Putin And The WestSeason 1, Episode 2 - Back With A Vengeance

Buoyed by his success in Crimea, Putin turns to the Middle East. Here, Western leaders try to enlist the Russian President as peacemaker - but Putin has other ideas, showing just how far he is willing to go to keep his allies in power. He can't stop the overthrow of Gaddafi in Libya, but in Syria, Putin intervenes with brutal force to prop-up Bashar al-Assad. British Prime Minister David Cameron describes his attempts to win Putin round for a peace initiative in Syria - wooing the judo-loving Russian President at the London Olympics and sharing a helicopter ride above the Winter Olympics site at Sochi.

Putin And The West was broadcast on SBS ONE at Sunday 5 January 2025, 12:25.