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 role as adviser to President Zelenskyy and how to pressure Russia into ending the conflict. Clip: US Department of State

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Why Rubio failed to repair the transatlantic rift

Carney’s new global order needs a huge shift in political will

Russia-Ukraine talks yield ‘some progress’ on ceasefire, says Zelenskyy

Europe’s path to security without the US

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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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 American people, and for those who formerly considered themselves staunch allies? Clip: The White House

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A post-Trump restoration is still possible

Why Maga loathes London

Trump and the normalisation of deviance

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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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 administration and Tehran? What are the prospects for reform of the increasingly unpopular Islamic regime in Iran? Clips: Channel 4 News; CBS

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US and Iran set to meet in Oman as Middle East tensions spiral

‘The game is over’: critics of Iranian regime seize on killings to push for change

Iran’s people stand to lose whether or not talks succeed

Arab and Muslim powers mount last-ditch effort to avert US-Iran conflict

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Presented by Andrew England. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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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 budgets, why philanthropy cannot replace government funding, and an ambitious new collaboration with OpenAI to improve access to healthcare in Africa. Gates also reflects on the more destabilising uses of artificial intelligence and his past association with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clips: NBC4, Bill Gates

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Bill Gates and OpenAI back $50mn AI rollout in African health clinics

Tech titans lined up for Trump’s second inauguration. Now they’re even richer

Bill Gates and Sergey Brin among newly released Epstein photos

Bill Gates warns aid cuts risk big increase in child deaths

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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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, Carney reflects on how globalisation went wrong — and on what can still be salvaged through deeper co-operation among countries and institutions that share common values. Interview and clips courtesy of the World Economic Forum

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Mark Carney warns of ‘rupture’ to global order as Donald Trump rattles allies

Donald Trump’s ‘wrecking ball’ set to touch down in Davos

Republicans begin to push back against Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland

America’s barbarians inside the gates

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Breen Turner and Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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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", arguing that discreet “back office” diplomacy, rather than public grandstanding, is the best way forward. He also touches on Ukraine, applauding the transatlantic alliance’s achievements so far but cautioning that the Greenland row is beginning to sap momentum from efforts to advance peace talks.. Clips: DWS; BBC

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Greenland is ground zero for Arctic ‘Great Game’

How the Greenland deployment of a few European troops enraged Donald Trump

Trump’s Arctic ambitions torch the most important US asset

Russia knocks out power, heating and water to Ukraine’s freezing capital

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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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 backing rival factions, civilians have largely been left to fend for themselves. Gideon speaks to Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair and Sudan expert Alex de Waal to understand how the country reached this point — and where the country and its people go from here. Clips: Sky News; Africa News

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There is already an answer to securing Sudan’s future

US rebukes backers of Sudanese paramilitary force behind ‘horrific’ atrocities

The human cost of a world without rules

How the UAE-Saudi Arabia alliance ruptured

Israel’s Horn of Africa gamble raises tension with Arab and Muslim rivals

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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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 with Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group consultancy, which has just published its top risk report for 2026.

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Venezuela and the trouble with the Donroe doctrine

Greenland’s future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns Trump

Donald Trump’s imperial Venezuela folly will leave America no richer

The gangs, goons and guerrillas running swaths of Venezuela

No, Trump is not a fascist

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.