Putin and The Age of The Strongman, with Gideon Rachman

By launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has started the first war in Europe for a generation, defying the post-Cold War international rules-based order and inflicting great suffering on millions of civilians in the process. In April 2022, the FT’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Gideon Rachman, came to Intelligence Squared to explain the strongman phenomenon. While others have tried to understand the emergence of these new leaders individually, by drawing on the themes of his new book The Age of The Strongman, Rachman reveals the complex, and often surprising, interaction between these leaders. He argues for a bold new paradigm to understand the new world of nationalism – a world in which, as of February 24, ‘nationalism’ involves – for Vladimir Putin at least – launching an unprovoked attack on a democratic neighbour. About Intelligence Squared: