The Rachman Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.