Show Notes
From street thug to spy – what the Russian president did before he came to power. To understand what Vladimir Putin might do in the future, you need to understand his past; where he’s come from, what he’s lived through, what he’s done. Jonny Dymond hears tales of secret agents, gangsters and the time a young Putin faced off a rat. He’s joined by: Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York and the great-granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev Tim Whewell, who watched the rise of the man who’s changing the world as Moscow correspondent for the BBC in the 1990s Dr Mark Galeotti, author of "We need to talk about Putin" and an expert in global crime and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
More from Putin
Vladimir Putin survived the short lived revolt that saw thousands of mercenaries march towards Moscow, but at what cost? Jonny Dymond is joined by: Polina Ivanova: foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, covering Russia and Ukraine. Owen Matthews: journalist, historian and author of “Overreach” Andrei Soldatov: investigative journalist and author of ‘The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB’ Production coordinator: Sophie Hill Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Researcher: Isobel Gough Producer: Lucy Burns Exec producer: Joe Kent Editor: Emma Rippon
Ukrainecast comes together with Putin, the BBC Sounds and Radio 4 podcast which examines the life, times, motives and modus operandi of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Returning to the show are three lifelong Kremlin-watchers to cast ahead and speculate on just how this war might develop.
In the final episode of the latest series of Putin, Jonny Dymond and three expert guests examine how the Russian president shaped the war in Ukraine between March and October 2022, and how the war has begun to shape him. With Russia’s military position weakened by fierce Ukrainian counter-attacks, how much pressure is Vladimir Putin really under? Is there any way out for Putin, or might an increasingly difficult war proving his undoing? Guests: Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia Editor Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School in New York Dr Mark Galeotti, author of Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine
On the 24th of February 2022, after months of military build-up and increasingly grave warnings, Vladimir Putin stepped over the brink and ordered the invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Jonny Dymond tells the story of the crucial first month of the war, as Putin’s ambitions first faltered and then collapsed in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. By examining his speeches, public appearances and the political context, this programme chronicles Putin’s first weeks as a war leader. To dispel the fog of war and understand Putin’s role at this dramatic time, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Bridget Kendall - former BBC Moscow and Diplomatic Correspondent, now Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Vitaliy Shevchenko - Russia Editor at BBC Monitoring and co-presenter of Ukrainecast Owen Matthews - Journalist, historian and author of Overreach
In late 2021, Vladimir Putin emerges from his Covid-19 bunker with an even smaller inner circle, increasingly outlandish demands of NATO and the west, and an immense military build-up on the border of Ukraine. How did seclusion change his mindset? And how did the west misunderstand him so badly? To understand the Russian President and interpret his words and actions in those crucial weeks before the invasion, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Andrei Soldatov - Investigative journalist, specialist in Russia’s intelligence services, and author of ‘The Compatriots: The Russian Exiles Who Fought Against the Kremlin’ Sarah Rainsford - BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent and former Moscow Correspondent Sir Laurie Bristow - Former British diplomat and UK Ambassador to Russia, 2016-2020.