Russia, If You're Listening
147 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsRussia and Ukraine are at war. It’s a fight Vladimir Putin thought he couldn’t lose.
But when the Russian President ordered his soldiers to invade, he could not have anticipated that the charismatic Ukrainian leader Volodimir Zelensky would step to the challenge.
Nor could he have foreseen the full-throated support for Ukraine from the West, or the tenacity of the Ukrainian people.
Now, Europe faces a cold hard winter, the war is dragging on, and stories are emerging about wartime atrocities, unseen since the Second World War.
Will Putin - the man who never gives up - crush Ukraine, or has he met his match?
In the sunset years of his leadership, has Putin made the biggest mistake of his life?
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Episodes
RUSSIA | S07 E5 - Has Putin finally pushed the Russian people too far?
December 06, 2022 14:01 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBProtest is not allowed inside Russia. There was little resistance from the Russian people to the invasion of Ukraine, and those who didn’t like it simply left. But Vladimir Putin has made a decree that has caused discord across Russia. Has he finally pushed his people too far? Guests: Zoya Sheftalovich - Contributing editor for POLITICO Dr Christina Ezrahi - Historian; author of Swans of the Kremlin and Dancing for Stalin Denis Volkov - Director - Levada Centre, Moscow Dr Yevgenia Albats ...
RUSSIA | S07 E4 - Undersea sabotage? The mysterious pipe blasts
November 29, 2022 14:01 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBOn 26 September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed a cluster of natural gas pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The pipes were designed to deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany, and the explosions exacerbated the already dire energy crisis in Europe. Everyone agrees it was sabotage, but nobody can agree on who did it. Today: the mystery of the Baltic Sea bubbles, and the story of how Germany’s plan for peace-through-capitalism blew up in their face. Featuring: Dr J...
RUSSIA | S07 E3 - Why it’s hard to fight when you don’t know why
November 22, 2022 14:01 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBWhat does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, asked to lay down your life for your country? In this episode: two soldiers. A Ukrainian in his 50s and a Russian in his 20s. One of them is still on the battlefield. The other fought for a week, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence. These two stories explain a lot about how Russia messed this up, and how Ukraine was far stronger than anyo...
RUSSIA S07 E2 | Zelensky's big call: run away or stay to fight
November 15, 2022 14:01 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBVladimir Putin's plan for a three day takeover of Ukraine relied on a quick strike to take out Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to kill him, to capture him, or to make him flee. Putin assumed that Zelenskyy was weak, but on the very first day of the invasion, two events showed that Putin was wrong, and led to the transformation of a man into a symbol of defiance against Russian tyranny. Guests: Simon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Zoya She...
RUSSIA | S07 E1 - How war weakened strongman Putin
November 08, 2022 14:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBFor 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the world into doing what he wanted them to do. But this year he chucked that out the window. His invasion of Ukraine has turned global security and the global economy upside down. In this episode we ask, why did he do it? Guests: Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor ...
Welcome back to RUSSIA, If You're Listening!
November 02, 2022 14:01 - 2 minutes - 2.49 MBIn the seventh season of If You're Listening, we tell the story of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin fulfil his dream of expanding the Russian empire, or has he made the biggest mistake of his life? Episode 1 drops Wednesday November 9!
Introducing… WHO’S GONNA SAVE US?
September 07, 2022 15:00 - 9.52 MBWe'd like to introduce a new ABC podcast, WHO'S GONNA SAVE US? from the teams at ABC RN Science and triple j HACK. LISTEN HERE: https://ab.co/WhosGonnaSaveUs The If You’re Listening team are working hard on a bunch of new stories that they can’t wait to bring to you. But in the meantime, here’s a new podcast from the ABC RN science unit and the team at triple j Hack... WHO’S GONNA SAVE US? is a climate change podcast that’s not strictly about climate change. We know climate change is r...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E8 - The 49-year-old energy prophecy that is finally coming true
April 12, 2022 18:01 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBAustralia is now in a race to build enough renewable energy to replace our coal fired power stations before they close. We’re in this situation because of a series of ignored warnings and missed opportunities over the last five decades. Now, experts are telling us that the transition to a decarbonised economy presents a big opportunity for Australia. The question is - can we grasp it? Guests: Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Australian Chief Scientist A...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E7 - The countdown on coal fired power
April 05, 2022 18:01 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBOver the last five years, politicians in Australia and around the world have regularly tried to blame renewable energy whenever something goes wrong with our electricity supply. But lately whenever something catastrophic has happened to our energy supply, it’s been old technology at fault. This is the story of a series of disasters that show how the system we’ve always relied on to deliver electricity is faltering. Guests: Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former ...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E6 - Can we keep digging for energy?
March 29, 2022 17:01 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBAustralia has always found energy underground - digging up coal, gas and uranium. As climate change begins to change the way we get our power, our leaders regularly argue that we can keep on digging for power while also saving the planet. But do nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, and gas fired power have a role to play in the future?
AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs
March 22, 2022 17:01 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBFor more than a decade, Australian politicians have discovered - the hard way - that climate policy is a dangerous game. But as the Federal Parliament tore itself apart, the rest of the world moved on, finding new ways to understand the effects of climate change, and deal with it. This is the story of how Australia fell behind the rest of the world, and why we might finally be ready to catch up. Guests:
AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs
March 22, 2022 17:01 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBFor more than a decade, Australian politicians have discovered - the hard way - that climate policy is a dangerous game. But as the Federal Parliament tore itself apart, the rest of the world moved on, finding new ways to understand the effects of climate change, and deal with it. This is the story of how Australia fell behind the rest of the world, and why we might finally be ready to catch up. Guests:
AUSTRALIA | S06 E4 - The decade when climate change became a culture war
March 15, 2022 17:01 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBIn 1997, the debate over climate change in Australia was relatively civil. The question was not whether climate change was happening, but what should be done about it? In the following decade, Australia’s mining industry polluted the debate with misinformation. This is the story of how Australia's understanding of this vital issue went backwards.
AUSTRALIA | S06 E3 - How long will the world want our coal?
March 08, 2022 17:01 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBAustralia intends to keep exporting coal for as long as there are countries willing to buy it. Miners have grand dreams of establishing new coal regions in Queensland to supply coal to the power stations and steel mills of India. But how much longer will India, and our other big coal customers, keep needing it? Guests: Neelima Jain, Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Mika Ohbayashi, ...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E3 - How long will the world want our coal?
March 08, 2022 17:01 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBAustralia intends to keep exporting coal for as long as there are countries willing to buy it. Miners have grand dreams of establishing new coal regions in Queensland to supply coal to the power stations and steel mills of India. But how much longer will India, and our other big coal customers, keep needing it? Guests: Neelima Jain, Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Mika Ohbayashi, Director of the Renewable Energy Institute...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E2 - How we became addicted to coal
March 01, 2022 17:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBAustralia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal. Since then, Australia has come to rely on coal for its prosperity. Our industries grew around the cheap energy it provided, and our global trade balance relies on its export. But now, that has to end. The question is - what will happen to Australia, and its coal communities - when it does? Guests: Professor John Maynard, Emeritus Professor, Indigenous Education and Research, University of Newcastle Dr J...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E2 - How we became addicted to coal
March 01, 2022 17:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBAustralia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal. Since then, Australia has come to rely on coal for its prosperity. Our industries grew around the cheap energy it provided, and our global trade balance relies on its export. But now, that has to end. The question is - what will happen to Australia, and its coal communities - when it does? Guests: Professor John Maynard, Emeritus Professor, Indigenous Education a...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E1 - The legacy of our first decisions on climate change
February 22, 2022 17:00 - 35 minutes - 31.7 MBIn 1987, scientists gathered in Melbourne for a landmark conference where they discussed, for the first time, the effects climate change might have on Australia. In the decade after that, two decisions were made by federal governments - one Liberal, and one Labor - which have shaped the climate debate in this country ever since. Australia, If You’re Listening will look at why Australia’s found it so hard to tackle climate change since then, and what that means for the future. Guests: Dr G...
Introducing: Australia, If You're Listening
February 16, 2022 17:01 - 2.94 MBThe sixth season of If You’re Listening tells the story of Australia’s turbulent history with climate change, and what that means for the future. As we approach a federal election where climate and energy is a key battleground, this 8 episode series will examine how Australia wasted decades fighting change, instead of capitalising on it. Episode 1 launches on February 23.
Introducing: Red Line
July 08, 2021 18:01 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBIf you are after more fascinating stories about China, the team Radio New Zealand have produced a new podcast series called Red Line. It covers Chinese influence in New Zealand, and begins with the death of two dissidents on the road between Auckland and Wellington. All four episodes are available now on podcast apps, just search for Red Line if you’d like to hear more. Here's episode one.
CHINA | S05 06 - Are the 'drums of war' beating over Taiwan?
July 05, 2021 18:01 - 32 minutes - 30 MBFor months commentators and politicians in Australia have been talking about one of the most frightening topics imaginable — a war between the United States and China over the island of Taiwan. It's the last frozen remnant of a hundred year old Civil War — two governments both claiming to be the legitimate rulers of China, separated by 100 miles of ocean. In this episode, we explain the bizarre story which led to the current tension, and look at what might happen next. Guests: Katherine W...
CHINA | S05 05 - Chinese students: Commodity or opportunity?
June 28, 2021 18:01 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBWhen the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of travel from China, it shone a harsh light on the way Australia treats Chinese students who come here to study. Some feel isolated and discriminated against, others feel they are being treated as "cash cows" by a university sector desperate for their fees. Can we do better? And can we handle it when problems arise inside the bubble we have created around Chinese students? Guests: Dr Fran Martin, associate Professor & Reader in Cultural Stud...
CHINA | S05 04 - Huawei and the new technology cold war
June 21, 2021 18:01 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBFrom humble beginnings in a tiny town whose name means "deep drainage ditch", electrical engineer Ren Zhengfei grew his company Huawei into a global technology giant, delivering competitive telecommunications equipment at low prices. But when Australia accused Huawei of being a security risk, a snowball began to roll which led to arrests, hostages being taken, and pure white hot fury in Beijing. This is the story of how a decision made in the midst of a Prime Ministerial spill may lead to a...
CHINA | S05 03 - The iron chain between Australia and China
June 14, 2021 18:01 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBWhen China rolled out their trade sanctions regime against Australia to try and punish us for a litany of perceived insults, the trade of one commodity was conspicuously left untouched. China's desperate need to stimulate economic growth through construction has left them with an insatiable appetite for Australian iron ore. In this episode, we look at the incredible things they've built using our most valuable resource, and what might happen if they decide to stop buying it. Guests: Dinny...
CHINA | S05 Bonus episode - The story behind Bob Hawke’s mysterious Tiananmen Cable
June 10, 2021 18:01 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIn 1989, five days after tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and brutally ended weeks of protests, the then prime minister Bob Hawke gave a horrifying description of what Australia thought happened. But where did the account come from? And what did it get wrong? Over the past three months China, If You're Listening investigated the source of this description and found it was a previously undisclosed diplomatic cable from the Australian Embassy in Beijing, which subsequently had ke...
CHINA | S05 02 - How Tiananmen is being repeated in Xinjiang
June 07, 2021 18:01 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBFor decades Australia has taken the approach that when it comes to China; we can criticise their human rights record without risking our trading relationship. We told China we disapproved of their crackdown on students at Tiananmen Square in 1989, but continued to sell them iron ore. Xi Jinping has made it clear that the arrangement has now changed, as he simultaneously takes the lessons Beijing learned at Tiananmen, and applies them to a crackdown on Muslims in his country's far west. Gue...
CHINA | S05 01 - Xi Jinping: The 'Man of Destiny'
May 31, 2021 18:01 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBAt first glance, Chinese President Xi Jinping's life story seems simple. His father was a high-ranking Chinese government official, and opened doors for his son, who rose even higher. But his rise to become the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong seems far more unlikely when you find out what Mao's policies did to Xi's family during his childhood. In this episode we tell the story of Xi's — from its terrifying beginning to mysterious end — and ask if he is the catalyst fo...
INTRODUCING - China, If You’re Listening
May 24, 2021 18:00 - 2 minutes - 1.94 MBA podcast about how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse. Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping was regularly having warm, friendly chats with Australia's Prime Ministers. Now, he won't even take our phone calls, trade is being blocked, and Australian politicians are talking about preparations for war. Episode 1 coming on the 1st of June.
Introducing: China, If You’re Listening
May 24, 2021 18:00 - 2 minutes - 1.94 MBA podcast about how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse. Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping was regularly having warm, friendly chats with Australia's Prime Ministers. Now, he won't even take our phone calls, trade is being blocked, and Australian politicians are talking about preparations for war. Episode 1 coming on the 1st of June.
AMERICA | S04 09 - How Coronavirus destroyed Trump's MAGA promise
November 01, 2020 17:01 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBWhen the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake, President Donald Trump's new way of running the country suddenly left America exposed.
S04 #9 - How Coronavirus destroyed Trump's MAGA promise
November 01, 2020 17:01 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBWhen the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake, President Donald Trump's new way of running the country suddenly left America exposed.
S04 #8 - How China fooled Donald Trump
October 25, 2020 17:02 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBFor a decade Donald Trump railed against China. But once he was elected, Chinese President Xi Jinping quickly broke down Trump's defences. In today's episode, how President Xi turned Trump's disdain for China into a beautiful friendship. And created the perfect distraction from what China was really doing.
AMERICA | S04 08 - How China fooled Donald Trump
October 25, 2020 17:02 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBFor a decade Donald Trump railed against China. But once he was elected, Chinese President Xi Jinping quickly broke down Trump's defences. In today's episode, how President Xi turned Trump's disdain for China into a beautiful friendship. And created the perfect distraction from what China was really doing.
AMERICA | S04 07 - How Donald Trump turned the Presidency into a business
October 18, 2020 17:02 - 22 minutes - 21 MBJust this month, the public finally got access to Donald Trump's tax returns. They revealed that he pays little to no tax, because he makes very little money. So what does a businessman do when he needs to revamp his image and make a little cash? Become the most famous person in the world. How Donald Trump tried to make money off the Presidency.
S04 #7 - How Donald Trump turned the Presidency into a business
October 18, 2020 17:02 - 22 minutes - 21 MBJust this month, the public finally got access to Donald Trump's tax returns. They revealed that he pays little to no tax, because he makes very little money. So what does a businessman do when he needs to revamp his image and make a little cash? Become the most famous person in the world. How Donald Trump tried to make money off the Presidency.
AMERICA | S04 06 - Trump's desperate measure to halt immigration
October 11, 2020 17:01 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBDonald Trump ran for election on some promises - building a wall between the US and Mexico, and stopping the immigration of Muslims. But instead of living up to his promise to stem the tide of immigrants, he resorted to truly shocking measures. How did Donald Trump push America's immigration system to the limits of what is legal, and what is morally justifiable?
S04 #6 - Trump's desperate measure to halt immigration
October 11, 2020 17:01 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBDonald Trump ran for election on some promises - building a wall between the US and Mexico, and stopping the immigration of Muslims. But instead of living up to his promise to stem the tide of immigrants, he resorted to truly shocking measures. How did Donald Trump push America's immigration system to the limits of what is legal, and what is morally justifiable?
S04 #5 - How Trump widened racial divides for political gain
October 04, 2020 17:02 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBWhen George Floyd was killed by police, protestors took to the streets in worldwide support of the Black Lives Matter protests. Donald Trump has a long history with speaking out on issues to do with race. So how far did his law and order response go toward soothing America's centuries old racial divide. When Donald Trump was elected, he promised to Make America Proud Again but did he just end up making it worse?
AMERICA | S04 05 - How Trump widened racial divides for political gain
October 04, 2020 17:02 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBWhen George Floyd was killed by police, protestors took to the streets in worldwide support of the Black Lives Matter protests. Donald Trump has a long history with speaking out on issues to do with race. So how far did his law and order response go toward soothing America's centuries old racial divide. When Donald Trump was elected, he promised to Make America Proud Again but did he just end up making it worse?
S04 #4 - How Saudi Arabia found an ally in the White House
September 27, 2020 18:01 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBAs a businessman and presidential candidate, Donald Trump was extremely harsh on Saudi Arabia. So when Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside a Saudi consulate, why did Donald Trump come to the Kingdom's defence?
AMERICA | S04 04 - How Saudi Arabia found an ally in the White House
September 27, 2020 18:01 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBAs a businessman and presidential candidate, Donald Trump was extremely harsh on Saudi Arabia. So when Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside a Saudi consulate, why did Donald Trump come to the Kingdom's defence?
AMERICA | S04 03 - How close did Trump get to nuclear war?
September 20, 2020 15:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBWithin months of taking office, Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury". Soon afterwards, he would tear up a nuclear deal with Iran and bring the US to the brink of war. And yet that war never came. This is the story of how Donald Trump resisted temptation and kept the peace.
S04 #3 - How close did Trump get to nuclear war?
September 20, 2020 15:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBWithin months of taking office, Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury". Soon afterwards, he would tear up a nuclear deal with Iran and bring the US to the brink of war. And yet that war never came. This is the story of how Donald Trump resisted temptation and kept the peace.
AMERICA | S04 02 - The surprising story of how Donald Trump took on the NRA
September 13, 2020 15:01 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe most powerful gun lobby group in the United States was brought to the edge of collapse. And right at that moment, Donald Trump vowed to do something about mass shootings. Could Donald Trump finally defeat the NRA, or when the moment came, did he flinch?
S04 #2 - The surprising story of how Donald Trump took on the NRA
September 13, 2020 15:01 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe most powerful gun lobby group in the United States was brought to the edge of collapse. And right at that moment, Donald Trump vowed to do something about mass shootings. Could Donald Trump finally defeat the NRA, or when the moment came, did he flinch?
S04 #1 - What a hurricane taught Trump about being president
September 06, 2020 15:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBHurricane Maria smashed through Puerto Rico in 2017, destroying everything in its wake. What did the worst American natural disaster in decades teach Donald Trump about how to be president? When Trump was inaugurated, he promised to Make America Safe Again... when the hurricane hit, did he live up to his promise? This is America, If You’re Listening. A podcast about how President Donald Trump has left his mark on the United States, and the world. ...
AMERICA | S04 01 - What a hurricane taught Trump about being president
September 06, 2020 15:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBHurricane Maria smashed through Puerto Rico in 2017, destroying everything in its wake. What did the worst American natural disaster in decades teach Donald Trump about how to be president? When Trump was inaugurated, he promised to Make America Safe Again... when the hurricane hit, did he live up to his promise? This is America, If You’re Listening. A podcast about how President Donald Trump has left his mark on the United States, and the world.
AMERICA | S04 - Welcome to America, If You're Listening
September 03, 2020 03:30 - 2 minutes - 2.09 MBThe 2020 US Presidential election is shaping up to be a historical moment. Voters are deciding if the America of the last four years is the one they want to live in in the future. President Trump's has presided over the most turbulent four years in living memory. He's dealt with crises, changed policies, and fought for his political survival. America, If You're Listening will look back at these astonishing four years, and shed new light on the incredible chaos of Donald Trump's first term...
Welcome to Season 4: America, If You’re Listening
September 03, 2020 03:30 - 2 minutes - 2.09 MBThe 2020 US Presidential election is shaping up to be a historical moment. Voters are deciding if the America of the last four years is the one they want to live in in the future. President Trump's has presided over the most turbulent four years in living memory. He's dealt with crises, changed policies, and fought for his political survival. America, If You're Listening will look back at these astonishing four years, and shed new light on the inc...
Introducing The Eleventh - a new ABC podcast about Whitlam's dismissal
February 24, 2020 17:00 - 5 minutes - 4.6 MBHow much do you really know about the sacking of Gough Whitlam on November 11, 1975? You've probably heard his famous "well may we say" speech made on the day he was dismissed. But do you properly understand the extraordinary events leading up to the most dramatic day in Australian political history? How did it happen? Award-winning ABC journalist Alex Mann went looking for those missing pieces from the people who were there and discovered somethin...