On the eve of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a British delegation warned Russian generals not to go ahead. Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, speaks to one of those who issued that warning: John Foreman, Britain’s former defence attaché in Moscow. They discuss what it was like to hear his Russian counterparts lie about their intentions in Ukraine, how Vladimir Putin miscalculated the invasion and the weaknesses of Russia’s armed forces.
00:00 - In the room with Russia on the brink of war
02:48 - Was Vladimir Putin lying to his generals?
03:49 - Russian hubris in the full-scale invasion
05:14 - The intelligence “bubble” around Putin
06:40 - The future of the Russian armed forces
Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4nSU4H5
Britain’s most recent defence attaché in Moscow on the failings of Valery Gerasimov: https://econ.st/4p4jJ0q
Ukraine’s valiant defence of Pokrovsk is nearing its end: https://econ.st/47Z6s2u
The Kremlin’s blitz to make Ukraine “go dark”: https://econ.st/3LUHxFz
What will it cost to make Vladimir Putin stop: https://econ.st/4ox3LvL
Western drones are underwhelming on the Ukrainian battlefield https://econ.st/488OMlZ
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