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The Rachman Review
Financial Times
300 episodes
Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist talks to the decision-makers and thinkers who are shaping world affairs.
More about the show
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Episodes page 1 of 6
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Are we sleepwalking into a third world war?
A third world war may seem a distant prospect to the general public, but to world leaders, it’s very real. In recent years, In recent years, presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping along with Nato secretary-general Mark…
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What’s at stake in the Saudi-Houthi conflict?
Saturday’s missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began in February. By bringing the conflict to the heart of Saudi…
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What would a Bolsonaro victory in Brazil mean for the world?
Flávio Bolsonaro took a clear lead in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, and is the favourite to assume power after a run-off against the incumbent, Lula Ignacio da Silva, later this month. Will Flávio,…
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Could AI really end humanity?
High-profile AI safety incidents, as well as warnings from industry figures about AI’s rapid progress, have stoked a new wave of fear about the future of humanity. Artificial intelligence systems are becoming more and…
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Francis Fukuyama on democracy, AI and his own intellectual journey
More than three decades after The End of History and the Last Man made Francis Fukuyama one of the world’s best-known political thinkers, he is still correcting misconceptions about what he actually meant. In a…
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David Miliband: ‘Peacemaking has gone into retreat’
The world is experiencing a record number of conflicts, just as governments retreat from international aid and diplomacy to leave a more politically fragmented international landscape in their wake. That is the view of…
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The world at war
War is raging in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, while tensions are rising between China and Taiwan. What is driving this surge in global conflict, how should we respond and where, if anywhere, are the prospects…
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Will Bessent’s ‘economic D-Day’ break Iran?
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is calling for an “economic D-Day” for the Iranian regime while threatening secondary sanctions on countries that do business with the country. Will this be more effective than…
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Making the UN great again
The UN is choosing a new secretary-general at a time when it’s struggling to remain relevant. Sidelined in the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East, and facing a severe funding crisis, the organisation is under…
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The making of the modern Middle East
Gideon Rachman speaks to historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore about his new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. They discuss the forces that shaped the region, from the Ottoman Empire and…
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Iran’s growing strategic ambitions
Gideon talks to Vali Nasr, author of Iran’s Grand Strategy and professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, about how the balance of power in the Middle East is changing. After six months of…
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The cockroach rebellion in India
What began as outrage over a senior judge's comments has become one of the most striking youth protest movements India has seen in years. Gideon talks to Professor Mukulika Banerjee of the London School of Economics…
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The weaponisation of trade
Tariffs, sanctions and chokepoints have become the weapon of choice to punish political rivals - but what happens when these fail? Gideon discusses the impact of geopolitical disputes on global trade with Edward…
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Does Nato have a future without US leadership?
Gideon talks to Julianne Smith, former US ambassador to Nato about the future of the alliance. There seems to be greater transatlantic agreement on Ukraine, but tensions remain over Europe’s stance on Donald Trump’s…
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Trump, Infantino and the political history of the World Cup
Gideon talks to Simon Kuper, FT columnist and author of World Cup Fever, about what distinguishes this World Cup from previous tournaments. What role has geopolitics played historically in the World Cup and is there…
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What would a far-right government in France look like?
Marine Le Pen has run for the French presidency several times before, but her chances of winning next year look better than ever. Gideon talks to the FT's Victor Mallet about the source of her growing popularity and…
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Lebanon peace deal: can it hold?
The war in Iran triggered a new round of conflict between the Hizbollah militia in Lebanon and the Israeli army. More than 4,000 people have been killed and about a million displaced. Lebanon and Israel signed a peace…
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Bonus episode: Rahm Emanuel on how to fix America
In this special edition of the Rachman Review, Edward Luce, the FT's Washington commentator, talks to Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff for Barack Obama, about where the Democratic party has gone wrong in…
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America's waning power
What are the repercussions of the Iran war for American power? How will the outcome be viewed by America’s allies and the leadership in Beijing? Gideon discusses these questions with Kevin Rudd, the former prime…
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Jaishankar and Nusseibeh on the challenges of a world at war
How much should we care about wars that are not in our neighbourhood? What role can countries not directly involved play in paving the way for a more peaceful world? Gideon discusses these questions with India’s…
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Britain’s post-Brexit policy options
Where should Britain stand in the great power struggle between the US and China? Does the special relationship with Washington mean anything anymore or do all roads lead back to Europe? Gideon discusses these questions…
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Mideast war: The view from Tehran
What is life like in the Iranian capital and is the regime ready to compromise to achieve a lasting peace? Gideon discusses the mood in Tehran and the changing political landscape in the country with the FT’s Tehran…
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The backlash against AI
Gideon talks to Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine, a book about the career of Demis Hassabis and his AI company, Google DeepMind. They discuss the growing backlash against AI, why people are worried,…
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Mitsotakis on Hormuz, Iran and how to escape a debt trap
Gideon talks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on Greece as a leading shipping nation. They discuss Greece’s recovery from the financial crisis of…
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Trump returns to Beijing: what’s at stake
Gideon Rachman speaks to James Crabtree, former head of the Asia programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and author of The Perimeter, about Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, his first in a decade.…
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Lloyd Austin on Ukraine, Iran and the lessons of war
Gideon talks to Lloyd Austin, who served as US defence secretary under the Biden administration, about the need to adapt to new forms of warfare, accusations that he presided over a ‘woke military’ and how he headed…
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Ukraine’s ‘existential’ battle with Russia
Gideon talks to Dmytro Kuleba, former Ukrainian foreign minister, about the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine. What would it take to break the stalemate and how has the conflict been impacted by the…
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Introducing: The Story of Money
Those who do not study history may be destined to repeat it . . . and lose money. The Story of Money is a new podcast from The Financial Times exploring the past to see where the next opportunities — and disasters —…
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Trump finds it’s easier to start a war than to end one
Gideon discusses why the Iran conflict is proving so difficult to end with Michael Singh and Dana Stroul of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. What are the options on the table for both sides and can…
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Iran war: What does Tehran want and will it get it?
Gideon discusses possible negotiated solutions to the Iran war with Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution. What do Tehran's leaders want and how long can they hold out for a winning settlement that will ease the…
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Is it possible to negotiate with Iran?
What is it like to negotiate with Iran and what are the key issues that need to be resolved if the war is to end? Has the war permanently reshaped the relationship between the US and Europe? Gideon talks to Baroness…
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Trump says the Iran war may be ending soon: mission accomplished?
Donald Trump has said the US military action against Iran may be coming to an end. If so, what would it have achieved and where does this leave the key question of safe passage for shipping through the Strait of…
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Hungary’s pivotal election
Viktor Orbán has been a thorn in the side of the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections. So could this mark the end of the Orbán era?…
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The heavy cost of the war on Iran
Gideon discusses the Iran war with defence analyst Jack Watling, author of Statecraft - The New Rules of Power in a Divided World. Why did the US fail to foresee the need to protect the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping…
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Introducing Untold: Opus Dei
Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help…
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Formidable US firepower fails to unseat Iran’s regime
Gideon speaks to Sir Simon Gass, a former UK ambassador to Iran, about why the formidable destructive power of the US and Israel has failed to dislodge the Islamic regime. They discuss how long the war can continue as…
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Iran war risks turning into a battle of endurance
Gideon discusses the US and Israeli war against Iran with Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. What are the war aims, can they be achieved and where does this leave the future of the…
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Boris Johnson: Pressure on Putin is the price of peace
Gideon discusses the state of peace talks on Ukraine with Boris Johnson at a conference organised by the Yalta European Strategy group in Kyiv. The former UK prime minister offers his view of what needs to be done to…
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Chrystia Freeland on how to negotiate with autocrats — and allies
Gideon talks to Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister of Canada, about different approaches to negotiating with the Trump administration. They also discuss the current state of the war in Ukraine, her new…
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Trump's predatory foreign policy
Gideon talks to American political scientist Stephen Walt about the phrase ‘predatory hegemon’ that he coined to describe the US administration under Donald Trump. What are the risks and benefits of this policy for the…
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Can diplomacy avert a US-Iran war?
Andrew England, the FT’s Middle East editor, speaks to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, about Iran’s escalating crisis. Can diplomacy prevent a war between the Trump…
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Bill Gates: AI, aid cuts and the fear of speaking out
Bill Gates tells Gideon that a climate of fear has taken hold in the US business community under the Trump administration: “People are afraid to speak out about being afraid to speak out.” He discusses falling aid…
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Mark Carney on a world in rupture — and what comes next
Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, received a standing ovation at the World Economic Forum in Davos after warning that the global order has entered a period of “rupture”. In a post-speech interview with Gideon,…
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Alexander Stubb on Greenland: the good, the bad or the ugly?
Gideon speaks to Finland’s president about how to resolve the stand-off between Europe and the US over Greenland. Alexander Stubb describes the dispute as the "most difficult issue he has faced since taking office",…
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Sudan: inside the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
Famine, mass killings and the collapse of basic government services have pushed Sudan into what the UN now calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. As regional powers across the Middle East fuel the conflict by…
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‘Regime roulette’ in Venezuela: Is Greenland next?
Now that the Trump administration has fully embraced the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ - a policy claiming the western hemisphere as a US sphere of influence - which country will be next in the line of fire? Gideon discusses this…
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2025: a year of chaos and confusion
Gideon and guests look back at 2025 as well as forward to the year ahead in an FT Live discussion for the Global Boardroom. Donald Trump set the tone of world politics this year from his tariff wars to his efforts to…
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Trump takes aim at South Africa
Donald Trump has accused South Africa of carrying out a genocide against its white population. He also says the nation does not deserve to be a member of the G20, which it hosted last month. FT Africa editor David…
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Europe’s rocky relations with Donald Trump
Gideon talks to Jens Stoltenberg, Nato's former secretary-general, about Ukraine and Europe's strategic priorities after recent scathing criticism from US president Donald Trump over its failure to end the war: ‘They…
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Splits in the Maga movement
Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, about the rows over racism, Epstein and Israel that have broken out in Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Clips: Tucker Carlson, Right…
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