Latest Interviews
Showing 1–4 of 4 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist27 min
Inside an elite Ukrainian drone unit: a special report | The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Pavlo Latsionov, Oleksii Honcharuk
Ukrainian forces, exemplified by the innovative 412th Nemesis Brigade co-founded by former Prime Minister Oleksii Honcharuk, are countering Russia's intensified civilian-targeting drone swarms through a "start-up" military model that prioritizes rapid technological iteration over traditional hierarchies. As the conflict zone collapses into major European capitals, this approach highlights a critical gap in Western readiness for a war defined by AI-coordinated, cheap unmanned systems capable of delivering government-scale terrorist attacks. To address this shifting reality, leaders are urging NATO and European defense sectors to adopt unconventional recruitment strategies, integrate local private industries, and fundamentally redefine the battlefield to account for the loss of rear-area safety.
- The Economist24 min
War in Ukraine: The Economist interviews President Zelensky
Zelensky, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Economist editor-in-chief Jeremy Paxman traveled to Kyiv to interview President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the war's trajectory, victory conditions, and critical gaps in Western military support. Zelensky asserts that Ukraine will fight until the last city while criticizing insufficient Western sanctions and inconsistent aid from Germany and the United States compared to the consistent backing of the United Kingdom. The President further warns of potential chemical weapon deployments by Russia and argues that a post-war resolution requires a decisive victory rather than compromises that threaten Ukraine's sovereignty.
- The Economist38 min
UK Election: live Q&A with The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Adrian Wooldridge, Sarah Collinson
The Conservative Party secured a decisive majority with 364 seats, marking its largest electoral victory since the Margaret Thatcher era and triggering a dramatic realignment that collapsed the traditional Labour "Red Wall" in northern England. Led by Boris Johnson, the government now holds a clear mandate to finalize Brexit by January 31st while navigating the economic challenges of negotiating a permanent trade deal and balancing the conflicting interests of its new working-class and traditional southern voters. The outcome has stabilized financial markets and reshaped the UK's international relations by removing the threat of a Labour-led anti-NATO policy, positioning the nation for a renewed focus on the Anglosphere despite lingering uncertainties regarding long-term political durability.
- The Economist35 min
Steve Bannon debate at The Economist #OpenFutures festival
Steve Bannon, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Julissa Arce, Daniel Franklin
Steve Bannon articulates a strategy of economic nationalism that prioritizes immigration restrictions and trade protectionism to reclaim American jobs, while defending European populist leaders like Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini as legitimate defenders of national sovereignty. He characterizes China as a totalitarian rival in an economic war and frames the Paris Climate Agreement as a geopolitical failure, arguing instead that the true threat to the working class lies in the convergence of automation and genetic engineering. This worldview drives a broader mission to deconstruct the administrative state and appoint conservative judges who can dismantle regulatory overreach, positioning Donald Trump as the essential vehicle to break the "medieval theology" of free trade.