# Protests in France, Musk's grip on Ukraine & rebuilding trust in America

An episode of [Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1807787260), 22 Oct 2026, 24 min.

Audio: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e4f6e039-9405-41b4-9fd7-3a2f225d8aa9.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=fbbc0fd6-7f5d-4503-91ab-00eef2763889&aw_0_1st.episodeid=e4f6e039-9405-41b4-9fd7-3a2f225d8aa9

Are protests in France spiralling out of control, or do they point to a deeper breakdown in trust between the public and its political leaders? Christiane and Tina examine what lies behind the unrest and what it reveals about France's political climate. They also look at America's relationships with its allies. Can the US rebuild their trust, or will repairing the damage require more than a change of president? And how dependent is Ukraine on Elon Musk's Starlink network to coordinate military operations and maintain its advantage against Russia? Plus, Sally Rooney says she can no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action. Does this raise serious questions about freedom of expression? Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Follow us on social media @amanpourpod For more content, please follow us: Watch us: https://www.youtube.com/@AmanpourPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanpourpod X: https://x.com/AmanpourPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Christiane-Amanpour-Presents BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/amanpourpod.bsky.social

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