logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
20m 26s

Gas-trick distress: a visit to Ukraine

The Economist
About this episode

Russia continues to pile pressure on the country, and will soon have the power to cut off its natural gas. Our correspondent pays a visit to find how Ukrainians cope. The simplest solution to renewables’ intermittency is to move electricity around—but that requires vast new international networks of seriously beefy cables. And Canada’s version of American football is wasting away

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Up next
Yesterday
At your services: Britain’s economic bright spot
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice, a mi ... Show More
23m 14s
Jul 10
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Jul 9
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Power play: electricity in Ukraine
Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air defences are struggling to keep up, and many households are without power as winter approaches. Bill Gates has a plan to boost African crop yields. And as the BBC turns 100, we refle ... Show More
28m 3s
Oct 2022
How Europe’s Energy Crisis Exposed Old Fault Lines and New Anxieties
In the early days of its war on Ukraine, Russia cut off gas supplied to most of Europe, plunging the continent into the most severe energy crisis in decades.Soaring prices have put some European leaders on the defensive over their support of Ukraine in the war as they navigate ec ... Show More
22m 3s
Sep 2022
Ready, steady, slow: Ukraine’s bid for Kherson
The long-trailed counter-offensive to retake the Russian-occupied regional powerhouse and symbolically powerful provincial capital has begun. But Ukraine’s forces are in no hurry. Visa and Mastercard are two of the world’s most profitable companies; we look at efforts to break th ... Show More
24m 53s
Jul 2022
Kicking the canister down the road: EU energy policy
Russia cut the gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by half in what many see as retaliation for Europe’s support of Ukraine. EU energy ministers fear further cuts as winter approaches. A new research review suggests the decades-long reliance on SSRIs to treat depression ... Show More
19m 21s
Apr 2022
Can Europe be weaned off Russian energy?
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has exposed Europe’s longstanding dependence on Russian fossil fuel. Amid mounting pressure to cut ties with the country’s energy providers, many European governments are scrambling for alternatives. But how quickly can this be done and why wasn’t ... Show More
29m 4s
Mar 2022
The squeeze on Russia continues
The International Energy Agency will hold an emergency meeting to discuss whether to release oil from strategic stocks to offset rising energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian financial markets have descended into turmoil after western sanctions over the wee ... Show More
9m 49s
May 2022
U.S. Gas Prices Climb To Record High
U.S. gas prices hit their highest level ever in the latest sign that soaring inflation is taking a very serious toll on the U.S. economy. President Biden says the price hikes are now his top domestic priority, laying out new efforts to tame the surge. In Ukraine, the key city of ... Show More
1h 18m
Mar 2022
Climate of fear: the IPCC’s new report
A new report shows that climate change is already causing widespread, tangible damage, and argues that adaptation is now as important as mitigation. A once-promising candidate for the French presidency sees her campaign sputter. And why America needs to shore up the postal servic ... Show More
24m 53s