Putin Vs The West | Series 2 Preview (BBC Two)

Award-winning filmmaker Norma Percy returns with a second series of the critically acclaimed Putin vs the West.

Across two episodes, Putin vs the West: At War tells the inside story of the year that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and how it rocked the foundations of European security.

Told by the Presidents and Prime Ministers tasked with making the critical decisions, the first episode goes behind the scenes and explores how Vladimir Putin’s invasion exposes cracks in the global order as the resolve of Ukraine and its allies is tested like never before.

As the war develops, Western governments impose sanctions against Russia to turn up the pressure on Putin, but with Russian missiles striking Ukraine, Zelensky urges his allies to go further and impose a no-fly zone.

The series speaks to Western leaders, including former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Council President Charles Michel, as well as President Zelensky himself, who highlight the limits of how far the West’s support can go.

While some NATO leaders hope for a diplomatic end to the war, Zelensky’s forces battle on and push Russia out of Kyiv. But as evidence of horrific war crimes emerges in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, peace efforts are derailed.

With Russia controlling some twenty percent of Ukraine, and historically neutral countries Sweden and Finland on the verge of joining NATO, the future of the war – and Ukraine – becomes uncertain.

Putin Vs The West returns Monday 29th January at 9pm on BBC Two.