The General & The Journalist

Our modern world depends on thousands of miles of undersea cables carrying everything from internet traffic to electricity. But it’s suspected that Russia and China are increasingly threatening this vital infrastructure, exposing just how vulnerable Britain and its allies have become. Elisabeth Braw, Atlantic Council fellow and author of The Undersea War, joins Tom and Patrick to explore the growi...

America has voted, and the midterms have changed the balance of power in Washington. But with two years left in the White House, will Donald Trump change course or double down on Ukraine and Iran? General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s former national security adviser and Ukraine envoy, joins Tom to explain why he believes Vladimir Putin remains the main obstacle to peace, why the next round of Ukraine ta...

Space is becoming a new military frontline. The US has acknowledged having weapons in orbit, the UK has launched its first dedicated RAF space squadron to counter hostile threats to British satellites, while China and Russia are rapidly expanding their capabilities. But is Britain ready to defend itself in space? Air Marshal Paul Godfrey, a senior officer in the US Space Force, discusses the growi...

Israel votes next week and Benjamin Netanyahu faces a defining election as former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot challenges his grip on power. After three years of war, Israel faces mounting security threats, international isolation and deep political divisions. But even if Netanyahu loses, a new government may struggle to change course. Tom speaks to Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat and adviser to...

In this month's Q&A, Patrick and Tom examine Donald Trump’s controversial deal to buy Russian diesel, the shifting world order, and the threats facing Western security. Plus, they consider a listener’s idea for bringing veterans closer to the public. Send your questions in to generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his exper...

For a decade, US spies and diplomats have reported mysterious symptoms including strange noises, sudden pressure and debilitating neurological symptoms… but no one has definitively explained why. Now, two investigative journalists say they have uncovered new evidence of a suspected microwave weapon, a Russian connection and a US government failure to confront the truth. Their new book, The Havana...

The Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast threatening one of the world’s most important shipping routes through Bab al-Mandab. Yemeni government forces are fighting back, but the Iran-backed group’s ability to disrupt global trade and strike across the region continues to grow. Yemen expert Nadwa Al-Dawsari joins Tom and Patrick to explain how the Houthis became a regional military pow...

As Russia steps up sabotage, interference and intimidation across Europe, how far is Vladimir Putin prepared to go? Former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett joins Tom and Patrick to explain what Putin wants in Ukraine, whether Russia could escalate into a direct confrontation with NATO, and why intelligence back channels may be crucial to preventing escalation. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetime...

America has 11 aircraft carriers. So why is the US Navy struggling to deploy more than three at once? In this bonus video explainer, The Sunday Times’s Mark Urban examines the growing strain on America’s carrier fleet. These 100,000-ton floating airfields have long been symbols of US military power, but delayed ships, lengthy repairs and overstretched crews are making it increasingly difficult to...

More than 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, Britain remains bitterly divided over how to resolve legacy cases from the Troubles. The government’s new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill would allow some halted inquests to resume and reform the system for investigating legacy cases, with ministers insisting that veterans will be protected from unnecessary repeat investigations. But former senior...

Russia is holding its first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the Kremlin has worked to ensure the outcome is never truly in doubt. Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of the former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, joins us to examine what the vote reveals about Putin’s rule and how the war in Ukraine is mounting pressure on Putin. With public patience under strai...

It was one of the most audacious acts of sabotage in modern history - in September 2022, explosions ripped through the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia underneath the Baltic Sea. The attack reshaped European geo-politics but at the time, no one knew who ordered the bombing, or carried it out. Journalist Bojan Pancevski has spent three years tracing the operation - and says th...

Across Nato’s eastern flank, defence planners are increasingly focused on one date: 2030. War games, military assessments and troop deployments are being shaped around a stark question – could Moscow be ready to test Nato within the next few years? The Times’s defence editor Larisa Brown examines why 2030 has become such a crucial deadline for European defence, how Russia could try to probe N...

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Pact, a new defence alliance built around the promise that an attack on one is an attack on all. Together they bring Saudi money and religious authority, Turkey’s military strength and defence industry and Pakistan’s army and nuclear power. But would any of them really go to war for the others?  Tom and Patrick are joined by Lieutenant G...

For more than a century, the Middle East has been made and remade by collapsing empires, colonial borders, revolutions, wars and powerful rulers. Now, Iran is weakening, Gulf states are becoming more influential and old alliances are shifting again.  Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore joins Tom and Patrick to discuss how the modern Middle East was forged and why the forces that shaped it are st...

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...

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 se...

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 i...

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 trans...

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...

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 Zelen...

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...

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 w...

Following the NATO summit in Ankara, American allies face an uncomfortable question – can they still rely on Washington to lead? Donald Trump is demanding more from Europe, NATO is trying to adapt and countries like Britain must decide whether to step up or become spectators in a world shaped by others.  This week, John Bew joins The General & The Journalist to discuss NATO, Donald Trump...

Britain says its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan will strengthen its role in NATO. But after months of delays, funding rows and warnings from allies, does the money go far enough?  Admiral Sir Keith Blount, the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe at NATO, joins Tom and Patrick to assess what the plan gets right, where it falls short and why Britain risks losing influence in the...