FT News Briefing

The FT’s Europe editor Ben Hall thought there would be a Ukraine peace deal in 2025. Despite lots of back and forth over ceasefire proposals, an agreement has yet to materialise. The negotiations reveal a lot about the relationship between the west and Russia. Can the countries come to an agreement in 2026?Mentioned in this podcast:Forecasting the World in 2025 Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for 50-year US security guarantee for UkraineNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Sonja Hutson, and produced by Victoria Craig and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann and David da Silva. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s leader at Mar-a-Lago for high-stakes peace talks but failed to reach a breakthrough. Plus, FT markets columnist Katie Martin predicted that in 2025, the bond market would creak but not break. She explains why it held up and whether that will continue in 2026. Mentioned in this podcast:Trump and Zelenskyy talks fail to deliver breakthrough on Ukraine peace dealForecasting the World in 2025 Unhedged podcastNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippinio. Our show was mixed by Kent Militzer. Additional help from Adam Samson and Gavin Kallmann. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music. Credit: White HouseRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What went right in 2025? What could go wrong in 2026? Recorded for the FT’s digital conference The Global Boardroom, Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong talk with Ian Smith, the FT’s senior markets correspondent, about the incredible resilience of the US stock market, and the challenges ahead. Also, they go long boring companies and short KPop Demon Hunters. Subscribe to Unhedged to hear more.For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer.You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at [email protected] is a repeat of an episode published on Unhedged, a sister podcast of The FT News Briefing, on Dec. 11, 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The French pioneer of European integration Jean Monnet believed that Europe would be ‘built in crisis’. The war in Ukraine is putting this theory to the test, once again. Gideon discusses with historian Timothy Garton Ash how European leaders are responding to this latest crisis after the brief ‘holiday from history’ that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Subscribe to The Rachman Review.Clip: ITVNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts This is a repeat of an episode published on The Rachman Review, a sister podcast of the FT News Briefing, on Nov. 20, 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When international private equity groups first entered Japan at the turn of the 21st century, newspapers criticised them as vulture funds and politicians steered clear of public contact. Today, it’s a different story. Dozens of buyout groups have set up in the country and the establishment is courting them. The FT’s Tokyo correspondent David Keohane and Tokyo bureau chief Leo Lewis explain why there’s been a shift, and how private equity’s presence may rejuvenate Japanese corporates. Clips from TohoThe FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.This is a repeat of an episode published on Behind The Money, a sister podcast of FT News Briefing, on November 26, 2025. Follow Behind the Money on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.