False flags, brutal military tactics and aspirations of greatness – Putin’s approach to the war in Syria, as he tries to prove Russia is still a power-broker in the Middle East.

To understand how Putin views history and his place in it, Jonny Dymond is joined by:

Professor Angela Stent of the Brookings Institution, a former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the US National Intelligence Council
Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute
Kevin Connolly, former BBC Moscow and Middle East correspondent.

Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal and Joe Kent
Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed
Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar
Series Editor: Emma Rippon
Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight.