Former UK ambassador Laurie Bristow speaks to Roland and delivers a blunt and unsettling warning about the state of the world and Britain’s place in it. Drawing on more than three decades at the heart of the Foreign Office, including some of the most dangerous postings of modern times, he argues we are living through the most volatile and complex global moment of our lifetimes.

From war returning to Europe and the rise of China, to artificial intelligence, pandemics and the collapse of old assumptions about power, nothing is stable and nothing is simple. Speaking candidly about Vladimir Putin, he explains why the west misread Moscow for years and why there are no easy deals or quick endings ahead.

This is a forensic, unsparing account of a world in turmoil and a challenge to Britain to wake up before it is too late.

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hollywood Undead

Rock Feed

Recording 'Hollywood Forever' with younger artists

The AI-powered Podcast Player