The Rachman Review

The UK’s defence forces are slimming down and harnessing the power of AI and satellites to meet the emerging threats of the 21st century. Helen Warrell, the FT’s defence and security editor, talks to General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the UK’s Strategic Command, about the biggest transformation in Britain’s armed forces since the cold war.Clips: parliamentlive, Forces News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, talks to Dutch historian Luuk van Middelaar about Mark Rutte’s re-election as prime minister of the Netherlands and his country’s changing role within the EU. Clips: Bloomberg, Reuters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Warrell, the FT’s defence and security editor, talks to cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch about the SolarWinds and Microsoft hacks. How extensive was the damage inflicted and how should the west respond to such attacks?Clips: CBS, CNN, NBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is hosting this year’s UN climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow. Pilita Clark discusses what these summits have achieved over the past three decades and what needs to be done to make the talks a success. Her guest is Richard Kinley, a veteran of the talks who is now president of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability think-tank.Clips: Joe Biden; United Nations; Bloomberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses Italy as former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi takes on the premiership. How Draghi decides to spend up to €200bn in grants and loans from the EU recovery fund will be crucial, not just for Italy, but for the future direction of the EU. Ben’s guest is Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister, who is now dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po.Clips: UKTI; France 24; Channel 4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pilita Clark talks to Michael Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State university, and one of the world’s best-known climate scientists. They discuss the evolution of the climate change debate, from the war on science to denialism, doomism and the forces of ‘inactivism’.Clips: Nobel Prize, Euronews, Extinction Rebellion, Fox news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special retrospective episode, Gideon Rachman looks at some of his favourite podcast conversations that illuminate the state of geopolitics today, asking whether the pandemic has permanently changed the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s diplomatic skills will be tested as host of both the G7 and UN COP26 climate change summit this year. Gideon talks to Robin Niblett, director of the Chatham House think-tank and economist Linda Yueh, currently a visiting professor at the London School of Economics, about Britain’s future role on the world stage. Clips: Parliamentlive, APFurther reading; LSE Economic Diplomacy Commission Chatham House: Global Britain, Global Broker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to journalists Arkady Ostrovsky and Max Seddon in Moscow about why Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny decided to return home after he was poisoned and what his political movement can achieve if its leader is in jail. Max Seddon is the FT’s Moscow correspondent and Arkady Ostrovsky is author of The Invention of Russia, winner of the 2016 Orwell Prize, and a staff journalist for The Economist. Clips: Reuters, RFE/RL Russian Service, Al Jazeera English, “Aquadiskoteka” by Cream Soda Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic, climate change and peacekeeping are all priorities for the UN in 2021, but these challenges require multilateral solutions at a time when the world's superpowers are drifting further apart. Gideon Rachman talks to António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, about bridging security and military divides to solve pressing global problems.  Review clips: World Economic Forum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.