Premiered May 5, 2025 LeadingWhat is the real job of a spy? What is the role of the UK’s intelligence community in Trump’s new world order? How does the relationship between politicians and intelligence services work? 00:00 – Putin’s mindset and Russia’s posture toward the West 00:28 – Introduction to Alex Younger and career overview 02:22 – How the world has changed since the Cold War 04:06 – MI6 secrecy and a story about telling his mother 06:34 – Motivation and idealism in joining MI6 08:10 – How MI6 officers work today: fieldwork vs. digital 09:36 – Shift to counterterrorism post-9/11 13:14 – The Iraq War and intelligence failures 15:02 – Speaking truth to power and the role of spies 20:01 – Afghanistan and the political nature of insurgency 22:57 – Gaza, Israel, and the intelligence agency’s role 24:08 – October 7 attacks and Israeli intelligence failure 26:26 – International intelligence cooperation and Five Eyes 27:26 – Trump’s appointments and intelligence leadership 28:45 – Trump and dismantling of intelligence alliances 30:26 – Hard power, Europe, and America’s retreat 33:01 – UK’s strategic focus and technology as power 34:30 – Worst-case scenario: US withdraws from Ukraine 36:00 – What happens if the US pulls out of Ukraine 39:14 – Russia’s long-term intentions and hybrid threats 43:33 – China as a pacing threat and espionage strategy 45:07 – Chinese spying in the UK and double standards 46:47 – US security leaks and signal group incident 47:48 – China’s charm offensive in Europe 50:01 – US, China, and the shift in global power dynamics 52:02 – Global South and integrating soft and hard power 53:43 – Personal loss: death of his son and its impact 55:04 – The future of intelligence and global threats 56:35 – Big tech, accountability, and power vs. states 57:54 – Government inertia vs. entrepreneurial agility 58:32 – Closing thanks and reflections on Alex Younger 1:00:01 – Hosts’ reflections on Younger’s character 1:02:27 – Final thoughts on ethics, integrity, and leadership