'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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[@leonia_tavira]

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

[@Blanka1100]

The same for Poland and Baltic States. We heard we were "russophobic"/ We are russoexperienced.

[@loxism72]

He also warned people about the little hats.

[@goenzoy712]

It is not relevant what Baltics are saying Russia will be there no matter how this war ends.And other Siloviki will play a role in Russian politics even in a scenario of Putin being dead tomorrow.If they are russophobic does not matter .The big question is do they have an answer how to exit this war.And the answer is no

[@sot11cat]

​@@goenzoy712Who is "they"?

[@goenzoy712]

The Baltic states even Poland

[@bigglesharrumpher4139]

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.

[@stevedriver1476]

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

[@paulpaisley5291]

Hey Steve. What's a woman. 😂😂😂

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

Thank you, Steve! We all knew it' and politicians still do not make any steps to at least neutralise the man.

[@foilhat1138]

@@paulpaisley5291 Maybe one day you'll meet one. You have to leave your parents basement first though.

[@18_rabbit]

yep. It's also as-if a face of somewhat fetal-alcohol perhaps a generation before his mother? Looks a bit like that to me. Certainly thinks on that level, i.e frighteningly simple.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

@@paulpaisley5291 What that has to do with a so important question? You realised that Putin only is in the position he is because people lack of self awareness?

[@wunderlol]

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

[@LilAligator]

The west needs maniacs to operate.

[@Aendavenau]

There is this worship of leaders and elites, and Putin was both. Putin obviously needed to be smart and rational, he was ruling a great power after all. That he turned out to be delusional and a maniac narcissist fascist was hard to see, after all the elites are full of them.

[@jamesgreen1116]

Maybe the real manics should look at themselves in the mirror.

[@Haffschlappe]

Because China declared the West as broke

[@DavidGetling]

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

[@theobservationsreal3291]

Let's stop with the nonsense the closest person to the Austrian painter today is Netanyahu who we arm, train, fund, support even after courts have found plausible proof of Genocide so let's stop lecturing people on right and wrong as if we have a leg to stand, ludicrous.

[@DavidGetling]

​@@theobservationsreal3291 Ah, a Putin rent boy who is also an anti-Semite. But I guess the two go together well.

[@Chrisklown]

​@@theobservationsreal3291wrong. Netanyahu n DJT are stopping the Christian genocide.

[@fpvDRE]

@@theobservationsreal3291 👍

[@marial6116]

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

[@lindaSmith6588]

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!!

[@AahFukIt]

As a nordic european, who went to US highschool. Im pretty sure you know nothing ! The " red scare" is implemented in school over there, add how Movies have been allways putting eastern europeans and Russians as the real life " villian" for decades. How many Americans have ever been to Europe? How many have seen an Ocean or just switched / visited another state? As education is pay to get in the US, I consider that average Americans have no clue about foreign conflicts. With corporate media, how is it possible to see through the BS ? 240 million, and all you can supply was 2 " old grumpy men". No offense meant , I hope none is taken? Just a view from abroad from the Nordic here.

[@paulpaisley5291]

So you'd support kamala. 😂😂😂. Who's the maniac. 😂😂

[@AahFukIt]

@@paulpaisley5291 240 million, and this is the best they can do?

[@PaulMathias1]

@@lindaSmith6588 one is a useful idiot, the other is a dangerous dictator who takes advantage of idiots.

[@lindaSmith6588]

@paulpaisley5291 yep. Kamala is based in reality. Trump is deep down a mental sickness hole.

[@johnwalsh4857]

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

[@nickchiodo5815]

Bingo. They always knew what he was.

[@mesquick]

@@nickchiodo5815 Not true. Quite the contrary. At the beginning everyone hoped he would be the one to bring Russia in to modern world.

[@nickchiodo5815]

@mesquick he came with a warning that only few listened too.

[@johnwalsh4857]

@@nickchiodo5815 angela merkel was rolling her eyes when he was listening to his diatribes , probably thought OK he is just strange. hahaha

[@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.

[@Chrisklown]

The aim of the elite is to destroy the West

[@PaulMathias1]

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

[@marisabenson1222]

Me too

[@paulpaisley5291]

You must be trans 😂😂

[@Paula-e4h]

Agree but for world sanity trump needs to lose ,he's insane like putin ,,

[@robbiekop7]

Surely Trump is unlikable on his own terms 😕

[@paulpaisley5291]

@robbiekop7 still better than that foreign woman. 😃

[@pmfg875]

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.

[@Agnes-u2r]

You so right!

[@jberkeley1195]

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

[@pmfg875]

You guys are teaching him a lesson, stay strong friend

[@robbiekop7]

Your gonna need more flags 😀

[@gavinsmith9564]

Putin got Brexit done

[@noelstarchild]

Strongly suspect he had something to do with it too. Farage was a useful idiot and Johnson just a plain self-entitled idiot. Neither gave us any vision to track us forwards to prosperity with the EU, the whole thing has been an unmitigated disaster to date and we, having decided, must progress forwards hoping we get a break. We voted independence, we've just got to get on with it and make the books balance with integrity. It's not like we have much choice in it, I don't want any tory excuses, I hope this government can pull it off and prosper the U.K. coherently.

[@shaun1463]

@@noelstarchild lol are you guys for real?

[@abbottone]

then that obviously backfired on him considering it was being outside of the EU that made Britain the first to come to Ukraines defence because the EU were still discussing a consensus. Also there is absolutely no evidence of Russia's interference but keep saying it, some idiots will still believe you.

[@Natealfjames]

Consecutive Tory governments where toothless and really haven’t dealt with illegal migration which is thee greatest problem facing the Uk , possibly in our time. However terrible the tories have been the labour government will absolutely be no better, they will further drive our economy into the dirt and commit us to green energy suicide, for example giving 22 billion to carbon capture, shutting down North Sea oil production etc etc. To explain brexit as some sort of disaster when the actual reality is that trying to take our sovereignty back from a totally corrupt and quite frankly communist Brussels was anything less than forthright is a nonsense, how it has turned out is another story but no patriotic British citizen can say that it didn’t need to happen sooner or later.

[@thinker646]

​@@abbottonei have often thought your first point, but never have seen anyone else say it. Being able to move freely enabled those soonest responses to Ukraine IMHO, too.

[@shawngrinter2747]

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

[@oliversherman2414]

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

[@BarryBull-mv5no]

This got nothing do with real events and more do with some book seller ... come on times radio stop with clickbait

[@dirtyharry6297]

Yes, he is psychopath and compulsive lier

[@gwynnmccallan8856]

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.

[@stephenhill545]

He is scared to die. I never saw anyone so scared of catching a little virus.

[@MantisEnergy]

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

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

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

[@Michael-gv7gr]

Well said Gentleman 👍

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

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

[@All4thaCash]

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.

[@god1971b]

Still in active denial.

[@CovidIslandDiscs]

Yeah Johnson was such a straight up guy. No possibility he could be exploited by the Russians.

[@goonerboz6023]

so if hes a maniac dont you think that saying a maniac is bluffing about using nukes doesnt make sense

[@FULLmeltHASH]

I don't wanna harm a fly, i dont see how he can send a million of his own people into the fire

[@Koshjedirani]

He send 10 millions of his people. He absolutly evil, crazy person.

[@WellbeingToPeace]

If we look at the track record of past and current global leaders, we arrive at the most reliable standard as to whether they fall short as humans and in their respective roles🙏

[@Haffschlappe]

Putin St. GEORGE!!!

[@russellspeed1693]

As America starts to withdraw its support Times Radio seems to become more and more irate.

[@apsmith1635]

He is a good fit for Trump. They are both lunatics but in different ways

[@stevelangridge1755]

A lot of these leaders whose time isn’t limited by statute become convinced of their own infallibility. Think Henry VIII, think Thatcher, think Blair, think Netanyahu……

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

🇬🇧 UK is desperate 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@aussie807]

wow that is a revelation, thank goodness for experts to state the bleeding obvious…usually years too late

[@adrianbrown1492]

Starmer is open about being a traitor.

[@lanceg136]

thank you for the true and factual headline for a change

[@larrysteinke1839]

I saw it in 2014

[@simonatton-d3h]

Putin needs help.I don't need his filthy money!

[@EagleWolf2]

No wonder the West is in such a bad state, History is rather neglected, Also critical thinking, obviously has gone out the window.------

[@rsvbiker4149]

🤣 🤣 Too busy kissing backside to notice .... The west

[@janvanpelt5572]

Money comes first !!! What minerals does Ukraine have to make Help interesting !!! 😊

[@AH-ml4vi]

"Harold Wilson a Russian spy" sounds like early Trumpian style lies.

[@smackattack4284]

From what I’ve seen, he’s about the only calculated statesman on the world front today. Does what he says, and he says what he does.

[@contemplatingwithamaster]

Time to wake up!

[@nikendientro332]

thời gian và công việc sẽ làm putin vĩ đại, người thông thái giật mình bởi sự ngớ ngẩn của minh

[@rorymackay7712]

PUTRID hasn't opened his present. YET this country n its people to reclaim government property after he has been dropped off 💀 I can't do flying carpets, but pulling the rug was FUN

[@acediamond7524]

Nearly all world leaders are sociopaths or psychopaths… They have been playing the “Game Of Thrones” through their lineage for generations so eventually that’s what they become. There are very few leaders who are born like you and I who genuinely wish the best for the people and become leader of their country.

[@foilhat1138]

Sure, but Putin is the only one sacrificing millions of lives attempting to annex neighboring countries.

[@TheToppa72]

There's a very effective filtration system that ensures it's vastly improbable that anyone who doesn't operate in the intrests of our entrenched power systems will ever come near the reins of power. In theory 'democracy' should allow this but in practice it only works in a system where the wealthy and powerful and our political representatives are held constantly and ruthlessly to account by mass public action, not merely by ticking a checkbox every 4 or 5 years.

[@Rio.Motel.84]

Underrated comment. Only the most vile and backstabbing persons can make it to the top in the political landscape. The system is designed that way.

[@foilhat1138]

Sure, but there is only one country invading and attempting to annex it's neighbors.

[@brianquigley1940]

Title is click bait... it takes 15 mins (of 17) before he talks about Putin... plus you can skip the first 3 minutes, which is repeated later in the video.

[@generalblack2335]

As soon as you Brits see that you're defeated, you scream Psychopath at the enemy. Isn't that a sign of a true psychopath?

[@foilhat1138]

Britain isn't at war bud.

[@thinker646]

Well, that ignores the context that many correctly identified the psychopath many years previously. The suggestion that this is a recent idea ignores that context.

[@petehowett2854]

They do that,WHEN PLAYING,CRICKET,RUGBY "both codes" FOOTBALL,even marbles.

[@BarnabyRudge-sx3pb]

@@petehowett2854 Pardon? Your comment seems to be just a random collection of words..

[@Shairony]

So it's praise worthy to mess up supply chain. Good to know.

[@togocegoce-lr5fr]

Russia has enough resources to survive alone .. Small island countries want to try to take Russian resources for free .. Like in Africa..But problem is Putin

[@boink800]

North Korea likes to say that too. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

[@Anthonythumb]

You realize all countries in Europe were *very* happy to trade with Russia for cheap energy? The idea was it would become a normal country through trade. How wrong we were. Nothing about stealing anything it’s not the 1800s. Well in Russia it’s not that far off.

[@boink800]

@@Anthonythumb And that's why Russia is now forced to sell its oil outside of Europe.

[@joelturley4847]

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@tobyclayton2597]

And Russian oligarch money flooding certain western cities had nothing to do with it 😂😂.

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

Poor UK is falling 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@joegcass]

Takes 15 mins to mention title if video

[@Infopirates]

Is Biden ok? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tadask3379]

I think there are a lot of people who think hes ok.

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

Respectfully, I know propaganda when I see it. I say this as no supporter of Putin.

[@Owlfern]

Huh? It’s an interview with a fiction author.

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

@Owlfern Words like maniac, and psychopath are extremely surface level descriptors for an extremely complex geo-political reality in order to shut down all discussion around it and to convince people that any action, even illegal is acceptable to stop the "Bad guy". I am obviously not talking about the interview portion. [Edit]: Also, propaganda is spread using people from all walks of life, including authors, though I'm not making that claim right now.

[@Owlfern]

@@fairshareofdrownedsouls nonsense. You’re conflating symptoms of propaganda with propaganda.

[@justinorrell348]

plzs remove spider web in corner of last 3 vidios iv seen same room

[@ashokagarwal78]

Time pass

[@flashingturtle6505]

dudes a novelist. he literally makes stuff up.

[@foilhat1138]

So does Putin, he thinks Poland caused ww2.

[@MrSlim325]

Get over with, british empyre not coming back, expect for the future a mere role as a client state of the us, if not a dusty province

[@Anthonythumb]

What are you on about? Wrong video?

[@MrSlim325]

@@Anthonythumb im on truth

[@Anthonythumb]

@@MrSlim325 your comment has nothing to do with the topic of the video.

[@dalecrocker3213]

Putin is far from being a psychopath. He is an eminently sane, pragmatic and resourceful politician. Using these silly buzzwords simply clouds the issue.

[@PaulMathias1]

Bot

[@dalecrocker3213]

@@PaulMathias1 Buffoon.

[@dalecrocker3213]

@@PaulMathias1 Twit

[@AH-ml4vi]

Does he care about the people who have fallen from hotel windows, poisoned by plutonium, died in jail or airplane crashes. Does he care about the young Russian men dying in meat grinder assaults or are they all tools in his own game. Psychopaths have no conscience, and they lack the ability to feel empathy and guilt, I think the label fits.

[@MatchSmith]

They call him a psychopath in order to blame him for all the insanity they themselves created. It's the only way their deranged, fear-mongering talking points make any sense

[@bluemoon3264]

Clickbait .

[@terrymcmaster2787]

“A round of applause” for micro bombing innocent children. Pathetically biased and ignorant.

[@Minimmalmythicist]

It's easy to see flaws in others but not yourself. Toppling the legit Ukrainian govt in a coup didn't exactly help things. I wish people wouldn't just blindly accept the Western narrative.

[@foilhat1138]

Nobody toppled anything. It was the same government in charge of Ukraine after the protests as it was before. What really happened was Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum when they embargoed Ukraine after Yanukovich tried to sign the EU association agreement. After the predictable protests started Yanukovich fled the country, nobody asked him to do that though he did that on his own accord.

[@Minimmalmythicist]

@@foilhat1138 If you sponsor a violent mob to overthrow an elected government, well that´s what Donald Trump tried to do in the US, it wasn´t right then and it wasn´t right now. Seriously, to believe it´s "goody goody US and Ukraine vs big bad Russia", you have to be seriously naive.

[@moneymay6324]

When Vladimir adolf bunker poutine stealed crimea yanukovich was still Ukrainian president

[@petehowett2854]

​@@foilhat1138Nobody asked him to do that?Sane,SANE PEOPLE,normally FLEE,if they feel,that THEIR LIVES ARE AT STAKE.Nobody NEEDS PERMISSION.

[@foilhat1138]

@@petehowett2854 The protests were calling for an election, not for Yanukovich to flee the country. Though perhaps his life was in danger after he sent his goons in to Kyiv resulting in the deaths of over one hundred protesters. But he could have, you know not sent in his goon squad. Most sane people understand how spaces, punctuation and capital letters work.

[@allanbrown3065]

Vlad the Impaler Putin 👎🏻👎🏻🙄🙄😖😖

[@harryhill-es5jk]

Blah blah blah

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

Uraa 🇷🇺 🎉

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

🇺🇦 Ukraine is finished 😮😮

[@JusticeAlways]

How?

[@JusticeAlways]

How?..

[@MelanieGodfrey-h6n]

A typical personality disorder ( mind your thinking and careful with your thoughtless words are breaking my heart ❤️ you’re breaking my heart. And I heart 💜 Putin . He has A typical personality that is highly intelligent and highly functional. Amen 🙏 God bless Russia 🇷🇺

[@IvaTaiwan-u8z]

🇷🇺 Russia already 🏆 🎉

[@WHS_reviews]

Go home Ivan.

[@FN-hg2el]

Let us discuss the Kursk please Who was the architect of it? Don’t blame Ukraine for the disastrous failure. Let the architect own it.

[@DacianRider]

let's discuss how full of bs. you orcs are. or, let's not... we all know it.

[@artmcteagle]

Your master Putin was the architect of the 3 day 'SMO' and is responsible for the defense of the Kursk direction, where russia is struggling.

[@WHS_reviews]

Let's discuss the origin of your fantasies, Ivan...

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

🇷🇺👎🏼

[@gordonlinton3555]

😂😂😂😂. The propaganda is going downhill

[@timthetiny7538]

Any crazier than the people over here that killed a million in iraq lol?

[@brulextrulex]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮