Putin vs the West

Putin vs the West has returned for a second season for Putin vs the West: At War. Two years after the outbreak of the Ukraine/Russia conflict, we see UN ambassadors and their most senior advisors along with their Russian opposites, sit down with documentarian Norma Percy to tell us what really happened.  ‘In a two-part update that adds the dark postscript “At War” to the title, the unthinkable has happened. Yet, despite the calamitous subject matter, Percy maintains her knack for showing that diplomacy is a chaotic game of bluff and theatrics that is often downright funny’ (Jack Seale, The Guardian 2024).

Narrated by Caroline Catz, in episode 1 we hear from the presidents, prime ministers and top officials who were in the room for the crucial moments as they grappled with how to respond to Putin’s invasion.

In episode 2, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres describes his face-to-face meeting with the Russian president – sitting at the opposite end of Putin’s giant white table at the Kremlin.

You can catch up with episode 1 on BBC iPlayer and episode 2 will air tonight on BBC Two at 9pm.