'Putin is a maniac': The West took too long to see it | Charles Cumming

“Straight up and down psychopath as far as I’m concerned.”

Bestselling espionage novelist Charles Cumming says it took the West “too long to catch up to the fact that Putin is a maniac.” He also gives us a run-down on why Israel's pager attack was practically out of a spy novel, and an insight into his writing process. #TimesRadio spoke to him at the Cheltenham Literary Festival 2024.

01.00: Run-down on Cheltenham festival 2024.

05.42: Inside into Cumming's writing process

08.15: Why Charles Cumming didn't join the intelligence services

12:00: Hezbollah, Israel and the pager attack

14: 10: Moles in the House of Commons?

15:30: "Putin is a maniac", "straight up psychopath"

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[bigglesharrumpher]

There are a few Putlers in charge of countries around the world at any one time, either Psychopaths or worse, rarely does one gamble so much as Putler did, though.

[stevedriver]

i am an uneducated idiot as far as the experts that run our lives say, , , i could see this putin was a lunatic 30 years ago by just looking at his face and seeing some of the shows he puts on... steve in Australia

[leonia_tavira]

Pity that people such as Mr. Garry Kasparov warned repeatedly about Putin yet were ignored.

[wunderlol]

The "west" seems to take too long to recognize many maniacs even after they slap it in the face repeatedly.. :S

[lindaSmith]

Lol, as a US citizen, I saw maniac, and my mind inputted Trump. Tooks me seconds to realize that wasn't the title!! Both men are the same!!

[DavidGetling]

Little over 80 years ago a very similar psychopath was appeased. Let's hope the same mistake isn't repeated.

[marial]

A common behavoural pattern of psychopaths is to accuse others of that which they are.

[johnwalsh]

more likek the west was tolerating him due to cheapo oil and gas

[nwmacguy]

The west didn't take too long to see it, they knew it, as did I, in the 90s re: Chechnya. The west didn't want to *acknowledge* or do anything about it because Russia had all the cheap gas/oil/coal/minerals to sell. Same with most other oil producing countries, just look the other way as long as supply keeps flowing.

[PaulMathias]

Putin is the main reason that I want Trump to fail in his attempt to become president.

[pmfg]

Excellent interview, what a charming person he is. Queen Elizabeth 2 had a corgi that growled at Putin the first time that she met him. It was covered in the news. Apparently she made a witty comment about it.

[jberkeley]

So Putin's a fruit cake 🍰🥴 who would have thought that 🤷 🤔
Slava ukraini 🔱💪🇺🇦🇵🇱🇨🇵🇬🇧🇪🇺✌️

[oliversherman]

Putin sure was happy when we left the EU. Says a lot, doesn't it? Europeans (Brits included) are stronger together 🇬🇧🇪🇺

[shawngrinter]

A very sage common sense fellow, we need him in politics!

[IvaTaiwan-uz]

The political system in 🇬🇧 UK already rotten 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[dirtyharry]

Yes, he is psychopath and compulsive lier

[MantisEnergy]

Are you saying Putin is a bit dodgy?
Who Didn't think so..? Apart from ignorant former American presidents?

[gwynnmccallan]

So we're supposed to believe that a psychopath with nukes, who has demonstrated a complete lack of respect for human life, including that of his own people, won't actually use them. Got it.

[IvaTaiwan-uz]

Civil war broke out in UK already 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[AllthaCash]

From the highlight at the beginning. "Will the ends justify the means"...

Put the shoe on the other foot, and think of the way we would describe the "pager operation" if bombs started going off in our convenience stores with children around. No one would be asking this question, and they shouldn't be. Please people, think with decency and clarity.