The Rachman Review

By Financial Times

What's The Rachman Review about?

Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist talks to the decision-makers and thinkers who are shaping world affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Rachman Review episodes:

04.18.2024
Iran raises the stakes with attack on Israel
Gideon discusses Iran’s attack on Israel with Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. What will the leaders of Israel and Iran be thinking about as they ponder their next move? And...
04.11.2024
How do you define a war crime?
Gideon discusses the history of international humanitarian law since the first world war with Boyd van Dijk, a historian at Oxford university and author of a recent book, Preparing for War - The Making of the Geneva Conventions. They discuss current...
04.04.2024
Is Japan at a turning point?
Japan has been celebrating the end of a near 20-year deflationary cycle. But the country’s shrinking population remains a serious cause for concern. Gideon talks to the FT’s Kana Inagaki and Leo Lewis about whether the new mood of optimism...
03.28.2024
Is Europe battle-ready?
Gideon talks to Bastian Giegerich, chief executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, about the state of Europe's defences. The scramble to come to the aid of Ukraine and doubts about future US willingness to contribute have exposed significant...
03.21.2024
Malcolm Turnbull on US and Australian politics
Gideon talks to former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull about the prospect of a second Trump presidency. They discuss why Rupert Murdoch’s ‘anger-tainment’ industry has done less harm to Australia’s democracy than it has in the US, and why the recent referendum on Aboriginal rights in...
03.14.2024
Is there a way out of Haiti’s nightmare?
Henry Mance discusses the breakdown of the rule of law in Haiti with Robert Fatton, professor of government and foreign affairs in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia. How has the past influenced recent events and is...
03.07.2024
Netanyahu defies the west on Gaza
Henry Mance, standing in for Gideon, talks to James Shotter, FT correspondent in Jerusalem, about the Israeli political landscape and why the country’s leadership is pursuing such a scorched earth policy in Gaza. Clip: Sky News US begins Gaza aid airdrops...
02.29.2024
Global threats: contrasting views in Europe, Asia and the Pacific
Gideon Rachman talks to Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute in Sydney, about the differing views he encountered at recent security conferences in India, Europe, the US and Australia. Clip: midday india Free links to read more on this...
02.22.2024
Russia’s threat to Europe
How much of a threat would Russia pose to Europe if its invasion of Ukraine was successful? Given recent remarks by the US Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, does Europe have the firepower to defend itself without the aid of...
02.15.2024
Is China’s power on the wane?
China’s property crisis and slowing growth rate have raised questions about its future as an economic and military power. Gideon discusses whether it’s time to call ‘peak China’ with Richard McGregor, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. Clip: Bloomberg Free links...
02.08.2024
Why we need the UN
Gideon talks to Mark Malloch-Brown, former deputy secretary-general of the UN and president of the Open Society Foundations, about the role of the United Nations. While it sometimes struggles to make an impact on matters of global security, it plays...
02.05.2024
Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing
If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers. Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll...
02.01.2024
Germans push back against extremist AfD
Germans have been staging mass protests against the far-right ideology of the AfD party. This followed revelations about a meeting late last year in which the party and its backers discussed the potential for mass deportations of people of foreign...
01.25.2024
The battle for the control of Poland’s institutions
Donald Tusk’s re-election cheered democrats across Europe and paved the way for the biggest change in Poland since the fall of communism. He’s hoping to rebuild the country's institutions and began with a clear-out of state TV that had become a mouthpiece...
01.23.2024
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana....
01.18.2024
Putin’s nemesis in the west
Bill Browder tells Gideon the story of his battle against Russian corruption, which took off when his lawyer was murdered in a Russian prison in 2009. The war in Ukraine has turbocharged his campaign. Can he now take it further to...
01.11.2024
Can a wider Middle East war be averted?
As Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, more and more regional actors are being drawn in, from the Houthis in Yemen, to Isis in Iraq and Syria. Gideon discusses whether a widening regional war can be averted...
01.04.2024
The future of Europe
It's an important year for the European Union, which holds parliamentary elections in June. As geopolitical turbulence continues to test the strength of global alliances, will Europe pursue further integration or start to pull apart? Gideon discusses these questions, and...
12.21.2023
The world in 2024
Who will win the US presidential election? Will China continue its rapprochement with the west? What are the prospects for an end to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza? Gideon discusses these and other questions with the FT’s Martin Wolf, Karin...
12.14.2023
COP28: is the Dubai deal enough for the climate?
Countries at the COP 28 climate summit in Dubai have reached a deal to transition away from fossil fuels. Gideon speaks to the FT’s Simon Mundy, who’s in Dubai covering the talks, about the agreement. Will it actually help the...
12.07.2023
Biden and Xi mend ties
A recent visit to the US by China’s president Xi Jinping has raised hopes of a bilateral rapprochement. But how stable is this more positive relationship and can a conflict over Taiwan be averted? Gideon discusses these questions with Washington-based...
11.30.2023
Trump closes in on a second term in office
Gideon talks to FT colleague Ed Luce and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker about Donald Trump’s campaign to be the Republican nominee in next year’s US presidential election. Is his success all but assured and, if so, what does...
11.23.2023
How united are Arab and Muslim leaders on Gaza?
The war in Gaza has provoked mass demonstrations across the Arab and Muslim world and exposed the policy failings of regional leaders. Gideon discusses regional leaders’ response to the crisis with Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East Programme at Chatham...
11.16.2023
Is the balance tilting towards Russia in Ukraine?
Some have described Russia’s war against Ukraine as being at a stalemate. But one side could quickly gain the upper hand. Gideon discusses the strengths and weaknesses of both sides with Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute in London. Clips:...
11.09.2023
Who will run Gaza once the war is over?
Gideon talks to Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, about Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. How long is it likely to last and what will be the repercussions for Israel and the wider region?...
11.02.2023
The global power of the dollar
Gideon talks to Wally Adeyemo, US deputy Treasury Secretary, about the power of US financial sanctions to punish autocrats and dictators and curb terrorism. What exactly are these sanctions designed to do and how effective are they? Clip: PBS Free links to read...
10.24.2023
Coups make a comeback in Africa
Gideon talks to Comfort Ero, president of the International Crisis Group, about what’s behind the recent resurgence of military coups in the Sahel region. Clip: BBC Free links to read more on this topic: US signals intention to engage with Niger...
10.18.2023
Can the Gaza conflict be contained?
Gideon talks to Baroness Catherine Ashton, former high representative of the EU on foreign affairs, about the role of diplomacy in helping to contain the Israel-Gaza conflict. Clip: The White House Free links to read more on this topic: The Israel-Hamas...
10.11.2023
Israel and Gaza at war
Gideon talks to the historian and writer Lawrence Freedman about what led to the catastrophic events of the past week in Israel and what options the Netanyahu government has to respond to Hamas's deadly attack. Clips: 11Alive; NBC News Free links to read...
10.05.2023
The problem with Bidenomics
Will Bidenomics help the US Democrats win another term in office? Will the policies be effective in tackling the climate crisis? Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, thinks not. In the last in our series on...
09.28.2023
Bidenomics and global trade
In the second of our three-part series, Gideon talks to WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala about the impact of Bidenomics on countries' attitudes to free and open global trade and the WTO's role in protecting this. Clip: France 24 Free links...
09.21.2023
What is Bidenomics and is it working?
In the first of a three-part series on Bidenomics, Gideon talks to Brian Deese, former head of the National Economic Council in the Biden White House. They discuss how big a change of direction this was for the US, what...
09.18.2023
Coming soon: Can AI help us speak to animals?
Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech...
09.14.2023
Post-Brexit Britain
Opinion polls now suggest that about two-thirds of British people think that Brexit has failed. So was it all a terrible mistake? Gideon talks to FT colleague Peter Foster about his new book, What Went Wrong With Brexit: And What...
09.07.2023
The nuclear and biological weapons threat
Are our politicians doing enough to protect humanity from the potential risk of a nuclear war, a deadly pandemic or AI without guardrails? Gideon discusses these risks with Jason Matheny, president of the Rand Corporation in California and former director...
08.31.2023
Biden’s plan for a US-Saudi-Israeli peace deal
Gideon talks to Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, about the strength of bipartisan support for Ukraine and about President Joe Biden’s proposed “grand bargain” that could see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise diplomatic relations...
08.24.2023
The end of Prigozhin
Gideon talks to political commentator and economist Sergei Guriev about the lessons Russians and the outside world will draw from the apparent killing of Yevgeny Prigozhin. How does this affect the stability of the Russian regime and the outlook for...
08.21.2023
Introducing: The Russian Banker
Who is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s said to be responsible for massive fraud. On The Russian Banker, a new series from the...
08.17.2023
Sanctions, global terror and the drugs trade
Gideon talks to the FT’s Miles Johnson, author of a new book called Chasing Shadows about the links between international crime and geopolitics. They discuss how wars and the breakdown of democratic accountability have contributed to the ability of criminals to...
08.10.2023
Japan’s role in US-China strategic rivalry
China’s assertiveness on the global stage has reinvigorated economic and political ties between the US and Japan. Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia business editor, discusses what’s changed with Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan. Want more? Free links: Corporate Japan back...
08.03.2023
Will Donald Trump end up in prison or the White House?
Donald Trump was indicted this week on charges related to his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. But the former president is also in the running for the 2024 presidential election and polls suggest he’s likely...
07.27.2023
Sudan power struggle risks turning into civil war
The Sudanese people are being held hostage by warring generals in a power struggle that has already lasted 100 days. With no solution in sight, the fighting risks drawing in outside actors like Russia’s Wagner group and destabilising neighbouring countries....
07.20.2023
Spain's lurch to the right
The government of Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez looks set to lose Sunday's elections to the centre-right People's party. But the PP may be unable to form a government without the participation of the hard-right party Vox. Henry Mance, standing in...
07.13.2023
Will this year’s climate talks be a washout?
The UAE, host of this year’s UN climate conference, has pushed for a “global stocktake” of progress towards Paris targets, aimed at triggering fresh climate action. But it has also been criticised for its choice of an oil executive, Sultan...
07.06.2023
How much should we fear artificial intelligence?
Scientists have been sounding the alarm about the potentially catastrophic dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Gideon talks to Anu Bradford, professor at Columbia University and author of a forthcoming book on the global battle to regulate technology about the different...
06.29.2023
Has the Wagner revolt fatally undermined Putin?
Gideon talks to Edward Lucas, author and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, about the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. With his weaknesses exposed by the Prigozhin rebellion, how will rival centres of power respond?...
06.22.2023
When should countries intervene to prevent mass murder?
Gideon talks to Indian opposition Congress politician and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor about the concept of the 'responsibility to protect', which allows countries to intervene militarily in order to protect a population from mass murder. This was first mooted by...
06.15.2023
How Ukraine’s fightback could change the world
Gideon talks to Karin von Hippel, director-general of the UK defence think-tank RUSI, about Ukraine’s counteroffensive and the discussions that are already taking place about a new world order once the fighting is over. Clips: Channel 4 News More on this...
06.08.2023
David Lammy on Britain’s place in the world
Gideon meets Britain’s shadow foreign secretary on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the main forum for discussion of security issues in the Indo-Pacific, in Singapore. They discuss Britain’s relations with China, Ukraine, Brexit and the Commonwealth. Clips: ShanghaiEye, CNA More...
06.01.2023
Is the Ukraine war reaching a turning point?
Gideon talks to the FT’s Chris Miller about the recent upsurge in military operations between Ukraine and Russia. Is this the start of Kyiv’s long-awaited offensive and if so, what would constitute a successful fightback? Clip: NBC More on this topic:...

What's The Rachman Review about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Rachman Review episodes:

Iran raises the stakes with attack on Israel

How do you define a war crime?

Is Japan at a turning point?

Is Europe battle-ready?

Malcolm Turnbull on US and Australian politics

Is there a way out of Haiti’s nightmare?

Netanyahu defies the west on Gaza

Global threats: contrasting views in Europe, Asia and the Pacific

Russia’s threat to Europe

Is China’s power on the wane?

Why we need the UN

Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing

Germans push back against extremist AfD

The battle for the control of Poland’s institutions

Introducing Untold: The Retreat

Putin’s nemesis in the west

Can a wider Middle East war be averted?

The future of Europe

The world in 2024

COP28: is the Dubai deal enough for the climate?

Biden and Xi mend ties

Trump closes in on a second term in office

How united are Arab and Muslim leaders on Gaza?

Is the balance tilting towards Russia in Ukraine?

Who will run Gaza once the war is over?

The global power of the dollar

Coups make a comeback in Africa

Can the Gaza conflict be contained?

Israel and Gaza at war

The problem with Bidenomics

Bidenomics and global trade

What is Bidenomics and is it working?

Coming soon: Can AI help us speak to animals?

Post-Brexit Britain

The nuclear and biological weapons threat

Biden’s plan for a US-Saudi-Israeli peace deal

The end of Prigozhin

Introducing: The Russian Banker

Sanctions, global terror and the drugs trade

Japan’s role in US-China strategic rivalry

Will Donald Trump end up in prison or the White House?

Sudan power struggle risks turning into civil war

Spain's lurch to the right

Will this year’s climate talks be a washout?

How much should we fear artificial intelligence?

Has the Wagner revolt fatally undermined Putin?

When should countries intervene to prevent mass murder?

How Ukraine’s fightback could change the world

David Lammy on Britain’s place in the world

Is the Ukraine war reaching a turning point?