President Biden’s time in office was a momentous period in world affairs and American foreign policy. The Taliban returned to rule Afghanistan, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Hamas attacked Israel all on the watch of National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.Gideon talks to Sullivan about the Biden legacy and hears how and why events unfolded and what the Trump administration is doing now. Clips: BBC, CBS, Sky News, The Guardian, Radio Free Europe, CGTNFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:Europe needs to keep up the pressure on NetanyahuPutin thinks that time is on his sideFormer national security adviser Jake Sullivan: ‘The core engines of American power are hummingSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A foreign policy debrief with Jake Sullivan

The EU is in Donald Trump’s cross hairs. So how should it respond? In this week’s episode, Paschal Donohoe, Ireland’s finance minister and president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, discusses whether the euro can challenge the dollar. He tells Gideon that European integration should go even further - and makes the case for immigration and a new relationship between the EU and the UK. Clips: Euronews,PBS NewshourFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:Why the EU beats Trump at the art of the dealHow the UK and EU thrashed out a post-Brexit reset in relationsDonald Trump says US will ‘100%’ strike trade deal with EUEuro has ‘clear path’ towards greater reserve currency use, says Eurogroup presidentSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Trump a threat or an opportunity for the EU?

After a short but intense clash, a ceasefire is holding between India and Pakistan, but tensions remain high. Both sides claim victory, but the rapid escalation in the conflict bodes ill for future diplomacy between the two countries. Gideon talks to Professor Sushant Singh, lecturer in south Asian Studies at Yale University, about the conflict and what’s at stake if tensions escalate again. Clips: Times of India, Fox NewsFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:How India and Pakistan pulled back from brink of warIndia and Pakistan’s fragile ceasefire holds after alleged breaches​​Narendra Modi says India has proved ‘superiority’ over Pakistan in clashesIndia and Pakistan: a conflict in the hands of two religious strongmenMilitary briefing: India and Pakistan test red lines of nuclear rivalrySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India and Pakistan: what now?

Donald Trump continues to issue a blizzard of controversial statements and executive orders. His political opponents often seem confused, even stunned. So how should the Democratic party take on the US president? Gideon talks to Senator Andy Kim, a new Democrat from New Jersey, on the merits of different approaches to opposition and what is needed to win back voters.Clips: KTVU FoxThis is Gavin NewsomFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanMore on this topic:Take no comfort from America’s Trump backlash‘Nadir for the party’: US Democrats edge towards civil warLessons from Russia, Turkey and India for Trump’s AmericaTraders made $100mn from buying Melania Trump memecoin before launchTrump’s assault on the rule of law: ‘the speed and intent is remarkable’Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips and the sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can Democrats combat Donald Trump?

US efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have so far not yielded anything close to a peace deal. Both Russia and Ukraine have objected to some aspects of the Trump administration’s plan. What – if anything – might make a lasting peace possible? Gideon Rachman speaks to Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London, about what each party wants from a peace deal.Free links to read more on this topic:Podcast: Future weapons: Ukraine’s army of drone: https://on.ft.com/3GKlW00US and Ukraine sign natural resources deal https://on.ft.com/4iRd4mYSteve Witkoff, the Trump loyalist disrupting diplomacy https://on.ft.com/3EKE89qSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe. Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we any closer to peace in Ukraine?

Gideon talks to the FT’s Michael Stott about Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, whose friendship with Donald Trump has been in the spotlight over his willingness to imprison US deportees, notably Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Clip: The White HouseFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Nayib Bukele: the TikTok authoritarian feted across Latin AmericaEl Salvador’s Bukele refuses to repatriate man wrongly deported from USHow El Salvador became a model for the global far rightTrump is halfway to making America a police stateEl Salvador offers to swap Venezuelan US deportees for political prisonersSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

El Salvador’s ‘jailer for hire’

Nuclear talks between the US and Iran began last weekend in Oman, and are set to continue in the coming weeks. President Trump has warned that if the talks fail the US could take military action against the Islamic republic – an idea that Israel's government is pressing for. What might a new nuclear deal with Iran look like – and how might it change the geopolitical picture in the Middle East? Clip: The Express TribuneFollow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:The false promise of regime change in IranUS and Iran agree to follow-up talks over nuclear crisisIs Iran on a collision course with the west?Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe. Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran’s nuclear talks could reshape the Middle East

Gideon talks to the economic historian Harold James about the economic and political implications of Donald Trump's tariffs. What are the similarities with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930? What kind of forces will his decision to smash the global economic order unleash? Clip: CBC Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic: It falls to Congress to unravel Trump’s reckless tariffsTrump’s ‘reshoring’ ambitions threatened by tariff chaosMarket turmoil strains bro-sphere’s bromance with Donald TrumpTrump and the mob boss approach to global marketsMarkets could get a lot worse — and quicklySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The end of globalisation as we know it

German businessman Joerg Wuttke has been an observer of China since the 1980s, watching it evolve from backwater to superpower. He talks to Gideon about US-China rivalry and how Europe can find its place as a trading partner to both powers. Clip: CNBCFree links to read more on this topic:China launches large-scale military exercises around TaiwanChina’s Xi Jinping tells top global CEOs to use their influence to defend tradeChina is suffering its own ‘China shock’BASF’s Joerg Wuttke: ‘The essence of China is this warrior’Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China in the age of Trump 2.0

Gideon talks to Russia experts Catherine Belton and Arkady Ostrovsky about Vladimir Putin’s goals. They discuss his early ambition to restore Russia’s status as a global superpower. And they go on to analyse why, after a quarter of a century in power, Putin may see his best chance yet of achieving that goal - at a cost of hundreds of thousands of Russian lives. This episode is an edited recording of an event organised by Intelligence Squared that took place in central London earlier this month.Free links to read more on this topic:The age of the strongmanTrump, Putin, Xi and the new age of empireUS agrees maritime ceasefire deal with Ukraine and RussiaUkraine ceasefire: what is Vladimir Putin’s game?Russia trained officers for attacks on Japan and South KoreaSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The making of Vladimir Putin

Thirty years ago Mexico made a fateful decision to open its economy and engage with the US. Now that decision is being tested by Donald Trump’s tariff threat. Gideon talks to Mexican economist Luis de la Calle about the impact this could have on his country's economy and that of the US. Clips: ABC News; Claudia Sheinbaum PardoFree links to read more on this topic:How Trump could destroy his own political movementHalf of Mexico’s exports to US risk steep tariffsMexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum is riding high on Donald Trump’s trade warChina delays approval of BYD’s Mexico plant amid fears tech could leak to USSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mexico hopes to stave off Trump tariffs

Europe is facing its biggest defence challenge since the second world war. This is compounded by the destabilising impact of US tariffs. So how is it measuring up? Gideon puts this question to Arancha González Laya, dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Science Po and a former foreign minister of Spain. Clip: Emmanuel MacronFree links to read more on this topic:EU retaliates after Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs take effectTrump is making Europe great againHow Europe can take up America’s mantleSweden to expand arms and space capabilities without USSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe's response to the threat from Trump

Canada’s Liberal party will elect a new leader this weekend and Chrystia Freeland is running to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister. Donald Trump’s belligerence towards his northern neighbour seems to have restored the party’s popularity ahead of a general election this year. Chrystia tells host Gideon Rachman that Canadians are sticking together and that they have some strong cards to play.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachman or Bluesky @gideonrachman.bsky.social.Gideon Rachman is the chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times. You can find his column here. Want more? Free links:Donald Trump’s tariffs loom suddenly through the fog of trade warEurope has bought Zelenskyy some timeDonald Trump warns tariffs will cause ‘a little disturbance’ in defiant speechPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should Canada react to Trump’s threats?

Gideon tests the mood in Kiev three years after the Russian invasion as the Trump presidency upends previous tenets of international politics. He talks to Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko and Oleksandr Khomiak, director of Drone Space Labs, a defence start-up. Clip: European CommissionFree links to read more on this topic:Ukraine agrees minerals deal with USUS drives Ukraine war measure through UN with Russian backingVolodymyr Zelenskyy’s toughest battle beginsNow is the time for Europe really to step up on UkraineSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine weathers new geopolitical climate

Gideon dissects US vice-president JD Vance’s incendiary speech at the Munich Security Conference with German businessman Mathias Döpfner. They discuss the state of the transatlantic relationship and how Donald Trump’s actions towards Russia and Ukraine could mark a turning point. They are then joined by FT colleague Laura Pitel to talk about Döpfner’s media empire Axel Springer and the cancellation of federal government subscriptions to the Politico Pro news service. Clip: The White HouseFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump calls Volodymyr Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ as US rift with Ukraine deepensVance’s real warning to EuropeHow Europe can defend itself without US helpEurope’s dependence on US tech is a critical weaknessDonald Trump opens the door to Vladimir Putin’s grandest ambitionsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mathias Döpfner: Transatlantic alliance in danger

Gideon talks to Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University in the US, about why it’s no longer possible to trust America and what the rest of the world can expect from the Trump presidency. Clip: CBCFree links to read more on this topic:Tariffs won’t bring back America’s unipolar moment'Cost and chaos’: Donald Trump’s metal tariffs sweep across corporate AmericaTrump is giving a green light to corporate corruption abroadTrump is forcing Europe to a reckoning on UkraineTrump, Putin, Xi and the new age of empireSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US systems unravel under Trump

Gideon talks to Andrew England, the FT's Middle East editor, about the US president's 'crazy' plan for a takeover of the Gaza Strip. And he talks to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid about the prospects for his country as it finally returns to peace and stability.Free links to read more on this topic:Middle East and Europe condemn Donald Trump’s plans to take over GazaDonald Trump’s Gaza plan resurrects grandiose Middle East playbookThe deceptively negotiable Donald TrumpSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump sets his sights on Gaza property deal

Gideon talks to Muhammad Yunus, interim leader of Bangladesh, who was invited by students to take charge after their revolution last July. He describes the alleged corruption that took hold when Sheikh Hasina was in office and his vision for a better future for the country. Clip: APFree links to read more on this topic:Bangladesh hires Big Four audit firms to review ‘robbed’ banksTycoon threatens international legal action against Bangladesh over ‘destroyed’ investmentsBangladesh’s unlikely revolutionaries: an 84-year-old and some studentsBangladesh requests UK minister’s bank account details in corruption probeBangladesh central banker accuses tycoons of ‘robbing banks’ of $17bn with spy agency helpSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bangladesh students win a chance for change

As Donald Trump begins his second term as US president, and Russia presses forward in Ukraine, Gideon Rachman speaks to Finland’s President Alexander Stubb about Europe’s place in the world. They also discuss the risk of strategic irrelevance in Europe, the rise of the far right, Finland’s position in Nato – and whether other European countries need to be a bit more like Finland. Clip: ReutersFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachman or Bluesky @gideonrachman.bsky.social.Gideon Rachman is the chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times. You can find his column here. More on this topic:‘Will President Trump even notice Europe?’ asks Volodymyr Zelenskyy Davos agenda turns to dealmaking as Trump takes office  Trump and the contest between two visions of democracySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Lulu Smyth, Manuela Saragosa and Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finland's president on Europe in a Trumpian world

Gideon talks to Michael Ignatieff, the former leader of Canada’s Liberal party, about how the country will deal with its newly-hostile southern neighbour when it is undergoing a change of leadership at home. They discuss Donald Trump’s threat to raise punitive tariffs on Canadian imports and how to respond to his suggestion that Canada should become the US’s 51st state. Clip: Global NewsFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Canada warns of ‘tit-for-tat’ tariffs on US if Trump imposes leviesPierre Poilievre moves closer to realising his populist vision for CanadaPraised abroad, troubled at home: Canada’s political ‘prince’ bows outMark Carney considers run to replace Canada’s PM Justin TrudeauSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the Trump administration pose an existential threat to Canada?

Gideon talks to the FT's Christian Davies about President Yoon’s thwarted attempt to impose martial law in South Korea. What lies behind the shock move, and what does it tell us about the underlying problems of a country better known for the global success of its entertainment industries? Clip: Washington PostFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:South Korea crisis mounts as clock ticks on arrest warrant for presidentThe resilience of South Korea’s democracy remains in doubtSouth Korea’s tumult is a symptom of China-US strifeA hostage situation’: South Korea paralysed in fight against Trump tariffsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Korea’s real-life political drama

Gideon hosts an end-of-year discussion with Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Jeremy Shapiro of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Karin von Hippel of the Royal United Services Institute. They discuss what we can expect from the incoming Trump presidency, the prospects for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, and China’s strengthening ties with Russia. Clip: Fox 13 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:FT Person of the Year: Donald TrumpPutin says Trump’s Ukraine proposals merit attentionXi Jinping prioritises consumers over chips as concerns over growth mountAI admin tools pose a threat to national securitySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What to expect in 2025

Gideon talks to FT Middle East correspondent Raya Jalabi about what she found when she drove from Beirut into Damascus shortly after the toppling of President Assad. What signs are there that the rebel group HTS will be able to manage a peaceful transition of power and end the country’s civil war? Clip: AFPFree links to read more on this topic:Netanyahu and Erdoğan compete to be the Middle East’s strongmanAssad dispatched $250mn of Syria’s cash to MoscowNow Syria can dream of a future againJustice for the victims of Assad’s atrocities in SyriaHow the Assad family built an empire of fear in SyriaSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fear and euphoria in Damascus

One of the most important groups of advisers around Donald Trump are the 'restrainers'. They want to radically reduce America’s commitments to global security alliances. Gideon talks to Dan Caldwell, a leading restrainer and military veteran who believes the Iraq war was a 'monstrous crime'. Clip: Face the NationFree links to read more on this topic:Foreign Affairs article: Trump Must Not Betray “America First”The tragedy of Iraq, 20 years onNato chief warns Donald Trump of ‘dire threat’ to US if Ukraine pushed into bad peace dealThe west should not succumb to cynical regret over SyriaTrump swoops into Paris as Europe prepares for a more transactional relationshipSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Trump pull America back from the world?

Gideon talks to FT contributing editor Kim Ghattas about the rebel advances in Syria that have taken place in the wake of Israel’s bombardment of President Bashar al-Assad’s Hizbollah allies in Lebanon. Will Assad’s backers in Iran and Russia hold firm and can the ceasefire agreement in neighbouring Lebanon hold? Clip: Channel 4 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Rebel advances in Syria spell danger for Russia’s Middle Eastern ambitionsInside Aleppo: the Syrian city captured by rebelsRebel offensive boosts Turkey’s influence in SyriaAssad is sitting tight as Syria burnsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Syria caught up in Lebanon fallout

Gideon talks to Sir Alex Younger, former head of Britain's secret intelligence service MI6, about the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. They discuss Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard for the role of US director of national intelligence and they also consider what Britain needs to do to secure a role for itself in the world order. Free links to read more on this topic:Keir Starmer to urge G20 leaders to ‘double down’ on Ukraine supportBill Burns and Richard Moore: Intelligence partnership helps the US and UK stay ahead in an uncertain worldWhere Trump could surprise on the upsideAsk Shrimsley: how do I keep a relationship special?Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Britain's ties with the US survive a second Trump presidency?

Gideon talks to Sebastian Mallaby, author of a best-selling book on Silicon Valley called The Power Law. They discuss the reason why Elon Musk decided to back Donald Trump for president, what the entrepreneur will bring to the Trump administration, and what Musk's businesses stand to gain. Clip: WFAA TVFree links to read more on this topic: Who’s who in the Musk ‘A-team’ vying to shape Trump 2.0Elon Musk is an unguided geopolitical missileValuations at Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI set to soar in new dealsElon Musk’s gamble on Donald Trump pays offSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.