logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
27m 35s

The Court of Putin

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

In the wake of the greatest crisis to hit Europe since the Second World War, former Moscow correspondent Tim Whewell examines the president, people and processes that led to that momentous decision, and others like it. Radical advisers, tame oligarchs, intelligence agencies scared to tell Putin the truth and the domestic repercussions of NATO’s political moves - Tim brings together the variety of causes that have led to deep dysfunction and the concentration of power in a single man who risks becoming synonymous with the state itself.

Interviewees include investigative journalists Catherine Belton and Andrei Soldatov, and former NATO Secretary General George Robertson.

Producer: Nathan Gower Sound: Nigel Appleton Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Editor: Hugh Levinson

Up next
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
How real is the existential threat from AI?
The existential threat caused by Artificial Intelligence is a popular theme in science fiction. But more recently it’s started to be taken seriously by governments around the world and the companies developing the technology. Where did this idea come from, and why is so much mone ... Show More
29m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Ukrainecast: Is Russia on the verge of a coup?
President Putin decries "betrayal" and "treason" after a dramatic challenge by the chief of the Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin.Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, security correspondent Frank Gardner and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse try to make sense of a moving and murky ... Show More
25m 41s
Feb 2022
Putin Russia Under Pressure
But does Moscow care about Western sanctions? Adam, Laura and the BBC's Lyse Doucet (in Ukraine) discuss the escalating crisis...Alok Sharma (the president of COP26) and film director Adam McKay talk climate and a bit of Hollywood... Also, why does the filmmaker want to have a pi ... Show More
34m 3s
Jan 2022
"This is a crisis of Russia’s making”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the tense situation on the Ukranian border is a “crisis of Russia’s making.” For the latest on the crisis, Christiane speaks with the chief American negotiator with the Russians, Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman … The Atlanti ... Show More
57m 8s
Jan 2022
Kremlin Spokesman On Russia's Intentions In Ukraine
In an exclusive interview Fareed talks to long-time Putin aide Dmitry Peskov about Moscow’s demands for NATO, threats against Ukraine, and further sanctions. Then, fmr. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, and former NSC Russia director Thomas Graham, on how the West should re ... Show More
39m 53s
Apr 2022
Can Putin be prosecuted?
CNN's Phil Black joins Fareed from Lviv, Ukraine with the latest report on Russia’s new commander for the war in Ukraine. Then, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for the investigation and prosecution of President Vladimir Putin for crimes of aggression in Ukraine. ... Show More
40m 7s
Apr 2022
A close looks at the Kremlin's failures
Putin is doubling down on Ukraine’s Donbas region, and the Pentagon says Moscow’s shift in strategy may be working for them. Their apparent advances on the battlefield come after Putin’s initial assault on the north two months ago was blunted by the Ukrainians in a show of force ... Show More
56m 35s
Jan 2022
NATO Head Promises “Severe Consequences” For Russia
As fears of war reverberate around Europe, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tells Christiane that diplomacy is not dead – but it’s up to Putin to dial down the aggression … Amid fears of conflict, Covid, inflation, supply-chain issues, and rising energy prices, the head of ... Show More
56m 42s
Jun 2023
New details on Putin-Wagner truce brokered by Belarus
Horror strikes a city center after a missile strike in eastern Ukraine as a top Russian reporter has new details about the phone calls leading up to the insurrection against Putin. Plus, a stunning interview with Ukrainian foreign minister on why he thinks the threat to Putin is ... Show More
47m 47s
Feb 2022
On the brinkmanship: a special episode on Ukraine and Russia
<p>We unpick the week’s torrent of headlines; an invasion may yet come but either way President Vladimir Putin has already harmed Russia. The country’s digital self-isolation project is quietly forging ahead; we examine its home-grown “tech stack” with everything from chips up to ... Show More
26m 29s