“Maverick strategist” Sean McFate, a former private mercenary, talks about the Ukraine deployment of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, while ex-senior CIA ops officer Gregory Sims says US security officials should “expect the unexpected” not to be caught flat-footed by a cornered Vladimir Putin, including big “surprises" like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.
Guests ... Show More
Jun 2023
Has the Wagner revolt fatally undermined Putin?
<p>Gideon talks to Edward Lucas, author and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, about the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. With his weaknesses exposed by the Prigozhin rebellion, how will rival centres of power respond? <em>Clip: BBC</em></p>< ... Show More
19m 46s
Feb 2020
41: Intelligence Expert Malcolm Nance Makes the Convincing Case that Trump is a Russian Asset
<p>The author, commentator, and career intelligence officer lays out Donald Trump's decades-long relationship with Putin, the KGB, and Rusky Oligarchs. With a cast of unsavory characters like convicted Russian stooges Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, Nance leaves little doubt that ... Show More
1h 4m
Mar 2022
Where is the Ukraine conflict heading?
<p>How long can the Ukrainians hold out? Will Vladimir Putin be stuck in a never-ending war and how would Russians tolerate that? Might western powers be dragged in? Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses these questions with John Paul Rathbone, defence and security correspo ... Show More
23m 10s
Mar 2024
67. A Tale of Two Spies: The former heads of MI5 and MI6 on the Iraq War, double agents, and the IRA
Should spies be allowed to break the law while undercover? What should the relationship between government and intelligence look like? Do we overestimate or underestimate the power and reach of Russia’s FSB and China’s intelligence service?
On today’s special episode of Leading, ... Show More
1h 11m
Mar 2022
Ukraine failures tarnish Putin’s aura of invincibility
<p>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 ... Show More
20m 14s