World Review from the New Statesman
312 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago -World Review is the global affairs podcast from the New Statesman, hosted by Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin and Emily Tamkin in Washington D.C.
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Episodes
European diplomacy in the 21st century, with Catherine Ashton
January 09, 2023 06:00 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBAhead of the publication of her new book, And Then What?, the first-ever EU high representative for foreign affairs and security, Catherine Ashton, talks to Jeremy Cliffe about the role the EU can play in international crisis, drawing on her experience in overseeing the union’s relations with Ukraine, Iran and the western Balkans. She also discusses the future of its ties to Britain and the US. Read more: The Ukraine war has made predictions futile Iran’s regime won’t be easily toppled ...
Inside China’s Covid crisis
January 05, 2023 10:26 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBCoronavirus cases have been rising rapidly in China since its government ended its restrictive “zero-Covid” policy last month. Hospitals are expected to be inundated with newly-infected patients. Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss why the country was so ill-prepared to lift its lockdowns and restrictions, where the responsibility lies, and the economic imperatives behind this decision, made in the depths of winter and before the Lunar New ...
Why the world misunderstands Ukraine, with Olesya Khromeychuk
January 02, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutes - 29 MBNearly a year since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the historian Olesya Khromeychuk speaks to Megan Gibson about how Ukraine has been perceived by the outside world, and why the country’s courageous resistance should not have come as a surprise. They discuss the history of civil society movements in Ukraine, why Volodymyr Zelensky is a successful leader, and what support Ukraine needs now. Read more: Why the West underestimated Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Predictions for the world in 2023
December 29, 2022 06:00 - 39 minutes - 53.7 MBIn her final episode on the World Review podcast, Emily Tamkin in Washington DC is joined by Jeremy Cliffe and Ido Vock in Berlin to look ahead to the stories that might dominate 2023 – from chaos in the US Republican Party to Russia's war in Ukraine, to a potential moral panic over the role of artifical intelligence – and the global impact they could have. Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman....
Looking back at 2022
December 22, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MBThe New Statesman international team examine some of the most significant moments of 2022, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to elections, including Viktor Orbán’s victory in Hungary, Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat in Brazil and the US midterms. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, and Jeremy Cliffe and Ido Vock in Berlin review their predictions for the past year – with Katie Stallard and Megan Gibson dialling in – and look at what they got wrong and right. If you have a question for You Ask Us, go...
How the CIA tried to overthrow Mao Zedong - with John Delury
December 19, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBAs the contemporary rivalry between the US and China heats up, Katie Stallard speaks to the Cold War historian John Delury about the history of subversion and mutual suspicion between the two powers. They discuss Delury’s new book Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T Downey and the CIA’s Covert War in China, the extent of US intelligence operations in China during the early Cold War, and the lessons for the future of US-China relations. If you have a question for You Ask Us go to newsta...
Allegations of corruption, from Qatar to FTX
December 15, 2022 12:07 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBBelgian prosecutors who were investigating allegations that Qatar tried to influence EU policy by bribing European parliament officials, have charged four people with money laundering, corruption and participating in a criminal organisation. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by the New Statesman's business editor Will Dunn to discuss the investigation which comes as the Gulf country hosts the World Cup, and how "sportswashing" benefits Qatar and the West. ...
BONUS: Could the West do more to prevent humanitarian disasters? With David Miliband
December 14, 2022 16:35 - 20 minutes - 27.6 MBAs the International Rescue Committee releases its annual report of the countries most at risk from humanitarian crises next year, the NGO’s president, David Miliband, discusses the ways in which the international community is failing on international aid. Miliband, the former foreign secretary, discusses the British government’s lack of a coherent foreign policy; why the world misses having the UK take its place on the world stage; the impact the invasion of Ukraine is having on other c...
The future of media freedom in India, with Raksha Kumar
December 12, 2022 06:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBAs NDTV is taken over by Gautam Adani, billionaire and ally of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Emily Tamkin speaks to Raksha Kumar, a journalist who covers media freedom in India. They discuss the importance of NDTV and how it came to be under Adani's control. They also examine the role of television journalism in Indian politics, the vestiges of independent media in India, and why economic viability and journalistic integrity two are parts of the same conversation. They also consider h...
TV Rain: the turbulent history of Russia’s last independent media channel
December 08, 2022 09:19 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MBLatvia has cancelled the licence of Russia's last independent media channel TV Rain only five months after it began broadcasting in exile, accusing the channel of showing support for Russia's war in Ukraine. In response, TV Rain, or Dozhd, has called the decision "unfair and absurd". Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC are joined by Ido Vock in Berlin to discuss TV Rain’s turbulent history and why Latvia has branded it a threat to national security, the importance of indepen...
How Chinese protesters get around censorship, with Jeffrey Wasserstrom
December 05, 2022 06:00 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBFollowing the extraordinary wave of protests across China against the government's pandemic controls, Katie Stallard speaks to Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a historian of modern China at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of multiple books including Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink. They discuss the tactics protesters have drawn from past demonstrations in Hong Kong and mainland China, the limits of the country’s censorship apparatus, and the significance of the blank sheets of paper ...
Where do China’s lockdown protests go from here?
December 01, 2022 12:16 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBAn extraordinary wave of protests has swept across cities and university campuses in China demanding an end to draconian zero-Covid measures that have been in place for almost three years. In one of the most significant outbursts of public discontent since the Tiananmen Square demonstrations more than 30 years ago, over the weekend protesters could be heard shouting “Xi Jinping, step down” and censorship has been stretched to the limit. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC ar...
Why Elon Musk’s Twitter could clash with the EU – with Margrethe Vestager
November 28, 2022 06:00 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBAfter Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, could the social media platform find itself in conflict with the European Union over employment and privacy rules? Margrethe Vestager, an executive vice-president of the European Commission and commissioner for competition, speaks to the New Statesman’s Europe correspondent, Ido Vock, about Twitter. They also discuss concerns over a recent EU court ruling – that Luxembourg did not break state-aid rules in its support for the car manufacturer Fiat. read...
What’s the cost of Qatar’s World Cup?
November 24, 2022 11:36 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBThe Qatar World Cup, which began on Sunday 20 November, has been marred in controversy, from the country’s oppression of LGBT+ people and women to a last-minute decision to ban sales of beer inside stadiums. Thousands of migrant workers are believed to have died during construction of the stadiums, and others employed as security guards appear to be paid as little as 35p an hour. Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, who is paid about £2.6m this year, defended the tournament in a rant in ...
What Israel’s new right-wing government could mean, with Amir Tibon
November 21, 2022 06:00 - 21 minutes - 30 MBIn Israel’s recent general election Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition won a majority of seats in the Knesset, and coalition negotiations could result in figures from the far right taking a number of key ministries. Haaretz reporter Amir Tibon joins Emily Tamkin to talk about what this might mean for Israel’s domestic policy, and its relationship with the US and the rest of the world. Read more: The biggest winner in Israel’s election? The far right Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Russia in retreat
November 17, 2022 09:44 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBOn Tuesday a missile hit a Polish town near the Ukrainian border, killing two people. It was initially suspected to have been fired by Russia, causing speculation about whether Poland, a Nato member, would invoke the alliance’s collective defence agreement. Poland and Nato now believe, however, that the cause was Ukrainian defences firing in an attempt to intercept a Russian bombardment. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in London, discuss what we know about ...
The unlikely success of a Ukrainian football team, with Adam Crafton
November 14, 2022 06:00 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBThe football team Shakhtar Donetsk, exiled from their home ground in eastern Ukraine for eight years, found themselves unable even to play in their home country when Russia began its full invasion in February. A new podcast, Away From Home, tells the story of how the team managed to beat expectations throughout the group stages of the Champions’ League. Presenter Adam Crafton speaks to Ido Vock about following the team to its temporary European home in Lviv, Poland, how its young players wer...
US midterms: what red wave?
November 09, 2022 17:46 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBDespite predictions of a blowout victory for Republicans, Democrats exceeded expectations in the US midterm elections. At time of recording, we still don't know who won the Senate or the House – but the very fact that the House wasn't decided on the night suggests this wasn't a victory for Republicans, running as the party out of power and with high inflation in the US. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC are joined by Ido Vock in Berlin for a discussion of what helped the D...
The US: whose country, ’tis of thee? | Nationalism Reimagined
November 08, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 39 MBPoliticians around the world use nationalism. They use it to win elections, and to stoke fear, and to gain and hold on to power. This kind of nationalism is exclusive, often based on ethnicity, race or religion. But is there another way? This series will look at nationalism in its different forms around the world, and alternative approaches to creating a sense of nationhood. Can these divisive politics be countered by building a civic, liberal nationalism? In this fourth and final e...
How Putin fights wars, with Mark Galeotti
November 07, 2022 06:00 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MBAhead of the publication of his new book, Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, the political scientist Mark Galeotti speaks to Ido Vock about how Vladimir Putin views his right to wage war, Russia's military tactics, and why Ukraine is proving a much tougher battle for the regime. Read more: Rachel Clarke on a night in a Kyiv bunker, palliative care in a war zone, and another chance for Jeremy Hunt Lawrence Freedman on why Putin is counting on “dirty bombs” and dipping tempera...
Lula and Netanyahu: the comeback kings
November 03, 2022 17:41 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBThe left is back in power in Brazil with the election of Lula de Silva — and decidedly out of power in Israel. Emily Tamkin in Washington is joined by Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin and Alona Ferber in London. First, they talk about how Lula returned to office and how Jair Bolsonaro, the defeated right-wing incumbent president, and his supporters are responding. Then, they turn to Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, is poised for a comeback of his own with the help ...
What is so dangerous about nationalism in India? | Nationalism Reimagined
November 01, 2022 13:01 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MBPoliticians around the world use nationalism. They use it to win elections, to stoke fear, and to hold on to power. Nationalism is exclusive, based on ethnicity or race or religion. This series looks at nationalisms around the world, and whether there is another way. Can this politics be countered by building a civic, liberal nationalism? In the third episode, Emily Tamkin examines nationalism in India. First, Ravinder Kaur, associate professor of modern South Asian studies at the Universi...
Will China backtrack on zero Covid? With Yanzhong Huang
October 31, 2022 06:00 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MBXi Jinping has reiterated his support for the country’s restrictive “zero Covid” policy, but what social, political and economic impacts have the measures had on China? And will the country stick with the policy? Megan Gibson speaks to author and academic Yanzhong Huang, about the motivation behind the strategy, the implications it has for the country’s future, and whether there are other ways forward for China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Borne ultimatum, chaos in Congress
October 27, 2022 15:53 - 20 minutes - 28 MBThe French right and left united against Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister, in a vote of confidence. Her government survived, but barely. What does it mean for Emmanuel Macron, the president? Emily Tamkin in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss the paradox of a strong presidency and weak president and what might come next in French politics. Then they turn to the United States, where progressive Democrats sent, and then retracted, a letter urging Joe Biden to negotiate with Russi...
Hungary and the endurance Viktor Orbán | Nationalism Reimagined
October 25, 2022 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.1 MBPoliticians around the world use nationalism. They use it to win elections, and to stoke fear, and to gain and hold on to power. This nationalism is exclusive, based on ethnicity or race or religion. Is there another way? This series will look at nationalisms around the world, and whether they could be countered by a civic, liberal nationalism. In this second episode we look at nationalism in Hungary. First Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a former Fidesz member and author of Tainted Democracy: V...
Can protesters topple the Iranian regime? With Fatemeh Shams
October 24, 2022 05:00 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBAs protests in Iran continue, sparked by the death of Masha Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s hijab law, Ido Vock speaks to the Iranian academic Fatemeh Shams. They discuss how these protests have grown, the history of patriarchy in Iran and whether this could be the beginning of the end of the Iranian regime. Read more: How Mahsa Amini’s death set Iran on fire Iran’s silencing of Elnaz Rekabi proves the protests are working Hosted on Acast....
A new phase of war in Ukraine?
October 20, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBRussian forces have launched major missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities for the second week in a row, killing at least five people. The European Commission condemned the strikes as “acts of pure terror” that amounted to war crimes. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss how this escalation by Russia is changing the tenor of the war, the coming winter and morale among Ukrainians, and the backdrop of rising ...
Why reimagine nationalism? | Nationalism Reimagined
October 18, 2022 10:24 - 32 minutes - 44 MBPoliticians all over the world use nationalism. They use it to win elections, and to stoke fear, and to gain and hold on to power. This form of nationalism is exclusive, based on ethnicity or race or religion. But is there another way? Emily Tamkin presents Nationalism Reimagined, a new series from the World Review podcast that will examine nationalism in its various guises in countries across the globe and look for an alternative approach. Can these divisive politics be countered by build...
What does it mean to be a Bad Jew? With Emily Tamkin
October 17, 2022 12:19 - 24 minutes - 34.2 MBKatie Stallard speak to our own Emily Tamkin about her new book, Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities. They discuss how the book came about, the challenges of Jewish identity in America in the 21st century, Trump and what Emily learned from interviewing her parents. Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer. Read more: With George Soros, right-wing Americ...
BONUS: Greta Thunberg in conversation with Björk - on protest, art and why politicians fail
October 16, 2022 05:00 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBIn this special episode of World Review Kate Mossman hosts a conversation between the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and the Icelandic musician Björk Guðmundsdóttir. They have collaborated in the past (on Björk’s 2019 Cornucopia tour) but had never met till now – albeit virtually. In a wide-ranging conversation they discuss Thunberg’s new anthology The Climate Book, an epic guide to achievable climate action, and Björk’s latest album, Fossora (a made-up word meaning “she who dig...
Putin's strikes: the view from Kyiv
October 13, 2022 09:02 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBEmily Tamkin in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Helsinki are joined by Alix Kroeger, a freelance journalist in Kyiv and the former international managing editor of the New Statesman. Central Kyiv was attacked by Russia this week. As Alix reports, this was the first time the capital has been attacked since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The team discuss the devastation wrought by the strikes, the response from the city’s residents, and what it signals about Vladimir Putin’...
Chairman for Life? | China under Xi
October 11, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 22.4 MBKatie Stallard, the New Statesman's senior editor, China and global affairs, presents a special series of the New Statesman's World Review podcast on China's past, present and future under Xi Jinping, as the Chinese leader prepares to embark on an unprecedented third term in power. This episode looks at what the next five years under Xi might hold for China as he reasserts the Communist Party’s role at home and adopts an increasingly assertive posture abroad, as well as whether he plans to...
Can we trust China’s GDP figures? With Jeremy Wallace
October 10, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 19.9 MBAhead of the National Congress that begins on 16 October in Beijing, where Xi is likely to secure a third five-year term in power in China, Katie Stallard speaks to the author and political scientist Jeremy Wallace about whether you can trust what China says about its economy. They discuss how GDP data can be manipulated, the impact of Covid-19 on the country, and what we should be looking for to get an idea of the state of the Chinese economy. You can also catch up with Katie Stall...
Navigating nuclear menace
October 06, 2022 16:26 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBThe United States and its allies are trying to gauge how, exactly, Vladimir Putin might use the nuclear weapons he’s threatened to deploy in his war in Ukraine, if he were to take that dire step. Meanwhile, North Korea has conducted six missile tests in two weeks. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, Katie Stallard in Scotland’s Black Isle, and Ido Vock in Helsinki discuss what Russia’s use of a nuclear weapon could involve, and how Ukraine, the US and their allies might respond. Then, they turn...
“The party leads everything” | China Under Xi
October 04, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 20.4 MBKatie Stallard, the New Statesman’s senior editor, China and global affairs, presents a special series of the NS’s World Review podcast, explaining China’s past, present and future under Xi Jinping, as the Chinese leader prepares to embark on a third term in power. This week’s episode looks at how Xi consolidated power during his first decade in charge: how he subdued his rivals, cracked down on Chinese civil society and began to flex China’s growing military strength. Katie is joined by M...
The political legacy of Italian fascism – with David Broder
October 03, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MBFollowing the Italian election victory of the post-fascist Giorgia Meloni and her Fratelli d'Italia party last weekend, many have asked what relationship it has with the country's fascist past. To discuss this, Jeremy Cliffe is joined by the historian David Broder, Europe editor at Jacobin and the author of the forthcoming book Mussolini's Grandchildren: Fascism in Contemporary Italy. Their conversation covers the emergence of the Italian Social Movement in the postwar years, Meloni's early...
What does Giorgia Meloni’s triumph mean for Italy?
September 29, 2022 09:30 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MBGiorgia Meloni’s post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party claimed victory in the Italian election on Sunday 25 September. Meloni is now on the verge of becoming the country’s first female prime minister. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC is joined by Jeremy Cliffe and Ido Vock in Berlin to discuss what Meloni can be expected to usher in for Italy and for Europe more broadly. They also talk about the blurred line between the centre right and the far right, and Meloni’s plans t...
Great Expectations | China Under Xi
September 27, 2022 05:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBKatie Stallard, the New Statesman's Senior Editor, China and Global Affairs, presents a special series of the New Statesman's World Review podcast on China's past, present and future under Xi Jinping, as the Chinese leader prepares to embark on an unprecedented third term in power. This episode looks back at China's recent history, from the dictatorship of Mao Zedong to the country's extraordinary economic rise, and how Xi put China back on the path to one-man rule. Katie is joined by th...
What does India really think of Russia? With Raji Rajagopalan
September 26, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBAs Russia’s invasion of Ukraine leaves it short of allies, the country’s relationship with India has come into sharp focus. Emily Tamkin speaks to Raji Rajagopalan, the director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology (CSST) at the Observer Research Foundation, about India's balancing act between Russia and the West. They discuss India’s foreign relations priorities; its relationship with China, and where Russia fits into that triumvirate; and how much support it might be willin...
BONUS EPISODE: Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity – in Partnership with Club of Rome
September 23, 2022 12:00 - 33 minutes - 46.3 MBIn this special bonus episode of World Review, we look at the results of a two year initiative on how we can achieve wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries. 50 years after the ground breaking The Limits to Growth report, a new book Earth For All details five turnarounds that are the minimum requirements for our societies to build economies that support wellbeing for all, whilst protecting the planet. The project brings together scientists and economists to show that it is possib...
“This is not a bluff”: would Vladimir Putin risk nuclear war?
September 22, 2022 11:25 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBOn Wednesday (21 September), President Vladimir Putin announced illegal referenda to claim parts of Ukraine as Russia. In the biggest escalation of the war since the invasion began, he ordered a partial mobilisation of Russian army reserves and made a thinly veiled threat to use nuclear weapons. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington, DC, are joined by the New Statesman’s Britain editor and podcast host Anoosh Chakelian to discuss the risk of nuclear war, sold-out flights as milit...
Italian election: the rise of Giorgia Meloni
September 19, 2022 05:00 - 23 minutes - 32.7 MBGiorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, with its "post-fascist" history, is leading the polls ahead of parliamentary elections on 25 September. If the party wins, she will become the country's first ever female prime minister. Emily Tamkin, the New Statesman’s senior editor, US, speaks to author Tim Parks on how much the vote is about Italy's ideological direction, the country's revamped election system, and whether the centre-left alliance will prevent a right-wing landslide. Podcast...
Could Ukraine win the war with Russia?
September 15, 2022 10:55 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MBUkrainian forces have been making rapid and remarkable advances in the north-east of the country, regaining control of two key strategic hubs and a large swathe of territory in the Kharkiv region. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, Ido Vock in Berlin and Katie Stallard in Austin discuss how this success could impact Western support and how far Ukraine could go. Next, the team turns to murmurings of dissent in Russia following Ukraine’s gains. They discuss what criticism broadcast on Russian st...
Vladimir Putin’s failures and the art of command – with Lawrence Freedman
September 12, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBKatie Stallard speaks to Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London and a regular contributor to the New Statesman, as well as the author of numerous books, including his latest, Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine. They discuss Vladimir Putin's failure to anticipate the scale of Ukraine's resistance and the current outlook for the conflict. Plus, the lessons that can be drawn from other military campaigns, from the Korean...
How prepared is Europe for a winter without Russian gas?
September 08, 2022 10:24 - 33 minutes - 45.8 MBRussia has halted gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The Kremlin has said that deliveries will not resume until the West lifts the sanctions imposed in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC are joined by Ido Vock in Berlin to discuss soaring gas prices in Europe and the scrambled response from Germany and the EU as winter looms. They also cover the latest from the war in Ukraine and consider whether pressure from Rus...
Could the far right win in Sweden? With Dominic Hinde
September 05, 2022 09:38 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBAhead of the Swedish general election on 11 September, we take a look at why the far-right party has risen in the polls and whether a recent recovery by the ruling Social Democrats means the country’s prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, will be able to retain power. Journalist and academic Dominic Hinde joins the New Statesman’s executive editor, Megan Gibson, to discuss the election’s main issues, what’s happened to the traditional conservative bloc and how Swedes view their place in the ...
The legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev
September 01, 2022 10:22 - 28 minutes - 38.5 MBMikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, has died at the age of 91 in Moscow. He was credited with bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end and ushering in an era of openness and reform in the Soviet Union, which ultimately led to its collapse. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC is joined by Megan Gibson and Alix Kroeger in London to consider Gorbachev’s legacy and reactions to his death in Russia and around the world, as well as his relationship with Putin. They also discuss th...
How Russia sees itself, with Orlando Figes
August 29, 2022 05:00 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MBAs Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, the historian Orlando Figes’s latest book considers how Russia and its rulers see the country. He speaks to Alix Kroeger about why his book is called The Story of Russia, rather than The History of Russia, what drives Vladimir Putin and the low chances of the country liberalising any time soon. The Story of Russia is published by Bloomsbury and available from 1 September Read more: Serhii Plokhy: “The Ukrainian army that no one ever knew existed is w...
After six months of war in Ukraine, what will happen next?
August 24, 2022 17:02 - 39 minutes - 54.4 MBToday (24 August) marks 31 years since Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union and six months since Vladimir Putin’s invasion which has killed thousands and shaken the global order. This year, national celebrations are muted as the country braces for possible Russian attacks. In this special episode of World Review, Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC, are joined by Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin to discuss his New Statesman cover story on “The war that changed the world”....
Afghanistan, one year on | with Bilal Sarwary
August 23, 2022 10:40 - 23 minutes - 32.3 MBAfter a year under the Taliban, Afghanistan is now in “survival mode”, the UN has warned. Its economy has crumbled and rights – especially for women and girls – have been sharply curtailed. The fall of Kabul, on 15 August 2021, came after the US announced its intention to withdraw troops by the following month. There were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as thousands of desperate Afghans sought to flee. One of those who escaped was the veteran journalist and commentator Bilal Sarwary. He and ...