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 Tribune Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman Free...
Apr 17, 2025•24 min
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 , @gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: It falls to Congress to unravel Trump’s reckless tariffs Trump’s ‘reshoring’ ambitions threatened by t...
Apr 10, 2025•28 min
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: CNBC Free links to read more on this topic: China launches large-scale military exercises around Taiwan China’s Xi Jinping tells top global CEOs to use their influence to defend trade China is suffering its own ‘China shock’ BASF’s Joerg Wuttke: ‘T...
Apr 03, 2025•29 min
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. ...
Mar 27, 2025•29 min
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 Pardo Free links to read more on this topic: How Trump could destroy his own political movement Half of Mexico’s exports to US risk steep tariffs Mexico’s Claudia Shei...
Mar 20, 2025•28 min
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 Macron Free links to read more on this topic: EU retaliates after Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs take effect Trump is making Europe great again How Europ...
Mar 13, 2025•28 min
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 chi...
Mar 06, 2025•22 min
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 Commission Free links to read more on this topic: Ukraine agrees minerals deal with US US drives Ukraine war measure through UN with Russian backing Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s toughest battle begins Now is the time for Europe really ...
Feb 27, 2025•22 min
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 s...
Feb 20, 2025•34 min
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: CBC Free 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 America Trump is giving a green light to corporate corruption abroad Trump is forcing Europe to a reckoning o...
Feb 13, 2025•22 min
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 Gaza Donald Trump’s Gaza plan resurrects grandiose Middle East playbook The deceptively negotiable Donald Trump Subscrib...
Feb 06, 2025•27 min
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: AP Free links to read more on this topic: Bangladesh hires Big Four audit firms to review ‘robbed’ banks Tycoon threatens international legal action against Bangladesh over ‘destroyed’ investments Bangladesh’s unli...
Jan 30, 2025•20 min
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: Reuters Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman or Bluesky @gideonrachman.bsky.social . Gideon Rachman is the ...
Jan 23, 2025•25 min
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 News Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: Canada warns of ‘tit-for-tat’ tarif...
Jan 16, 2025•27 min
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 Post Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: South Korea crisis mounts as clock ticks on arrest warrant for president The resilience of South Korea’s democracy...
Jan 09, 2025•30 min
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 News Free links to read more on this topic: FT Person of the Year: Donald Trump Putin says Trump’...
Dec 26, 2024•28 min
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: AFP Free links to read more on this topic: Netanyahu and Erdoğan compete to be the Middle East’s strongman Assad dispatched $250mn of Syria’s cash to Moscow Now Syria can dream of a future a...
Dec 19, 2024•22 min
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 Nation Free links to read more on this topic: Foreign Affairs article: Trump Must Not Betray “America First” The tragedy of Iraq, 20 years on Nato chief warns Donald Trump of ‘dire threa...
Dec 12, 2024•29 min
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 News Free links to read more on this topic: Rebel advances in Syria spell danger for Russia’s Middle Eastern ambitions Inside Aleppo: the Syrian city captured by rebels ...
Dec 05, 2024•24 min
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 support Bill Burns and Richard Moore: Intellige...
Nov 28, 2024•26 min
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 TV Free links to read more on this topic: Who’s who in the Musk ‘A-team’ vying to shape Trump 2.0 Elon Musk is an unguided geopolitical missile Valuations at Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI set to ...
Nov 21, 2024•24 min
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 Australia Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: US-China relations will depend on which Trump shows up US Space Force warns of ‘...
Nov 14, 2024•25 min
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 News Free links to read more on this topic: How Trump won in maps and charts Trump’s new world order Elon Musk’s gamble on Donald Trump pays off 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 Samantha Giovinco. Read a transcript...
Nov 07, 2024•33 min
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: Politico Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: How Trump learnt to love big business Trump is the man who would be king America isn’t too worried about fascism Kamala Harris warns of ‘more chaos’ under Donald Trump and vows ‘differ...
Oct 31, 2024•28 min
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 Nations Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free 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 war US warns Israel humanitarian crisis in Gaza could threaten military aid Israel...
Oct 24, 2024•24 min
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 News Follow Gideon on X @ g...
Oct 17, 2024•26 min
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 Welt Follow ...
Oct 10, 2024•23 min
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; BBC Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: Middle East at war: 12 key moments Oil prices climb as Iran missile attack prompts supply fears Israel steps up offensive against Hizbollah as region braces for retaliation How Israeli spies pen...
Oct 03, 2024•24 min
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 Guardian Follow Gideon on X @ gideonrachman Free links to read more on this topic: Israel tells troops to prepare for possible ground offensive in Lebanon Military briefing: Israeli intelligence and air force use ‘victory doctrine’ against Hizbollah&nbs...
Sep 26, 2024•20 min
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 Guardian Free links: World must exit ‘highway to climate hell’, UN boss warns, as records are again broken China and US push each other on priorities for UN COP2...
Sep 19, 2024•21 min
