The Rachman Review

By Financial Times

Social Sciences

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 rise and fall of Yevgen...

03.30.2023

Gideon talks to the FT’s Max Seddon and Miles Johnson about Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group and its once secretive leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. They discuss how Prigozhin came to prominence during the fighting around Bakhmut in Ukraine and whether he can ...

The Rachman Review episodes:

03.30.2023 The rise and fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin Gideon talks to the FT’s Max Seddon and Miles Johnson about Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group and its once secretive leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. They discuss how Prigozhin came to prominence during the fighting around Bakhmut in Ukraine and whether he can ...
03.23.2023 Divided Iran makes peace with its neighbours Gideon talks to the FT’s Middle East editor Andrew England about his recent visit to Iran in the aftermath of some of the worst unrest since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Iran’s reconciliation with Saudi Arabia and ...
03.16.2023 Israeli democracy at a crossroads Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal tells Gideon why he believes Israel is on course for a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Netanyahu government’s plan to curtail the power of the judiciary, he says, will remove democratic checks and balances that are crucial ...
03.09.2023 Is Mexico slipping into autocracy? Gideon talks to academic and writer Denise Dresser about President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s autocratic tendencies and why she thinks the leader she once voted for is dismantling democracy in Mexico. Clips: France 24, Andrés Manuel López Obrador Amlo’s strongman ...
03.02.2023 Bill Gates on Ukraine’s ‘shock to the system’ The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist talks to Gideon about his efforts to keep global development goals alive amid rising geopolitical tensions. They discuss shrinking aid budgets, climate, technology, China-US tensions and whether Gates remains an optimist about the future. Bill ...
02.23.2023 Ukraine series: the battle for Bakhmut Christopher Miller moved to the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in 2010 as a volunteer for the US Peace Corps. Now an FT correspondent in Kyiv, he tells Gideon about how the eastern city came to play a central role in ...
02.16.2023 Ukraine series: how long will the war last? In the second episode in our special series, Gideon talks to war historian Hein Goemans about what it would take to end the fighting in Ukraine. FT podcast survey More on this topic: A year of war in Ukraine has ...
02.09.2023 Ukraine series: life in a war zone In the first of a three-part series, Gideon talks to Ukraine MP Lesia Vasylenko about what it was like to wake up in a country at war, how Ukrainians surprised the world with their fightback, and the need for reparations ...
02.02.2023 How to fix our flawed democracies Gideon talks to Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator, about his new book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. They discuss why the post-war settlement between democratic governments and their people is no longer fit for purpose and what can ...
01.26.2023 Philippines caught in the line of fire The Filipino people are paying a heavy price for regional tensions between China and the US, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr tells Gideon. He explains how he hopes to steer clear of conflict, build up the economy and focus on ...
01.19.2023 The global battle against impunity The war in Ukraine has had dire consequences for millions of people beyond Europe. Gideon talks to David Miliband, IRC president, about why Putin's challenge to the world order must not go unpunished. Clips: CNN More on this topic: Geopolitics ...
01.12.2023 America’s hard right A small group of Republican party zealots, backed by former president Donald Trump, have forced their way into a position of power in the US Congress. Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest magazine in Washington and ...
01.05.2023 What next for Putin’s Russia? How has Russia changed since Putin embarked on his Ukraine war nearly a year ago? Gideon talks to Angela Stent of Georgetown University about the origins of Russia’s imperialist ambitions, its rupture with Europe and reliance on revived alliances with ...
12.22.2022 2022 Year In Review Gideon Rachman is joined by a panel of colleagues: FT editor Roula Khalaf, Moscow correspondent Max Seddon and US editor Edward Luce. This year was defined by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Will 2023 be any different? Meanwhile, in China, ...
12.15.2022 Qatar’s soft power play Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup was mired in controversy from the start but ultimately seems to have paid off, bringing the tiny Gulf emirate new friends and winning over old enemies. Gideon talks to Simeon Kerr, the FT’s ...
12.08.2022 How threatened is Australia by the rise of China? Australia’s relations with China have taken a dive in recent years, forcing Canberra to reassess regional security and trade ties. Gideon talks to Michael Fullilove, director of the Lowy Institute, Australia’s leading foreign-policy think-tank, about how Australia is adapting to ...
12.01.2022 China protests test the limits of Xi Jinping’s authority Severe lockdowns associated with China’s zero-Covid policy have combined with economic woes to incite the most widespread protests since Tiananmen Square. President Xi Jinping is now under pressure to address this discontent. Gideon discusses what his options are with the ...
11.24.2022 90,000 migrants arrive in Italian ports Italy has become one of the main entry points to the EU for irregular migrants but its new nationalist prime minister Giorgia Meloni has taken a hard line and is demanding Europe do more to help. Why has Meloni taken ...
11.17.2022 Brazil’s Lula joins leftist leaders pushing for change in Latin America Brazil joins a group of Latin American countries that have elected leftwing leaders. What kind of change will they bring to the region and its relations with the rest of the world? Michael Stott, the FT’s Latin America editor, discusses ...
11.10.2022 How the Ukraine war reshaped US alliances Thomas Wright, director of strategic planning at the National Security Council in the Biden White House, tells Gideon how the war in Ukraine changed US thinking about the need for broader alliances. Clips: The White House, Channel 4 News More ...
11.03.2022 US midterms: Republicans on the rise Joe Biden’s Democrats look set to lose control of Congress in this month's elections. But many of the Republicans poised to take office support Donald Trump's claim that the last presidential election was stolen. Gideon discusses his prospects for a ...
10.27.2022 Xi consolidates his rule as economic problems mount Gideon talks to economist Linda Yueh of Oxford university about recent dramatic developments at the Chinese Communist party’s congress in Beijing. They discuss what the growing centralisation in China tells us about how Xi Jinping will handle the private sector, ...
10.20.2022 US-Saudi ties at an all-time low There was outrage in Washington over Saudi Arabia’s decision to back Opec output cuts during a global energy crisis. What was the kingdom’s motive for putting its strategic partnership with the US at risk? As a regular visitor to Saudi ...
10.13.2022 Russia's nuclear threat Ukrainian cities have faced an onslaught of missiles from Russia this week in retaliation for the attack on the Kerch bridge that links Russia with occupied Crimea. Russia has threatened to go further and to use tactical nuclear weapons rather ...
10.06.2022 Protests show Iran’s social contract is broken The death of a young woman detained by Iran’s ‘morality police’ has sparked nationwide protests that the government is struggling to control. Gideon talks to Iranian analyst Sanam Vakil about what the unrest tells us about the weakening authority of ...
09.29.2022 The remaking of Europe Europe’s priorities have undergone a massive shift in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Gideon talks to political scientist Ivan Krastev about how central Europe is gaining influence within the EU as a result of the Ukraine war. Clips: United ...
09.22.2022 What next for Global Britain? Britain's new prime minister is facing huge challenges on both the domestic and international stage. Gideon talks to Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, in London about how Liz Truss will deal with the ...
09.15.2022 Russia faces defeat in Ukraine Ukraine’s rapid recapture of territory in recent days has put Russian forces on the back foot and raised the prospect of an early end to the war. Gideon talks to Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College ...
09.08.2022 How Italy is facing a crucial election Polls suggest that the largest single party will be the Brothers of Italy - and its leader Giorgia Meloni will therefore be prime minister. That’s causing consternation in some quarters because the party has roots in the fascist-influenced politics of ...
09.01.2022 Will India soar or struggle in the coming years? Gideon’s guest this week is Ramachandra Guha, who is often hailed as the most distinguished historian of modern India. He is also a noted critic of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you ...
08.25.2022 Who's winning the war in Ukraine? Six months into the Ukraine war, Gideon talks to Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, about the balance of forces on each side. With Russian forces bogged down, is a Ukrainian victory now ...
08.18.2022 Would China go to war over Taiwan? Gideon talks to Chinese-American academic Minxin Pei about China’s reaction to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. What does it tell us about Xi Jinping’s leadership as he bids for a third term as president? Clips: The Sun; ...
08.11.2022 Whatever happened to Mandela’s dream for South Africa? Gideon talks to the South African writer and political activist, Songezo Zibi, about the need to build a coalition for change to help restore some of the high hopes that accompanied the end of apartheid. Clips: SABC, The Sun More ...
08.04.2022 How to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine Sergio Jaramillo was one of the architects behind Colombia’s landmark peace deal with Marxist guerrilla group Farc. Now, as a senior adviser at the European Institute of Peace, he explains if and how Ukraine and Russia could ever arrive at ...
07.28.2022 How social media platforms put profits before people Human rights lawyer Cori Crider co-founded Foxglove, a group that fights on behalf of those harmed by the misuse of technology. She talks to the FT’s Madhumita Murgia about why social media companies need to bear more of the cost ...
07.21.2022 Can Turkey help end the Ukraine grain crisis? Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been working hard to help open up an export route for Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. But as he wins plaudits for this key mediating role, his nation is struggling with soaring inflation ...
07.14.2022 Russia’s future: a giant Iran of Eurasia Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tells Gideon why he believes Russia is destined to become a giant Iran of Eurasia. It will remain a significant military power, but one that is increasingly under the ...
07.07.2022 Ukraine: a view from the Baltics Gideon talks to Kersti Kaljulaid, former president of Estonia, about the policy failures that led to the war in Ukraine. A weak response to Russia’s invasion of Georgia and Crimea gave Vladimir Putin the green light. Now the strength of ...
07.04.2022 Introducing: Hot Money The FT just launched a new podcast on porn, power and profit. When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, ...
06.30.2022 Wirecard: the investigation that brought down a German tech giant It took years of digging and a lucky break to uncover the fraud at the heart of Wirecard. Gideon talks to Dan McCrum about the strange netherworld of financial speculators, private detectives, bumbling accountants and outright criminals that he encountered ...
06.23.2022 Can EU unity on Ukraine hold? European leaders have been united in their support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression. But as costs mount they could face growing calls to compromise with Russia. Gideon talks to Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign ...
06.16.2022 Where money and power collide Gideon talks to the billionaire investor Ray Dalio about the connections he's found between the rise and fall of markets and the rise and fall of nations. Clips: CBS, CNBC, BBC More on this topic: Policy errors of the 1970s ...
06.09.2022 Putin’s energy power play Russia’s global power has rested in large part on its oil and gas reserves. Will Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and Europe’s decision to seek alternative supplies shrink this power irreparably? Gideon talks to the American expert Dan Yergin ...
06.02.2022 Poverty and inequality drive change in Latin America Gideon talks to Venezuelan economist Moisés Naím about the reasons for the collapse of the political centre in Latin America, and about the tactics used by populist politicians to rise to power in the region and beyond. Clips: Euronews; AP; ...
05.26.2022 Ukraine and the global food emergency Russia’s blockade of the port of Odesa is preventing Ukraine from exporting vital supplies of grain to a hungry world. A failure to resolve the problem will lead to food price rises and starvation, resulting in more migration and global ...
05.19.2022 Ukraine’s nationalists and the Azov battalion The roots of Ukrainian nationalism go back to the second world war, when one prominent group sided briefly with Hitler against the Soviet Union. Gideon talks to Princeton academic Kim Lane Scheppele about the legacy of this group and whether ...
05.12.2022 Why do some countries remain poor? Why do some countries stay poor while others find a rapid path towards growth and development? Economist Stefan Dercon thinks it’s all about the willingness of those in power to prioritise development over protecting their own interests. He explains how ...
05.05.2022 Why the global south won’t take sides on Ukraine When Russia invaded Ukraine, a group of countries in the global south, including India and South Africa, held back from the chorus of condemnation led by Europe and the US. Gideon discusses why they have adopted a neutral stance with ...
04.28.2022 Putin’s nuclear threat and China ‘friendship’ Russia raised the spectre of nuclear war this week as it struggles to make headway in Ukraine. How seriously should this threat be taken and can Vladimir Putin rely on his friendship with China’s Xi Jinping? Gideon discusses these questions ...
04.21.2022 Le Pen, patriots and the anti-globalist movement Gideon talks to former World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy about the French election and what political trends in France tell us about nationalism and anti-globalist movements around the world. Clips: France 24 Want to read more? ‘She’s radiant’: what ...

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