logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
20m 14s

Ukraine failures tarnish Putin’s aura of...

Financial Times
About this episode

Putin’s war in Ukraine is not going to plan, but it’s as yet unclear how the Russian leader will react to these failures. Gideon talks to strategic expert Lawrence Freedman about what the Russian military can realistically achieve and, in particular, how worried Nato should be about Russia’s decision to put its nuclear weapons on standby.

Clips: BBC, CNN

 

Want to read more?

Another Stalingrad’: assault on Kharkiv shatters ties that once bound two nations

Air power counts for little in Ukraine war as caution prevails on both sides

West takes Putin’s nuclear weapons threat seriously

Tracking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in maps


Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.


Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design by Breen Turner.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
David Miliband: ‘Peacemaking has gone into retreat’
The world is experiencing a record number of conflicts, just as governments retreat from international aid and diplomacy to leave a more politically fragmented international landscape in their wake. That is the view of David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary and president ... Show More
29m 7s
Sep 10
The world at war
War is raging in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, while tensions are rising between China and Taiwan. What is driving this surge in global conflict, how should we respond and where, if anywhere, are the prospects for peace? Gideon is joined by Sir John Sawers, former head of M ... Show More
32m 47s
Sep 3
Will Bessent’s ‘economic D-Day’ break Iran?
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is calling for an “economic D-Day” for the Iranian regime while threatening secondary sanctions on countries that do business with the country. Will this be more effective than previous attempts at economic pressure? What impact will this have ... Show More
31m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
Putin hangs nuclear Sword of Damocles over Europe
One day after Vladimir Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on high alert, Russia bombarded Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, and explosions were heard in Kyiv, the capital. Yet Putin's war doesn't seem to be going as far and fast as planned. Christiane discusses the mili ... Show More
56m 10s
Mar 2025
George Friedman: Why Putin Has Lost the War in Ukraine
<p>After Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Oval Office bust up, you might think the war in Ukraine is going rather well for Vladimir Putin. But, according to Geopolitical Futures Chairman George Friedman, the Russian president has already lost the war. Tune in to this new po ... Show More
35m 25s
Jun 2022
Vassily Nebenzia: Is Putin's plan failing?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia. More than 100 days into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is locked in attrition, costly fighting in the Donbas, enduring economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Is Putin’s plan failing? 
22m 59s
Mar 2022
Red Lines and War Crimes
Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine has left widespread destruction in some of the country’s major cities. But as Ukrainians fight back, there are fears that Vladimir Putin could escalate the conflict by using even deadlier weapons. In this episode of the Tug of War podcast, Christiane ... Show More
24m 40s
Oct 2022
Putin's draft, sham referendums and the Ukrainian fight back
Vladimir Putin turns 70 today. In recent weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen territorial losses, a shambolic partial mobilisation, sham referendums and threats of nuclear attacks. So what possible outcomes are there for President Putin’s plan?This podcast was brought to ... Show More
28m 13s
Mar 2022
The Ukraine War: A View from Moscow
<p>Russia’s war in Ukraine thus far has not gone Moscow’s way. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have expected that Russian forces would capture Ukraine without much resistance, but Ukrainian forces have put up a fierce fight. The Western response has been more united t ... Show More
41m 46s
Mar 2022
Is the war in Ukraine unwinnable?
One month in, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t going according to plan. Historian and retired Army colonel Andrew Bacevich explains how it might end. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, ... Show More
24m 57s
Feb 2022
Outgunned Ukrainians Resist Russian Invasion
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko joins Fareed from the frontline in Kyiv expressing how Ukrainian civilians and military personnel are fighting to protect their country and tells Fareed what they need from the West. Then Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense and fo ... Show More
39m 36s