The General & The Journalist

How wars start, how they are won and what they leave behind them. General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn first met in a war zone. Drawing on their real-life experience of armed conflict, they bring you the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and the dozens of other bitter struggles being fought across our increasingly divided planet. From interviews with key people on the frontlines of modern warfare to discussing the future of nuclear weapons and where Russia will attack next, this podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times also faces up to the biggest question - how ready are we for war, right now, if we had to fight one? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The General & The Journalist is a news podcast hosted by The Times, with 79 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

The Times hosts The General & The Journalist, a news show with 79 episodes published.

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  The General & The Journalist

  Will Putin attack NATO? Former MI6 chief on Russia’s next move

  Sep 30, 202635 min

  As Russia steps up sabotage, interference and intimidation across Europe, how far is Vladimir Putin prepared to go? Former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett joins Tom and Patrick to explain what Putin wants in Ukraine, whether Russia could escalate into a direct confrontation with NATO, and why intelligence back channels may be crucial to preventing escalation. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 05:28 - Did the West misjudge Putin? 09:46 - Is Putin under pressure? 15:04 - What does Putin want in Ukraine? 17:30 - Russia’s hybrid war against NATO 23:49 - Why the CIA Chief went to Moscow Guest: Sir John Scarlett, former MI6 Chief and co-founder of SC Strategy Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producer: Julia Webster, Shabnam Grewal Executive producer : Priyanka Deladia Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  The General & The Journalist

  EXPLAINER: How America's aircraft carrier crisis reveals a military decline

  Sep 27, 20269 min

  America has 11 aircraft carriers. So why is the US Navy struggling to deploy more than three at once? In this bonus video explainer, The Sunday Times’s Mark Urban examines the growing strain on America’s carrier fleet. These 100,000-ton floating airfields have long been symbols of US military power, but delayed ships, lengthy repairs and overstretched crews are making it increasingly difficult to keep them at sea. If Washington cannot reliably deploy the fleet it already has, what does that mean for America’s ability to project power around the world – and are aircraft carriers becoming a symbol not of US strength, but of its limits? 00:00 – America’s aircraft carrier problem 00:53 – Delayed ships and ageing carriers 02:24 – Trump’s proposed carrier redesign 03:25 – Longer deployments, greater strain 04:50 – The carrier gap in the Pacific 06:09 – The $25 billion carrier group at risk 07:30 – The cost to the wider fleet 08:38 – Shipyard decline and military power Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Yasmin Butt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  The General & The Journalist

  Is the future of the SAS at risk?

  Sep 23, 202638 min

  More than 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, Britain remains bitterly divided over how to resolve legacy cases from the Troubles. The government’s new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill would allow some halted inquests to resume and reform the system for investigating legacy cases, with ministers insisting that veterans will be protected from unnecessary repeat investigations. But former senior SAS veterans Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and George Simm argue it could reopen the door to repeated investigations that erode soldiers’ trust in the Government and ultimately weaken the SAS itself. Can Britain deliver justice for the past without undermining the soldiers it may need for the wars of the future? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:47 – Inside the SAS 10:24 – Northern Ireland legacy lawfare 16:29 – Loughgall and shoot-to-kill claims 22:15 – How lawfare is damaging the SAS 27:30 – The fight to protect British soldiers Guests: Former SAS Squadron Commander Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major George Simm Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer : Priyanka Deladia Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  The General & The Journalist

  Russia’s war “will last as long as Putin lives”

  Sep 16, 202637 min

  Russia is holding its first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the Kremlin has worked to ensure the outcome is never truly in doubt. Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of the former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, joins us to examine what the vote reveals about Putin’s rule and how the war in Ukraine is mounting pressure on Putin. With public patience under strain and unease growing among the elite, how much longer can Putin keep pressing this war on? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:55 – Nina Khrushcheva on Putin’s Russia 07:50 – Inside Russia’s rigged election 16:37 – Putin’s mobilisation gamble 23:04 – Russia’s war economy and breaking point 30:04 – Putin’s escalating threat to NATO Guest: Nina Khrushcheva, professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York City Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producer: Julia Webster, Shabnam Grewal Executive producer : Dan Box, Tim Walklate  Image: Dana Chan, Getty   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  The General & The Journalist

  Who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline?

  Sep 9, 202644 min

  It was one of the most audacious acts of sabotage in modern history - in September 2022, explosions ripped through the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia underneath the Baltic Sea. The attack reshaped European geo-politics but at the time, no one knew who ordered the bombing, or carried it out. Journalist Bojan Pancevski has spent three years tracing the operation - and says the answers to those questions involve a tiny team of divers, a rented yacht and a former erotic model known only as ‘Freya’.  Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:00 – Who blew up Nord Stream? 02:55 – Why Nord Stream mattered 06:39 – Inside the sabotage mission 17:19 – Russia, CIA or Ukraine? 24:00 – Evidence, arrests and who ordered it Guest: Bojan Pancevski, chief European political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer : Dan Box Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Clips: Getty Images, Danish Defence Command Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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