World Review

“We cannot know what sort of human beings will emerge from this.” Following Hamas's deadly attack on 7 October 2023, Israel's military response has been described as “inevitable”. Eleven months on, the scope and ferocity of that military response has stunned the world. In this episode of the podcast we speak to four of the writers who contributed to the New Statesman essay collection Losing Gaza. Raja Shehadeh: “Palestinians are not treated as human beings deserving of human rights” Ghada Karmi: “The physical damage of Israel's assault is real enough. The mental trauma will be far worse” Raja Khalidi: “After the war, world leaders will need a new Marshall Plan for Palestine” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has now passed the 100 day mark. On the 14 January Alona Ferber attended the Jewish Labour Movement conference, which happened to take place on the 100th day of the war. In this podcast she speaks with Susan Neiman, the American moral philosopher, about the splits this war has caused on the left and tensions she sees between tribalist currents on the left and universalist principles, which Neiman believes are the values of a true left. Read Susan Neiman's essay: The universalist tradition has been forgotten, the Enlightenment betrayedSwitch on with 50% offRefresh your perspective in 2024 with free-thinking journalism and 50% off our annual subscriptions. Simple use the code JAN50 at the checkout.*Offer ends 31st January and applies to the first year only.www.newstatesman/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024 countries with more than 4 billion people will be sending their citizens to the polls. The US, Russia, and India to name a few; this is set to be the biggest election year in history. In this episode of the podcast Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Stateman's foreign correspondent Bruno Maçães and senior data journalist Ben Walker to review some of the major political forces at play around the globe in 2024. Download the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=US Subscribe to the New Statesman WhatsApp channel:https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9latS0wajogms2z02c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month we published a magazine with the cover ‘Being Jewish Now'. At this time of crisis in the Middle East, with divisions over the Gaza war and rising anti-Semitism, we asked a group of writers, thinkers, and activists to reflect on the question of what it means to be Jewish and on the left today. In this episode of the podcast senior editor Alona Ferber speaks to five of the writers who contributed to this essay collection, delving deeper into the themes explored in the magazine.Fania Oz-Salzberger: This generation will never see Gazans and Israelis become fellow citizensSam Adler-Bell: Jews in the diaspora must resist the inhumanity being done by Israel in our nameOmer Bartov: Both Netanyahu's cabinet and Hamas see this crisis as an opportunityChanda Prescod-Weinstein: Lessons of growing up black and JewishHoward Jacobson: The founding of Israel wasn't a colonial act – a refugee isn't a colonistBeing Jewish Now: https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2023/11/what-it-means-to-be-jewish-nowDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=US Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah – all of whom operate out of Beirut's southern suburbs – have coordinated their positions in various ways for years in pursuit of what they see as the greater good.John Jenkins, former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Burma, speaks to senior editor Katie Stallard about Iran's interest in the Israel-Hamas conflict and how this will play out across the region.Subscribers get ad-free access to all our podcasts via the New Statesman app. Download it in the iOS app store or the Google Play store.Download the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**NEW EPISODE**As Israel prepares a ground attack on Gaza, Katie Stallard is joined by Alona Ferber and Professor Lina Khatib to explore the wider geo-political situation in the Middle East - including mounting violence on Israel's west bank and the looming shadow of Hezbollah in Iran.This episode was originally published in the New Statesman podcast feed. We now regularly publish Ideas and Global Affairs content on Mondays on the New Statesman podcast. Follow or subscribe here: https://podfollow.com/new-statesmanFollow the New Statesman's reporting and analysis of the crisis in Israel and Gaza at www.NewStatesman.com.Subscribers get ad-free access to all our podcasts via the New Statesman app. Download it in the iOS app store or the Google Play store.Download the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to Katie Stallard and Megan Gibson's discussion on Russia's war on the future here: https://shows.acast.com/newstatesman/episodes/russias-war-on-the-future-conversation Download the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We won't be releasing regular World Review episodes any more. Interviews about the biggest foreign affairs stories will now be included as part of a rotation of interviews on the New Statesman podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the European Union weighs new sanctions on Chinese companies, which could be announced later this week, Katie Stallard speaks to Bruno Maçães, a former Portuguese Europe minister andthe New Statesman's foreign affairs correspondent,about his recent interview with Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the EU.They also discuss Beijing's likely response to the new measures, what the fall-out would be for EU-China relations, and about the difficult balancing act Chinese diplomats have sought to strike since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. Plus, how the prospect of another Donald Trump presidency in the US is provoking unease in the corridors of Brussels. Read more: Ambassador Fu Cong: “Europe will not become a vassal to China” The world according to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin China's hollow peace plan for Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday (30 May), several drones damaged buildings in Moscow in by far the largest attack on the Russian capital since the war in Ukraine began. Kyiv denies carrying out the strikes – at least one of which affected Rublyovka, a wealthy suburb home to many of Russia's elite, and close to where Putin has an official residence. Megan Gibson and Katie Stallard discuss the strategy behind the attacks, how they might be viewed by Ukraine's allies, and whether further strikes on Russian territory are likely. The discussion then moves to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's re-election as Turkish president and what it could mean for Sweden's bid to join Nato.Read more:Katie examines the domestic pressure on Putin. Jeremy Cliffe on the limits of ErdoğanismKatie on Ukraine's coming counter-offensive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week our guest is the historian Serhii Plokhy, a professor and the director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard and the author of a number of books, including his latest, The Russo-Ukrainian War. He speaks to Megan Gibson about Putin's war on Ukraine, the end of the Russian empire and what the new world order could look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week British adherents – including several prominent ministers – of a traditionalist political movement with origins in post-Trump US politics attended the National Conservatism conference in London. It is a major influence in America but remains on the fringes of British political thought.Will Lloyd joins Megan Gibson in London, and Ido Vock in Berlin, to discuss whether National Conservatism could ever catch on in the UK. Then, they discuss attacks by anti-Kremlin militias in the Belgorod region of western Russia, which neighbours Ukraine. They ask: what effect might this raid have on the next phase of the war?Read more: Will Lloyd on “dark new factions” in the Conservative Party:Katie Stallard asks: who was behind the drone attack on the Kremlin? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With international arrest warrants now active against Vladimir Putin, Ido Vock speaks to Philippe Sands, professor at UCL, about his attempts to force a prosecution of the Russian president. They discuss the crime of aggression, whether international tribunals could hear the case against him, and what efforts are being made to encourage more countries to help bring Putin to justice. Read more:Putin on trial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ukrainian army this week announced gains around Bakhmut, its first substantive advances in about six months. That progress has prompted analysts to ask: has Ukraine's much-vaunted counter-offensive already begun? Not yet, perhaps. But it is coming. Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss what the next phase of the war could look like. Will Ukraine's army make rapid progress – as it did in the Kharkiv region last September – or get bogged down in attritional battles, as has been the case at Bakhmut? Katie and Ido also discuss Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin's increasingly voluble complaints about the Russian ministry of defence, and whether the cracks in Vladimir Putin's system are starting to show. Read more: Katie Stallard on what to expect from Ukraine's coming counter-offensive Ido Vock asks: has Prigozhin turned on Putin? Ido again, on the Wagner Group's brutal tactics Lawrence Freedman on Russia and Ukraine's attempts to control the narrative of the war Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fourteen months into Russia's war against Ukraine, Katie Stallard speaks to Raffaello Pantucci, senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore and the co-author of Sinostan: China's Inadvertent Empire, about how the geopolitical landscape of Central Asia has changed. They discuss China's growing influence, Vladimir Putin's efforts to court regional leaders, and how the West could play a more significant role. Read more: The world according to Xi Jinping and Vladimir PutinWhat would it take to make Vladimir Putin feel secure?Xinjiang: a region of suspicion and subjugation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, oversaw a muted parade in Moscow for Victory Day on 9 May, which celebrates the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany. Where in previous years there have been grand shows of military might, this year there was a single, Second World War-era, tank. Rather than a show of force, the parade showed how a year of war in Ukraine has degraded Russia's military. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, meanwhile, reinforced his country's turn towards the West.Katie Stallard in Washington DC, and Jeremy Cliffe and Ido Vock in Berlin, analyse what the pared-back celebrations in Moscow say about the Kremlin's relationship with its citizens. Next, they turn to Turkey, where Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces the sternest electoral challenge of his presidency.Read more:Katie Stallard on Putin under pressureJeremy Cliffe asks: has authoritarianism peaked?Ido Vock on Yevgeny Prigozhin's relationship with Vladimir Putin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a new era of great-power competition taking shape on Earth, Katie Stallard speaks to the journalist and author Tim Marshall about his new book The Future of Geography and the next geopolitical battleground: space. They discuss how the Cold War propelled the space race between the US and the Soviet Union in the last century, and why the US, China and Russia are now engaged in a new contest to reach the moon and exploit its natural resources. Plus: why the existing laws concerning space are inadequate, and whether the satellites of the future will be armed. Read more: China's plan for an anti-satellite cyber-weapon found in leaked CIA documents. Russia and the new language of war. The world according to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans in the US House of Representatives passed legislation last week that would increase the US debt ceiling only in exchange for significant spending cuts, and the repeal of some of Joe Biden's key legislative achievements. The president has said he will not negotiate on raising the US's borrowing limit, but there could be severe consequences if the two parties fail to reach a deal.Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss the global impact a prolonged stalemate could have, and the motivations of both sides. Next, they talk about video footage released by Russia that purports to show a drone attack on the Kremlin, analysing who might be behind such an attack and what their motivations might be.Read more: Ido Vock on Putin's “forever War”Lawrence Freedman asks what leaked Pentagon documents reveal about where the war in Ukraine is headedAdam Tooze on where Biden has gone wrong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ido Vock speaks to the American linguist Noam Chomsky, one of the world's most prominent commentators on international politics since the Vietnam War. A trenchant critic of American foreign policy, Chomsky explains what he thinks the US is getting wrong in Ukraine, the prospects of a conflict over Taiwan, and why Finland and Sweden sought to join Nato. Read more: Ukraine is not a proxy warAfter Iraq: the great unravellingThe dual atrocity of rape in the war on UkraineLetter from Kinmen: Taiwan is already under attack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A three-day ceasefire has allowed some countries to evacuate their citizens from Sudan, where rival military factions have been fighting since 15 April. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's de facto leader, has long been in a bitter power struggle with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, his former deputy. Now, that struggle has become an open conflict.Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss Sudan's recent history, the evacuation effort and where local and regional powers stand.Next they turn to the US, where Ron DeSantis's presumed bid for the presidency in 2024 appears to be falling apart. The team discuss DeSantis's fading hopes of beating Donald Trump to the Republican presidential nomination, his stance on abortion rights and why Trump still looms large in American politics.Read more: Megan Gibson asks whether the UK should have seen the Sudan crisis comingKatie Stallard on why Ron DeSantis's campaign is already in troubleKatie on the coming Republican civil war Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Six months after Giorgia Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d'Italia party, became prime minister, Megan Gibson speaks to the historian and author David Broder about how Meloni has governed. They discuss whether she has confounded expectations, her relationship with other conservative movements around the world, and Silvio Berlusconi's legacy. Read more The making and meaning of Giorgia MeloniThe struggle for ItalyEurope's far-right parties are learning from one anotherLetter from Italy: attending a gathering of ultra-conservatives in Rome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine last year, there has been a strong focus on the China-Russia relationship – and on whether Xi Jinping might be preparing to distance himself from Russia, or, as Emmanuel Macron hopes, to pressure Putin to end the war. That debate intensified after Xi's visit to Moscow in March. Ido Vock and Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin, along with Katie Stallard in Washington DC, discuss the history of the two countries' relations, what message the recent visit was intended to send, and where the areas of tension lie. Next, we turn to Turkey whose citizens will head to the polls on 14 May for what are expected to be the closest elections for decades. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has ruled Turkey in one form or another for 20 years, could lose to a united opposition. The team discuss the opposition parties' chances – and what might happen if they win.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast 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: Europe lost Turkey once, writes Jeremy. It cannot afford to make the same mistake again. Katie on the world according to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly three weeks ago Russia arrested the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, accusing him of spying. Ido Vock speaks to Pjotr Sauer, a reporter on Russia for the Guardian who worked with Gershkovich at the Moscow Times, about the arrest, what this means for media freedom in Russia, and what might happen to him now.Read More:Vladimir Putin knows that hostage taking works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Returning from a trip to Beijing, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, attracted international criticism when he told reporters that when it comes to Taiwan, Europe should resist becoming “America's followers”.Megan Gibson in London and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss Macron's attempt to distance Europe from the US on Taiwan, why his comments have been so inflammatory, and the potential risk to European security.Then they turn Northern Ireland, where Joe Biden touched down this week for a four-day visit to the island of Ireland. The US president was there to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The team discuss Biden's strategy of mixing the personal – he has often talked about his Irish roots – and political, as well as US relations with Ireland and the UK.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast 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:Rachel Wearmouth asks will Joe Biden's Northern Ireland visit achieve anything?Ido on why Emmanual Macron's vision for Europe still doesn't match reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan, and Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, met in California. Katie Stallard speaks to Paul Huang, a research fellow at the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation and a journalist, based in Taipei, about the politics of the encounter. They discuss the calculations behind the response of China, which claims Taiwan as its own; how that could play into Taiwan's 2024 presidential election; and the pace of Taiwan's military reforms and how the self-ruling democracy is preparing to defend itself. Read more: Letter from Kinmen: Taiwan is already under attackThe diplomatic battle for Taiwan Asia's dangerous new arms race Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, the former US president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, amid allegations that he orchestrated hush-money payments to two women before the 2016 election. Katie Stallard in Washington DC, Megan Gibson in London and Ido Vock in Paris discuss what Trump's arrest and trial could mean for the 2024 presidential race. Next, the team turn to Finland where Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday. The right-wing National Coalition Party claimed victory in a tightly fought contest. They discuss what the loss tells us about Finnish politics – and the way the rest of the world see some national leaders. Then in You Ask Us a listener asks why China is so angry about the meeting of Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen with the US House speaker Kevin McCarthy.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast 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: Megan on the meaning of Sanna Marin's defeat. Katie on the diplomatic battle for Taiwan. Katie writes on how Taiwan is already under attack. Katie asks whether Donald Trump's indictment will help him win the Republican nomination? Charlotte Kilpatrick on the unexpected folly of prosecuting Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Ukraine war continues, one of the strongest supporters of Vladimir Putin has been Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Katherine Kelaidis, author of a new book on the Church, joins Ido Vock to discuss its history, the Church's split with Ukraine, and the influence it holds over Russian politics.Read more: The invasion of Ukraine forces a reckoning for the Orthodox world Putin believes he is defending Orthodox Christianity from the godless West Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, after protests swept the country and trade unions threatened major strikes, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that he was delaying his controversial judicial reforms package. Netanyahu said he was doing this “to avoid civil war”.Ido Vock in Berlin and Megan Gibson and Alona Ferber in London discuss the response to Netanyahu's announcement in Israel and abroad, as well as how far the crisis could go.Next, the team turn to Russia, where Vladimir Putin has announced that tactical nuclear weapons will be stationed in Belarus as early as this summer. They discuss why Putin wants these weapons in Belarus, how likely this is to happen and the possible consequences.Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks whether the Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin, will lose the next election.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast 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:Alona on why this could be the end of Benjamin Netanyahu.Alona on how we are watching Israel build an authoritarian government in real time.Ido on Belarus and Vladimir Putin's continued use of nuclear blackmail.Lawrence Freedman on why a “strategic nuclear exchange” would offer Putin zero gains.Megan on Magdalena Andersson and Sanna Marin's fight against far-right misogyny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protests continue in Israel and many trade unions have called immediate strikes over Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed reforms to the judiciary, which critics say will turn the country into a dictatorship. Over the weekend the defence minister was sacked for calling for the plans to be withdrawn but there's growing expectation that the prime minister will have to back down.Ido Vock speaks to Alona Ferber, Spotlight editor, about what's behind the protests, why Netanyahu is so desperate to pass the reforms and how Palestinians are still missing from the discussion.Read more:This could be the end of Benjamin NetanyahuWe are watching Israel build an authoritarian government in real time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement in Moscow promising to deepen their strategic partnership and stressing the importance of “settling the Ukraine crisis through dialogue”. Megan Gibson in London and Katie Stallard in Washington DC discuss how Xi has attempted to frame his visit as a “journey for peace” and what really sustains his relationship with the Russian president.Next they turn to the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq and the lessons that have – and have not – been learned from the catastrophe, as well as enduring political legacy of the conflict.Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks: “If Donald Trump is arrested, how will it affect his 2024 presidential campaign?”Read more:Xi Jinping's desperate gamble on Vladimir PutinChina's hollow peace plan for UkraineThe poisoned peacemaker: why China can't abandon PutinAfter Iraq: the great unravellingThe US is readying itself for another moral crusade, this time against ChinaThe long shadow of the Iraq WarDonald Trump's indictment would be a gift to Ron DeSantis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The French president Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly survived a confidence vote after it invoked a contentious article of the constitution to override parliament and pass an unpopular reform to the pensions system. The move enraged the opposition and unions, which have vowed to escalate direct action in protest. For a special episode, Ido Vock in Berlin is joined by Georgina Wright, director of the Institut Montaigne's Europe Programme, in Paris, to discuss why the government thought it needed to force through the bill to raise the retirement age to 64, why the decision caused outrage and what options the protest movement has left. Read more: Emmanuel Macron has shown his contempt for democracyChaos erupts over Emmanuel Macron's retirement reforms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As protests against the Iranian regime continue, Megan Gibson speaks to the award-winning writer Dina Nayeri, whose latest book is Who Gets Believed When the Truth Isn't Enough?They discuss the uprising in Iran since Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by the oppressive morality police, where the protests are going, Nayeri's own experiences with the morality police, and why refugees and asylum seekers are demonised by public discourse and political policies.Read more:Iran's regime won't be easily toppledHow Mahsa Amini's death set Iran on fire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the weekend, Silicon Valley Bank, a lender to some of the biggest names in the technology world, became the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis. Regulators scrambled to contain the fallout from the collapse as share prices plummeted, with HSBC stepping in to buy the bank for £1 in a rescue deal. Ido Vock is joined by the New Statesman's associate business editor Emma Haslett and Spotlight editor Alona Ferber to discuss the roots of the crisis, the hypocrisy of libertarian tech bros, and the wider risks. Next, the team turn to Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu's proposals to reform the judiciary have been met in Tel Aviv with some of the biggest protests in the city's history. They discuss whether Israel is moving towards dictatorship, the prospect of rebellion in the army, and rising violence in the West Bank.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus 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: Will Dunn asks: who killed Silicon Valley Bank?Emma Haslett writes that the failure of Silicon Valley Bank unmasks the hypocrisy of libertarian tech bros. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, Katie Stallard speaks to Jade McGlynn, an expert on Russian propaganda and memory politics, about how the Kremlin has framed the conflict at home. McGlynn is an academic researcher at King's College London and the author of two forthcoming books, Russia's War and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia. They discuss the spectrum of public attitudes towards the war in Russia, whether European visa bans on Russian citizens could be counterproductive, and how Russia's wartime past became so dominant in the country's contemporary politics. Read more: Katie on the truth about Putin's “denazification” fantasy. Katie on how the world's dictators are rewriting the past in order to control the future. The former US ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan: “Vladimir Putin does not want an off-ramp” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday (7 March), hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Emmanuel Macron's attempts to raise the retirement age. Workers in a variety of sectors – including education, transport, energy and waste – downed tools on the largest day of strikes since Macron's presidency began. Megan Gibson in London, Ido Vock in Berlin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC discuss Macron's proposals and his refusal to back down, raising the prospect of an escalating struggle. Plus, what are the stakes for the country more broadly? Next they turn to China, where the country's leadership has gathered for its annual parliamentary session, known as the National People's Congress. The team discuss Xi Jinping's uncharacteristically direct attack on the US, how these statements were received in Washington, and what the parliamentary session tells us about how China sees its path ahead. Then in You Ask Us, a listener wonders: will the toxic chemical attacks against Iranian schoolgirls quell the unrest in the country? Read more: Katie writes Xi Jinping lashes out at the US Megan asks who is poisoning school girls in Iran? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a flurry of Chinese diplomatic efforts in Europe, culminating in a visit to the Munich Security Conference on 18 February by Wang Yi, the country's top diplomat,, Katie Stallard speaks to Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund's Asia programme, about the future of European relations with Beijing. His latest book, No Limits: The Inside Story of China's War with the West, charts the revolution in Europe's China policy over the past five years, and how Beijing's assertive diplomacy and increasingly overt support for Russia's war against Ukraine has forced a political reckoning in European capitals.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more: Katie on China's hollow peace plan for Ukraine Kate on how Xi Jinping views the world John Sullivan: “Vladimir Putin does not want an off-ramp” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing this week. A staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko would have been eager to demonstrate his close relationship with another major world leader. For Beijing, however, the visit is a little more complicated. Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss the significance of the visit's timing, which follows China's attempted charm offensive in Europe, and whether Belarus could send troops to Ukraine. The team then turn to a flurry of drone strikes on Russia in recent days, with TV channels and radio stations also being hacked. They discuss whether Ukraine is behind these attacks and the potential political consequences. Then in You Ask Us a listener asks what French president Emmanuel Macron is trying to achieve in Africa.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more: Ido writes there are cracks between how Ukraine and the West see the war ending Katie on why Alexander Lukashenko's visit to China matters Katie on China's hollow peace plan for Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Gibson speaks to the economist and author Mariana Mazzucato, professor at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. The Big Con is her latest book, co-written with Rosie Collington, which exposes the consequences of governments' dependency on consultancies such as McKinsey and Deloitte. “The more governments and businesses outsource,” they write, “the less they know how to do.”They discuss the rise of the consultancy industry and how these companies have, over the course of decades, enfeebled governments while making billions. They cover scandal after scandal, from McKinsey's role in the US opioid crisis to Deloitte and Boston Consulting Group's mega-profits from Britain's test and trace system. Ultimately, Mazzucato makes the case for reimagining how we approach capitalism.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app 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:Megan Gibson interviews Mariana Mazzucato: “Consultancies depend on weak governments”Will Lloyd on how consultancy bleeds Britain dry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday (20 February) to demonstrate what he called America's “unwavering support” for Ukraine's war effort. It was the first time a US president had visited the country since Russia first attacked Ukraine, in 2014. Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Wasington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss the significance of this visit and Vladimir Putin's latest warning to the West in his state of the nation speech. They also cover support for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference this week and in the Global South. Then the team turns to China, where Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a “peace speech” on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. This follows the visit of China's leading diplomat to Moscow this week, prompting warnings from the US that China was considering supplying weapons to Russia. The team discuss China's position on the war and try to unwrap its “strategic swaddle” approach to Russia. Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks: what did the team get wrong about the conflict over the last year?If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more: Ido on why the West's narrative on Ukraine hasn't convinced the rest of the worldMegan writes that Biden's trip to Kyiv reiterates Western support – but not everywhere feels the sameKatie writes that Biden and Putin agree on one thing – the future of the global order is at stake in Ukraine John Sullivan: “Vladimir Putin does not want an off-ramp” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Ukraine marks one year since Russia's invasion, Ido Vock is joined by Ukrainian journalist and broadcaster Maria Romanenko, military expert Mark Galeotti and the New Statesman's writer at large Jeremy Cliffe. They discuss how Ukrainians felt at the outbreak of war, whether Western support to Kyiv will hold and how the war could eventually end. Read more:Oleksiy Danilov: “Weak people always come up with excuses not to act”No, Russia isn't about to break apartIs Ukraine prepared for the coming offensive? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past two weeks, a number of mysterious objects have been shot down from the skies over the US and Canada. It all began with a suspected Chinese spy balloon, which was brought down off the coast of South Carolina on 4 February. US officials have struggled to explain the three subsequent aerial encounters, leading to conspiracy theories and White House denials that aliens are involved. Meanwhile, the diplomatic rift between China and the US is widening. Megan Gibson in London, Ido Vock in Berlin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC discuss the spy-balloon fiasco, aliens, and where US-China relations go from here. Next, they turn to the ongoing crisis in Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake that struck the region on 6 February. As the death toll passes 40,000, the team discuss growing anger towards the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his government for delays in aid and alleged corruption. Then, in You Ask Us, a listener asks whether Russia could break apart. If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more: Ido on why Russia isn't about to break apart. Ece Temelkuran writes that after the earthquake the rage in Turkey is greater than the pain. Katie on how UFOs are pushing the US and China further apart. Lyse Doucet on the anger and hope the earthquake left behind Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the Japanese prime minister Kishida Fumio's recent warning that his country's demographic crisis was approaching a tipping point, Katie Stallard speaks to Vegard Skirbekk, a population economist at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and author of Decline and Prosper: Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children. They discuss why birth rates in many countries are falling, how the global population is ageing, and why this doesn't have to end in disaster. Plus, they examine the parallels between tackling the global climate crisis and preparing for an ageing world. Read more:The global ageing crisis is becoming unignorableThe question is not why the birth rate is falling – it's why anyone has kids at allSeventy per cent of British voters say the cost of childcare keeps mothers at home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky visited London this week, meeting with the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. It is only his second trip abroad since the war with Russia began, after heading to America in December.Megan Gibson in London and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by the New Statesman's Britain editor and podcast host Anoosh Chakelian to discuss Zelensky's speech to UK parliament, and his crackdown on alleged corruption in his government.Then the team talk about the renewed Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, where a blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh could lead to humanitarian catastrophe. They discuss what this means for Russian influence in the region, and the role of the West in the conflict.In You Ask Us, a listener asks what the UK's struggling economic situation means for its future foreign policy.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more:Sohrab Ahmari explains how the West is betraying Armenia. Joe Twyman says Britons still aren't sure what the point of Brexit was.Freddie Hayward on how enraptured MPs put aside their squabbles for Volodymyr Zelensky.Katie Stallard on why Ukraine deserves better than Boris Johnson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the United States grapples with the killing of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who died after being beaten by five police officers in Memphis in January, Katie Stallard speaks to Neil Gross, a former police officer and professor of sociology at Colby College. They discuss what can be done to reform police forces in the US, what he learned from researching his forthcoming book Walk the Walk: How Three Police Chiefs Defied the Odds and Changed Cop Culture, and why there might be cause for hope. Read more: Everything we think about police reform is wrongGeorge Floyd's murder one year on: has the US changed?Patrick Hutchinson: “The death of George Floyd is one of the worst things I've ever seen” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week a deadly raid by the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Jenin and a shooting in East Jerusalem capped one of the bloodiest months in Israel and the occupied territories, outside of open war, in years.Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, flew to Israel this week to call for calm.Megan Gibson and Alona Ferber in London are joined by Katie Stallard in Washington to discuss whether Benjamin Netanyahu's new government – the furthest to the right and the most religious Israel has had – is fanning the flames of this cycle of violence and if this could disrupt ties with allies abroad. Meanwhile Kishida Fumio, the Japanese prime minister, has warned that the country's falling birth rates are reaching a crisis point that could soon mean it struggles to maintain its societal functions. Japan is not alone; the team discuss how nations across the world are dealing with rapidly ageing societies. Then in You Ask Us: Boris Johnson has said that Putin threatened him with a missile a strike before the war in Ukraine. Is he for real?If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more:Alona writes that we are watching Israel build an authoritarian government in real timeKatie writes that the global ageing crisis is becoming unignorableKatie writes that Boris Johnson has the ultimate case of main character syndrome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With China's military and economic power continuing to grow, Katie Stallard speaks to Joshua Kurlantzick, a journalist and fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, about Beijing's ambition to become an information superpower. They discuss his new book, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World, and the reach – and limits – of that campaign, as well as why he predicts TikTok's days in the US are numbered. Read more: China's new foreign minister and the taming of “wolf warrior” diplomacy.How Xi Jinping views the world.Nixon in China: the complicated legacy of a week that changed the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Olaf Scholz confirmed that Germany will send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine and gave partner countries permission to send their tanks too. The decision, which could have a significant effect on the war, came after months of stalling.Megan Gibson in London, Katie Stallard in Washington DC and Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin discuss what led to Germany's shift, what toll the delay has taken and how Russia will respond.Next, they turn to the alarming rise in mass shootings in the US this year – including a series of shootings in California in which 19 people were killed in less than 48 hours. The team discuss the experience of gun violence, public support for gun control legislation, and why this is also a foreign policy issue.Then, in You Ask Us, a listener asks what led to the resignation of Jacinda Ardern as prime minister of New Zealand.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more:Jeremy writes that Germany took too long to reach the right decision on tanks, and he calls the country the “roadblock at the heart of Europe”.Katie says that Jacinda Ardern's resignation is both a shock and entirely unsurprising.Sarah Churchwell on the myth of America's love affair with guns.Bruno Maçães interviews Ukraine's national security adviser on German betrayal, the oncoming Russian onslaught and why the West is scared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Putin must lose to save Russia, with Andrius Kubilius As Western leaders debate what further military support they can offer Ukraine, Ido Vock speaks to the former Lithuanian prime minister Andrius Kubilius.They discuss his experience growing up in the Soviet Union, how to plan for a Russia after Vladimir Putin, and how the war in Ukraine could weaken the Russian regime. Read more: The Putin backlashLetter from Ukraine: new year, same warJens Stoltenberg: “We will support Ukraine for as long as it takes” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A helicopter carrying senior Ukrainian officials crashed on Wednesday (18 January) near a nursery in a suburb of Kyiv. According to reports, children were among those killed, as well as three government officials including the interior minister Denys Monastyrsky – the highest-ranking official to die since the start of the Russian invasion. Ido Vock in Berlin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC discuss what we know about the tragedy so far and why so many officials were travelling on a single aircraft. They also discuss the latest developments in the war, including the Russian missile strike on a block of flats in Dnipro over the weekend that killed at least 45 people, and changes to the Russian military leadership. Next, they turn to China, where Qin Gang, the former US ambassador, has been appointed foreign minister ahead of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken's expected visit to Beijing in early February. They discuss Gang's reputation for combative “wolf warrior” diplomacy, and whether China is moving away from this approach. If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more: Katie on China's new foreign minister and the taming of “wolf warrior” diplomacy Ido on what we know about the helicopter crash that killed three Ukrainian officials Ido writes that new commander Valery Gerasimov may not be able to stem Russia's losses Jeremy Cliffe writes that divisions over Ukraine are exposing the incoherence of German foreign policy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ido Vock speaks to the former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski about the opposition's plans to oust the hard-right Law and Justice party in this year's parliamentary elections. They also discuss Warsaw's support for Ukraine and its refugees, why eastern members of the EU distrust Germany, and the damage the Law and Justice party is doing to democratic institutions in Poland.Read more:Dispatch: How long can Poland bear the Ukrainian refugee burden?How November's missile explosion in Poland highlighted the risks of escalation in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday (8 January), hundreds of Jair Bolsonaro supporters stormed Oscar Niemeyer's modernist government buildings in the Brazilian capital Brasilia in an apparent attempt to overthrow the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Ido Vock and Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin are joined by Alona Ferber in London to discuss who was behind the failed coup and what it means for the country, as well as the disturbing parallels between this insurrection and the one at the US Capitol two years ago. Next, the team turn to Israel, where the new governing coalition, led once more by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who is still on trial for criminal charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud), has been busy pushing judicial reforms that his opponents say will erode the country's democracy. They discuss his attempted reforms, whether the shift to the right is a continuation or a break for the country, and what this means for Israel's foreign policy relations, particularly in the Middle East. Then in You Ask Us, a listener question asks why Ukrainian hero Stepan Bandera is considered to be so controversial by the country's allies.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more Read more:Alona on the biggest winner in Israel's election - the far right. Ido on Ukraine's problematic nationalist heroesSarah Manavis writes the Brazil riots were openly planned on social media. So why was nothing done?Oliver Basciano write the attack on Brazil's Congress had the aesthetics of a coup, without the danger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.