How do elite Russian spies operate? How are they recruited and trained, and what makes the life of these "Illegals" so miserable?

Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DrMarcelDirsus

In this episode of The Next Best, host Marcel Dirsus sits down with Shaun Walker, foreign correspondent for The Guardian and author of "The Illegals". They dive deep into the brutal psychological reality, extreme recruitment methods, and history of Russia’s deep-cover intelligence network—from the Soviet era to Putin’s modern-day spy ring.

They also discuss the sacrifices made by spy families, the recent DHL parcel plots and sabotage ops in Europe, and how Western intelligence successfully uncovered Putin’s invasion plans for Ukraine.

Get Shaun Walker’s book "The Illegals": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671708/the-illegals-by-shaun-walker/

Read Shaun's Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/feb/20/a-war-foretold-cia-mi6-putin-ukraine-plans-russia

The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus offers deep dives into geopolitics and international relations. We provide serious political commentary on foreign policy challenges, modern warfare, and global security.

What happens when billionaires buy democracy?

In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with author and investigative journalist Casey Michel about the rise of America’s oligarchs — and how enormous private fortunes are reshaping American politics, government and foreign policy.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrMarcelDirsus

Buy Casey's book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250430120/unitedstatesofoligarchy/

They discuss Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and the billionaire class surrounding the Trump administration; how campaign-finance rules collapsed; the impact of Citizens United; and why American politics has increasingly become a pay-to-play system.Casey also explains how today’s oligarchy compares with America’s Gilded Age, what Teddy Roosevelt can teach us about fighting concentrated wealth, how corruption and self-enrichment are affecting US foreign policy, and why a backlash against America’s billionaire class may be coming.

What would actually happen if nuclear war broke out?Nuclear weapons expert Frank Sauer explains, step by step, how a nuclear war could begin, how world leaders would make life-or-death decisions in minutes, and what the consequences would be for humanity.

Subscribe to Frank's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@sicherheitspod

We discuss:- How a nuclear war between Russia and NATO could realistically start

- The difference between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons

- How launch decisions are made by world leaders

- Whether the US or Europe could shoot down incoming nuclear missiles

- Why nuclear deterrence has worked—and why it could still fail

- The Cuban Missile Crisis and the closest humanity has come to nuclear war

- Nuclear winter and whether it could end human civilization

- Why Frank believes nuclear weapons remain the greatest existential threat facing humanityThis is one of the most detailed conversations you'll hear on how nuclear strategy actually works, why accidents are a real concern, and what keeps experts awake at night.If you enjoy in-depth conversations on geopolitics, international security, AI, history, and the future of humanity, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications.

Why did the United States lose the war in Afghanistan? Why did the Taliban ultimately return to power? And what lessons should policymakers take from America's longest war?

In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Carter Malkasian — former adviser to the U.S. military and author of The American War in Afghanistan—to explore the origins of the Taliban, the failures of nation-building, the 2021 withdrawal, and the enduring lessons of the conflict.

How does Kim Jong Un stay in power?

In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with journalist Anna Fifield, former Washington Post Beijing bureau chief and author of The Great Successor, about the inner workings of North Korea's dictatorship.

They discuss Kim Jong Un's rise to power, the assassination of his half-brother, North Korea's relationship with Russia and China, the regime's nuclear ambitions, propaganda, life inside the world's most secretive state, and whether the Kim dynasty can survive another generation.

Buy Anna's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/anna-fifield/the-great-successor/9781541742499/?lens=publicaffairs

Subscribe to Anna's newsletter: https://annafifieldnz.substack.com

How much do ordinary Russians really support the war in Ukraine? Can Ukraine's drone strikes change the course of the conflict? And what happens after Vladimir Putin?

In this episode of The Next Best, I sit down with Dr Jade McGlynn, one of the world's leading experts on Russia. A research Fellow at King's College London and the author of Russia's War, Jade explains why the Kremlin's propaganda is so effective, what Russians actually think about the war, and why Putin's invasion is about far more than territory.

Buy Russia's War: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=russias-war--9781509556755

Buy Memory Makers: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/memory-makers-9781350522220/

Historian Margaret MacMillan explains why Trump's foreign policy is unprecedented, what Putin wants, and whether the liberal international order is coming to an end.What happens when the world's most powerful democracy begins turning away from its closest allies?In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with renowned historian Margaret MacMillan to discuss Donald Trump's foreign policy, Vladimir Putin's ambitions, Xi Jinping's legacy, the future of NATO, the war in Ukraine, and the future of the international order.

Germany is spending more on defence than at any point in recent history — and some analysts believe it could soon become Europe’s dominant military power.But what happens if Germany rearms in a world where Europe can no longer fully rely on the United States?
Read the essay here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/germany/europes-next-hegemon-liana-fix

What keeps Iran’s regime in power—and why has it survived repeated crises, protests, and international pressure?

In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Yeganeh Torbati (New York Times Iran correspondent) and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin (Iran International) for a deep dive into how Iran’s political system actually works.

We discuss the 1979 Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise, the Supreme Leader’s power, the Revolutionary Guards’ influence, reform movements, protests, war, succession politics, and what might come next for Iran. If you want to understand the structure behind one of the world’s most consequential political systems, this conversation is for you.

📚 Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran

Buy the book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457807/stolen-revolution-by-torbati-bozorgmehr-sharafedin-and-yeganeh/9780241744017

Most countries are not superpowers. They’re not regional hegemons. They’re small states trying to survive in a world dominated by giants.In this episode, I speak with Anders Wivel, Professor of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen, about why small states survive, how they trade autonomy for security, why they still maintain militaries, and what happens to them as the international order changes.We discuss countries like Qatar, Israel, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, and what small states can teach all of us in an era shaped by the United States and China.If you enjoy conversations on geopolitics, international relations, and power politics, subscribe for more.