The Rachman Review

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 MacronFree links to read more on this topic:EU retaliates after Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs take effectTrump is making Europe great againHow Europe can take up America’s mantleSweden to expand arms and space capabilities without USSubscribe 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

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 chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times. You can find his column here. Want more? Free links:Donald Trump’s tariffs loom suddenly through the fog of trade warEurope has bought Zelenskyy some timeDonald Trump warns tariffs will cause ‘a little disturbance’ in defiant speechPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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 CommissionFree links to read more on this topic:Ukraine agrees minerals deal with USUS drives Ukraine war measure through UN with Russian backingVolodymyr Zelenskyy’s toughest battle beginsNow is the time for Europe really to step up on 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 Turner.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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 service. Clip: The White HouseFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump calls Volodymyr Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ as US rift with Ukraine deepensVance’s real warning to EuropeHow Europe can defend itself without US helpEurope’s dependence on US tech is a critical weaknessDonald Trump opens the door to Vladimir Putin’s grandest ambitionsSubscribe 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.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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: CBCFree 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 AmericaTrump is giving a green light to corporate corruption abroadTrump is forcing Europe to a reckoning on UkraineTrump, Putin, Xi and the new age of empireSubscribe 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.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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 GazaDonald Trump’s Gaza plan resurrects grandiose Middle East playbookThe deceptively negotiable Donald TrumpSubscribe 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.Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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: APFree links to read more on this topic:Bangladesh hires Big Four audit firms to review ‘robbed’ banksTycoon threatens international legal action against Bangladesh over ‘destroyed’ investmentsBangladesh’s unlikely revolutionaries: an 84-year-old and some studentsBangladesh requests UK minister’s bank account details in corruption probeBangladesh central banker accuses tycoons of ‘robbing banks’ of $17bn with spy agency helpSubscribe 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

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: ReutersFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachman or Bluesky @gideonrachman.bsky.social.Gideon Rachman is the chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times. You can find his column here. More on this topic:‘Will President Trump even notice Europe?’ asks Volodymyr Zelenskyy Davos agenda turns to dealmaking as Trump takes office  Trump and the contest between two visions of democracySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Lulu Smyth, Manuela Saragosa and Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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 NewsFollow Gideon on X @gideonrachmanFree links to read more on this topic:Canada warns of ‘tit-for-tat’ tariffs on US if Trump imposes leviesPierre Poilievre moves closer to realising his populist vision for CanadaPraised abroad, troubled at home: Canada’s political ‘prince’ bows outMark Carney considers run to replace Canada’s PM Justin TrudeauSubscribe 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