The Big Steal vertelt het verhaal van Vladimir Poetin en zijn gewelddadige aanval op menselijke waardigheid, de rechtsstaat, democratie en de waarheid – in Rusland, de buurlanden en het Westen. Als voormalig KGB-officier klom Poetin op tot president van ’s werelds grootste land en bouwde hij een maffiastaat die zijn eigen volk berooft om chaos in het buitenland te veroorzaken. Toen hij het meest succesvolle energiebedrijf van Rusland, Yukos, in handen kreeg, gaf hij een duidelijke waarschuwing voor wat zou volgen. Sindsdien hebben westerse medestanders in de politiek, het bedrijfsleven en de rechtspraak Poetin verder geholpen. Gavin Esler spreekt met mensen die Poetin hebben uitgedaagd, geprobeerd hebben hem te begrijpen, of simpelweg probeerden te overleven. Hij leidt ons door de Russische invasie van Oekraïne en schetst een nieuwe, gevaarlijke wereld die zich ontvouwt. Daarbij stelt hij de vraag: hoe nu verder?
The Big Steal tells the story of Vladimir Putin and his violent assault on human dignity, rule of law, democracy and truth – in Russia, its neighbours and across the West.
A former KGB officer, Putin climbed his way to the presidency of the world’s largest nation, and put in place a mafia state that steals from its own people to cause havoc abroad. When he stole the country’s most successful energy company, Yukos, he gave a clear warning of what was to come. Since then, Western enablers in politics, business and the law have helped Putin on his way.
Gavin Esler speaks to the people who have challenged Putin, tried to understand him, or simply hoped to survive. He takes us through to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a new and dangerous world that is opening up, and asks the question: where do we go next?
Produced by Fresh Air Production
In the early hours of 24 February 2022, Russia launched a brutal invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine. True to his yearslong strategy of lies and disinformation, Vladimir Putin said he had launched a “special miliary operation” to “denazify Ukraine”. “It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory,” said Putin.
Ukraine is now under siege, bombarded from all sides. Cruise missiles and cluster bombs have targeted civilians – and a Holocaust Memorial. In this first episode of a new season and a new world, we hear from Ukrainians on the ground in Kyiv as they prepare to fight for their survival, their families and their nation. And we hear from people in Russia. It seems that few beyond Putin have any appetite for war, least of all nuclear conflict. Kira Rudik leads a Ukrainian political party: she tells us why she’s taken up arms. Back in Westminster, Chris Bryant MP explains how this invasion was always on the cards, and what on earth is happening inside Vladimir Putin’s head.
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