Latest Interviews
Showing 1–4 of 4 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist22 min
Cold call: Putin thwarts Trump
Putin, Trump, Rosie Bloor, Chris Lockwood, Simon Wright, Katherine Nixie
President Trump and Vladimir Putin failed to secure a comprehensive ceasefire during a two-hour call, with Putin rejecting blanket terms in favor of a limited energy infrastructure halt that Russia violated hours later. This diplomatic setback, compounded by unaddressed US demands regarding Ukrainian recruitment and military aid, has alarmed European leaders who are responding by suspending debt brakes and withdrawing from landmine treaties. Meanwhile, the broader geopolitical outlook suggests a potential US pivot toward Russia in the Middle East that risks sidelining Ukraine, leaving Europe to accelerate its own defense preparations amid fears of diminished American reliability.
- The Economist23 min
With this ring: Trump and Putin omit Ukraine
Trump, Putin, Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Rachel Lloyd
In a significant geopolitical shift, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin initiated direct diplomatic talks to end the Ukraine war, with a newly formed US negotiating team excluding Ukraine and European allies while signaling a move away from NATO membership guarantees. Simultaneously, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma, prompting a regional military escalation and raising concerns about further advances toward Kinshasa despite a lack of immediate negotiation prospects. In the cultural sector, the *Bridget Jones* franchise is returning with a fourth film that explores themes of bereavement and relatable imperfection, continuing the series' legacy of commercial success and social relevance over two decades.
- The Economist25 min
Spies isn’t everything: Putin’s global-chaos machine
Putin, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Callum Williams, Maria Vilcek
Russian intelligence services have shifted to a "feral" strategy of asymmetric sabotage and psychological destabilization across Europe and the Middle East, while simultaneously targeting US democratic institutions to exacerbate societal divisions without seeking direct warfare. In wealthy nations, governments face a structural paradox where rising entitlement spending crowds out critical public service investment, creating an unsustainable fiscal model driven by short-term political incentives. Meanwhile, the British baked bean market is undergoing a significant evolution, leveraging health trends and premiumization strategies to grow its dominance as a versatile, high-fiber protein staple within a culture transitioning away from meat consumption.
- The Economist26 min
Putin's hidden war: the Russians fighting back
Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin intensified its transition to complete tyranny by systematically purging dissent, blocking 250 media channels, and neutralizing opposition figures like Alexei Navalny. In response to this repression and a subsequent partial military mobilization that prompted 750,000 citizens to flee, activists shifted from mass protests to individual acts of defiance and digital resistance while abroad. As the regime maintains internal control despite conflicting casualty estimates, analysts and activists such as Marina Litvinovich argue that political change will likely depend on a future shift in public perception driven by battlefield losses rather than domestic unrest.