The General & The Journalist

The Times
The Times
  • 4.4 (8)
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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.

  1. 2d ago

    EXPLAINER: Why Russia Is Burning Through 35,000 Soldiers A Month

    Ukraine’s drone campaign is reaching deeper into Russia than ever before, striking oil terminals, ships and targets around Moscow and St Petersburg. As casualties rise and attacks put growing pressure on Russia’s economy and war machine, is Ukraine beginning to change the course of the conflict? In this bonus audio explainer, The Sunday Times’s Mark Urban examines how Ukraine’s long-range strikes are testing Russia’s defences – and whether Vladimir Putin is approaching a serious turning point in the war. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EXPLAINER: Why Russia Is Burning Through 35,000 Soldiers A Month

  2. 6d ago

    How Putin made North Korea richer – and more dangerous

    North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery rounds, thousands of troops and workers for its drone factories to support its war in Ukraine. In return, Russian money, food, energy and weapons are reviving Pyongyang’s economy, giving it military battlefield experience and potentially advancing Kim Jong Un’s nuclear and missile capabilities. Dr Victor Cha, former White House national security official and one of America’s leading Korea experts, joins The General & The Journalist to explain how Russia has made an isolated regime richer and more dangerous. How powerful has North Korea become? Why have decades of denuclearisation diplomacy failed? And could talks with Washington loosen Kim’s alliance with Putin? Should the West accept a nuclear North Korea? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:00 North Korea’s economic boom08:31 Russia fuels Kim Jong Un14:18 China, Russia and North Korea18:32 North Korea’s nuclear threat26:16 Why denuclearisation failed33:46 Kim Jong Un’s successor and future Guest: Dr Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies 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 Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: Dana Chan, Getty Clips: Reuters, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How Putin made North Korea richer – and more dangerous

  3. Aug 12

    Inside Mossad: How Israeli spies penetrated Iran

    Mossad has spent decades building intelligence networks inside Iran, using spies, cyber operations and covert technology to penetrate the regime at the highest levels. Yossi Cohen, former director of Mossad, joins The General & The Journalist to reveal how Israel’s spies recruit agents, operate behind enemy lines and target Iran’s leadership. How far is Mossad willing to go? And can Israel’s intelligence successes ultimately bring about regime change in Iran? And where does covert action cross the line? The Sword of Freedom: Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War by Yossi Cohen is available at Harper Collins. 00:00 - Former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen on Israel’s Intelligence Strategy03:01 - How Mossad Penetrated the Iranian Regime’s Deepest Secrets09:24 - HUMINT vs. SIGINT: Why Human Spies Outperform Cyber Intelligence14:16 - Exploding Pagers, Sabotage & The Ethics of Covert Operations24:28 - The Future of Iran, Regime Change & Yossi Cohen’s Political Ambitions Guest: Yossi Cohen, former director of Mossad Host: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster and Shabnam Grewal Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: Getty Clips: BBC How should Andy Burnham approach the UK’s relationship with Israel? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Inside Mossad: How Israeli spies penetrated Iran

  4. Aug 9

    EXPLAINER: Britain's £5 billion drone gamble

    Could Britain replace billion-pound warships with fleets of uncrewed vessels – and what happens when the technology fails? In this bonus audio explainer, The Sunday Times’s Mark Urban examines Britain’s £5 billion bet on uncrewed warfare, shaped by the lethal lessons of Ukraine. Military planners hope networks of specialised drones and automated platforms can cut costs, protect personnel and transform the battlefield. But with major conventional programmes still competing for funding, is Britain building the armed forces of the future or creating dangerous new vulnerabilities?  Producer: Stephanie Bosset  Image: Dana Chan, Getty Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EXPLAINER: Britain's £5 billion drone gamble

  5. Aug 5

    Is Pete Hegseth’s macho culture fit for the military?

    Pete Hegseth has turned the Pentagon into a stage for warrior bravado – renaming it the Department of War, ordering testosterone screening for troops over 30, and cheering on a US Navy jet's ultra-low flypast over a packed Florida beach. Former RAF Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell joins Tom and Patrick to give his verdict on Hegseth's shake-up of the US armed forces and to ask whether a similar culture could take hold in the British military.  Chapters: 00:00 — Pete Hegseth and the dangerous flybys08:50 — Who is Pete Hegseth?10:55 — Fitness, testosterone and the “warrior ethos”14:30 — Diversity, standards and the military beard debate21:40 — Does machismo belong in the military? Guest: Sean Bell, Former Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force Host: General Sir Patrick Sanders & 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: Elle Scott & Julia Webster Exec Producer: Priyanka Deladia Clips: US Department of War. Image: Shaun Parkinson, Getty Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Is Pete Hegseth’s macho culture fit for the military?

  6. Jul 29

    How Ukraine’s leadership crisis impacts the war

    President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked his defence minister and army chief after a bitter struggle over Ukraine’s military strategy triggered widespread street protests.  Natia Seskuria of RUSI examines the clash between reformers and the old guard, and the consequences for Zelensky’s democratic reputation. Could this upheaval at the top change the course of the war with Russia? Should Zelensky reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov as minister of defence? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Chapters: 00:00 – Zelensky's Political Crisis 01:42 – Why Zelensky Fired Mykhailo Fedorov and Oleksandr Syrskyi 08:56 – Civilian Control vs. Military Command in Ukraine 14:37 – RUSI Expert Natia Seskuria on Kyiv's Power Struggle 32:13 – Listener Q&A: The Red Sea Crisis and China's Role in Djibouti Guest: Natia Seskuria, Head of Russia and Eurasia Programme at RUSI Hosts: General 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 Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Clips: Getty, Reuters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How Ukraine’s leadership crisis impacts the war

  7. Jul 22

    Can Trump force open the Strait of Hormuz?

    The collapse of the Iran ceasefire has pushed oil prices higher and left Tehran using the Strait of Hormuz as its most powerful leverage. With American casualties rising and roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply at risk, Washington faces a stark choice – keep bombing, attempt to force the strait open or start looking for a way out.  Kirsten Fontenrose, former White House national security advisor, joins The General & The Journalist to assess Trump’s options. Can the US reopen the strait without triggering a wider war? And can Trump pull back before Iran becomes America’s next forever war? Is a military showdown in the Gulf inevitable? Send in your thoughts to generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Chapters:  00:00 – Is Iran Trump’s Forever War?05:22 – Why Iran wants to control the Strait of Hormuz09:41 – US Troop deaths and growing political pressure on Trump13:23 – Trump’s Iran Options: Diplomacy, Naval Blockade or Escalation27:14 – Can the US reopen the Strait? Kirsten Fontenrose’s Six-Month Forecast Guest: Kirsten Fontenrose, former Senior Director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: Shaun Parkinson, Getty Clips: C-SPAN, US Central Command, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Can Trump force open the Strait of Hormuz?

  8. Jul 15

    Crimea under pressure: Will Putin lash out?

    The pressure is mounting on the Kremlin, both militarily and economically. With Ukraine keeping a stranglehold on Putin's crown jewel, Crimea, the chances of a Russian escalation are growing. Could it become the beginning of the end for Vladimir Putin? Russia expert Mark Galeotti joins The General & The Journalist to analyse Russia's capacity to lash out, the likelihood of a new mobilisation wave, and critically, when it might happen. Is an escalation by Putin inevitable? Send in your thoughts to generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Guest: Mark Galeotti, expert on on transnational crime and Russian security affairs Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: John Silva, Getty Clips: Reuters, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Crimea under pressure: Will Putin lash out?
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4.4
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Channel
    The Times
  • Creator
    The Times
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Times
  • Show Website
    The General & The Journalist
  • Provider
    News Corp UK & Ireland Limited

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