The Rachman Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, has made a life-long study of China’s leadership. He tells Gideon how an understanding of Communist ideology helps explain Xi Jinping’s decision to roll back on the market reforms of his predecessor Deng Xiaoping. They are also a crucial guide to what could happen next. Clip: Sky News AustraliaFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:US-China relations will depend on which Trump shows upUS Space Force warns of ‘mind-boggling’ build-up of Chinese capabilitiesWhy Xi Jinping changed his mind on China’s fiscal stimulusSinologist Li Cheng: ‘America is not in the mood to study China’‘Too boring’: Chinese students are sleeping through propagandaSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to his colleague Ed Luce and to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about what to expect from a second Trump presidency. Clip: Fox NewsFree links to read more on this topic:How Trump won in maps and chartsTrump’s new world orderElon 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 Samantha Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to Ivo Daalder, a former American ambassador to Nato and chief executive of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, about the potential threat to US democracy if Donald Trump wins next week’s presidential election. Clip: PoliticoFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:How Trump learnt to love big businessTrump is the man who would be kingAmerica isn’t too worried about fascismKamala Harris warns of ‘more chaos’ under Donald Trump and vows ‘different path’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.

Gideon talks to Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, about her efforts to keep hope alive during a humanitarian catastrophe. Clip: United NationsFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Israel ‘starting to implement’ north Gaza starvation plan, say rights groups Hamas chief’s death opens up choice for Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza warUS warns Israel humanitarian crisis in Gaza could threaten military aidIsrael, Lebanon and the mirage of a new Middle EastSubscribe 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.

After three years of sanctions, women's lives in Afghanistan are highly restricted and hunger is widespread. So if sanctions have failed, is it time for the outside world to change its approach and re-engage with the country's Taliban rulers? Gideon discusses this question with Saad Mohseni, chair of Afghanistan’s largest television station and co-author of a new book Radio Free Afghanistan, and Afghan women's rights activist Fatima Gailani. Clip: CBS NewsFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Leaving Kabul: what happened when the Taliban returnedTaliban’s closer ties with UAE signal global divide over Afghan regimeHow the Taliban’s return made Afghanistan a hub for global jihadisSinger Elaha Soroor on her anthem for Afghan womenSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to Norbert Röttgen, a CDU member of the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament and author of a new book called Democracy and War. Röttgen criticises Chancellor Olaf Scholz for failing to live up to his early pledges of support for Ukraine. He laments the country's 'deplorable' divide on the Ukraine war, but says he is convinced that most Germans recognise that a victory for Russia would be disastrous for Europe. Clips: SPD; Info fur die WeltFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Germany, political extremism and the risks to UkraineVictory for the AfD raises difficult questions about east GermanyGermany to launch limited military service in push to be ‘war ready’Ukraine’s shifting war aimsSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East programme at Chatham House in London, about what Israel and Iran may be planning for their next move as the region slides towards all-out war. Clips: The Telegraph; BBCFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Middle East at war: 12 key moments Oil prices climb as Iran missile attack prompts supply fearsIsrael steps up offensive against Hizbollah as region braces for retaliationHow Israeli spies penetrated HizbollahSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to Kim Ghattas, an FT contributing editor based in Beirut, about Israel’s decision to step up its war against Lebanon’s Hizbollah. How will the militant group and its allies respond, and can the war be contained? Clips: Sky News; The GuardianFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Israel tells troops to prepare for possible ground offensive in LebanonMilitary briefing: Israeli intelligence and air force use ‘victory doctrine’ against Hizbollah ‘Leave your homes now’: Lebanon endures bloodiest day in decadesIts strategy may lie in ruins, but Hizbollah will not admit defeatSubscribe 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.

As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, Gideon Rachman speaks to António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN. Guterres explains why he thinks the organisation remains indispensable - as the world struggles to get to grips with an array of daunting global challenges - including war and climate change.Clip: The GuardianFree links:World must exit ‘highway to climate hell’, UN boss warns, as records are again brokenChina and US push each other on priorities for UN COP29 climate talks‘Enfeebled’ UN fights for relevance in divided worldAlarm raised on sea level rise and ocean warming as Pacific Islands leaders meetNobel winners hit out at removal of fossil fuels from draft UN pactChina and US push each other on priorities for UN COP29 climate talksFollow Gideon on X @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 and Simon Panayi.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of Russia represented another sign that Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going to plan. But numerous setbacks, and the sanctions regime imposed by the west, have so far failed to loosen the Russian leader’s grip on power. Gideon discusses why Russians are still backing Putin with Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.  Clip: Deutsche WelleFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Vladimir Putin visits Mongolia despite international arrest warrantUS accuses China of directly supporting Russia’s ‘war machine’The Kremlin princelings cementing Putin’s ruleUkraine’s battle against Russia in maps: latest updatesSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to Gabriel Gatehouse about his new book, The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine. They discuss the US Republican party’s embrace of far-fetched conspiracy theories, and how these are being deployed in the upcoming presidential election. Clip: CNNFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Conspiracy theories are being baked into American politicsA mind-infecting virus: the dark dreams of QAnonMisinformed about misinformationAmerica’s election year battle over who polices online disinformationSubscribe 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.

Gideon talks to Takako Hikotani of the Asia Society Policy Institute about how Japanese attitudes towards security have changed in light of the war in Ukraine and China’s more aggressive stance in the South China Sea. Clips: CNAFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic: Japan says China’s airspace incursion ‘totally unacceptable’Never a zealot, Fumio Kishida showed a surprising fearlessnessChina rejects Nato accusations of supporting Russia’s war in UkraineUS and Japan announce ‘most significant’ upgrade to military allianceSubscribe 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.

Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses Ukraine’s Kursk incursion with Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former defence minister and chair of the Centre for Defence Strategies in Kyiv. What is the strategy behind the move? How could it affect the fighting elsewhere on the frontline and could it prove to be a turning point in the war?  Clips: Global News; France 24To take part in the audience survey mentioned by Benn, and to be in with the chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, click here. Click here to find T&Cs for the prize draw.Free links to read more on this topic: Ukraine wants to create ‘buffer zone’ with Kursk incursion, says Zelenskyy‘People are horrified’: Moscow turns to reluctant conscripts to defend KurskHow Ukraine pulled off its biggest gamble: invading RussiaUkraine’s battle against Russia in maps: latest updatesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Benn Hall. 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.

Michael Stott, the FT’s Latin America editor, talks to Phil Gunson, a Caracas-based senior analyst for the International Crisis Group and Michael Shifter, former president of the Inter-American Dialogue think-tank in Washington, about the crisis in Venezuela. How long can Maduro cling to power, having so obviously lost the July election. Clips: Channel 4 News, The Economic TimesTo take part in the audience survey mentioned by Michael, and to be in with the chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, click here. Click here to find T&Cs for the prize draw.Free links to read more on this topic:How Venezuela’s Maduro is clinging on to powerVenezuela ramps up fear campaign after disputed presidential voteNicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s contested presidentNicolás Maduro blocks access to X amid feud with Elon MuskSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Michael Stott. 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.