The Rachman Review

Gideon talks to Russia expert Fiona Hill about the forthcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive, the state of Russia and the similarities between the leadership styles of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Clips: Daily Telegraph, PBSMore on this topic:Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in maps — latest updatesUS rejects Kremlin claims it was behind drone attackRussian spy network smuggles sensitive EU tech despite sanctionsChina vows to retaliate against EU sanctions on its companiesIt is now battered Ukraine’s turn for an offensiveSubscribe 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.

Leaders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have decided that they need to work with the regime in Syria to solve problems ranging from the return of refugees to curbing the local drugs trade. Gideon talks to Kim Ghattas about what has motivated this change of strategy and its chance of success in helping restore stability to the region. Clip: WSJMore on this topic:Arab world weighs price for Assad’s rehabilitationIran’s president visits Syria as he seeks to bolster Tehran’s sway over allySpy chief’s daughter highlights UN’s tangled relations with Syrian regimeSyria’s state capture: the rising influence of Mrs AssadRussia’s myth-making in Syria was a template for the horrors in UkraineSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been in power for 20 years - and he has every intention of carrying on. But the Turkish leader faces a serious challenge in May’s general election. A change at the top in Turkey could also have profound implications for the wider region. But would Erdoğan accept defeat? Gideon hears from Soner Cagaptay at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about Erdoğan's psychology, his political following and how a united opposition could finally unseat him.Clips: Middle East Eye, CNNRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to the US political theorist John Ikenberry about why the Ukraine war has been both a challenge and a spur for those who want to see liberal democratic values thrive. Clip: Global NewsMore on this topic:The new Washington consensusLula vows partnership with China to ‘balance world geopolitics’‘Dare to fight’: Xi Jinping unveils China’s new world orderIt is time to cut Russia out of the global financial systemSubscribe 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.

Emmanuel Macron sparked an international backlash over remarks he made to the press about Taiwan after a visit to China. The French president is also facing growing opposition at home after he pushed through an unpopular policy to raise the retirement age. Gideon talks to Célia Belin of the European Council on Foreign Relations about Macron’s image, his diplomatic gaffes and his struggle to win support for his policies at home. Clips: Sky, Daily Telegraph.More on this topic:Macron allies defend his comments on TaiwanTea with Xi: Macron gets personal touch as China visit highlights EU differencesThe jilted ally behind Macron’s pensions crisisSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to Hlib Vyshlinsky, director of Ukraine's Centre for Economic Strategy, about keeping Ukraine's economy alive while the war goes on. Despite a shortage of cash and labour, efforts are under way to try to build a more dynamic and transparent economy when the fighting is over.Clips: CTV, SkyMore on this topic:The breaking and making of UkraineSaving Ukraine’s economy: the grain giant fighting for survivalUkraine clinches $15.6bn IMF loanSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 hold on to his position of influence with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. Clips: euronews; NBC; CNNMore on this topic:‘Like Icarus’: Russian mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin falls foul of Kremlin old guardWagner leader generated $250mn from sanctioned empireWagner Inc: a Russian warlord and his lawyersSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 its growing trade with Russia may help the regime survive, but relations with the west have plummeted and hopes for a revival of the nuclear deal look bleak.Clips: Reuters; BBCRead More on this topic:Exiled son of Iran’s last shah steps up to lead galvanised diasporaSaudi rapprochement with Iran is an exercise in buying timeIran agrees to reinstall IAEA cameras at nuclear facilitiesSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for the survival of a liberal democracy. Opponents include business, the military and the country's intellectual elite, as well as many middle-class Israelis who will not accept the proposed changes.Clips: Anadolu Agency; NBCProtests by Israeli reservists raise stakes in battle over judicial changesIlliberal democracy comes to IsraelUS defence secretary cuts short trip to Israel ahead of mass protestsSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 act is weakening MexicoThousands protest in Mexico against cuts to electoral watchdogMexico’s former security chief convicted in US of helping cartel smuggle drugsSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.