Inside British diplomacy at a moment when the world is falling apart
‘Alcatraz’ assault battalion composed of ex-prisoners prepare for medical and trench training in Donetsk Credit: Anadolu/Telegraph
Chief Foreign Analyst
Dec 19, 2025
Former UK ambassador Laurie Bristow speaks to Roland and delivers a blunt and unsettling warning about the state of the world and Britain’s place in it. Drawing on more than three decades at the heart of the Foreign Office, including some of the most dangerous postings of modern times, he argues we are living through the most volatile and complex global moment of our lifetimes.
From war returning to Europe and the rise of China, to artificial intelligence, pandemics and the collapse of old assumptions about power, nothing is stable and nothing is simple. Speaking candidly about Vladimir Putin, he explains why the west misread Moscow for years and why there are no easy deals or quick endings ahead.
This is a forensic, unsparing account of a world in turmoil and a challenge to Britain to wake up before it is too late.
The interview can be accessed here :
So, the solution is to kill the vampire.