Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence

Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts. Tune in for balanced, critical perspectives that will expand your understanding of our uncertain world, deciphering the most enigmatic professions, ideologies, and organizations that shape the global landscape. Subscribe to Secrets and Spies today on all major podcast streaming platforms. Our Hosts Host Chris Carr, driven by a teenage encounter with former KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky, brings a unique authenticity to the podcast. His deep-seated fascination with espionage is evident in his highly acclaimed short spy film The Dry Cleaner, available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Currently developing feature film and television scripts inspired by the podcast's themes, Chris aims to create realistic and compelling spy dramas. Joining him is Matt Fulton, a novelist and screenwriter who draws inspiration from masters of the spy genre like John Le Carré, Tom Clancy, and Graham Greene. Author of the Active Measures series of globe-trotting geopolitical thrillers, Matt brings his decades of extensive research and narrative prowess to the podcast, offering listeners a front-row seat to the thrilling world of covert operations.

Episodes

S9 Ep47: Espresso Martini | Farage Surges, Allies Reject Trumpism, and Waltz’s Ouster

May 10, 2025 • 81 mins
In this week’s Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt dig into a wave of elections across the UK, Canada, and Australia, exploring what they signal for populist movements, center-left parties, and Trump-style politics beyond US borders. They break down the rise of Reform UK, growing concerns over Nigel Farage’s influence, and why British voters seem caught in a cycle of backlash politics. Then, a pair of liberal wins in Canada and A...
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S9 Ep46: Surviving Corruption, Surveillance, and Cybercrime in Putin’s Russia with Bruce Talley

May 7, 2025 • 108 mins
Chris chats with Bruce Talley, a former Russia-based businessman who now helps foreign companies set up operations in Ukraine and matches investors with projects

They explore the complex nature of doing business in Russia, including how it’s changed since the 1990s, the red flags Talley missed, and the moment he realized the system was irredeemably corrupt. He shares what it’s like to be surveilled by the FSB, the lim...
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S9 Ep45: Espresso Martini | India Eyes Retaliation, a Mysterious Russian Satellite, and New Saudi Links to 9/11

May 3, 2025 • 79 mins
This week, Chris and Matt unpack surging tensions between India and Pakistan following a devastating terror attack in Kashmir—will India retaliate, and could it spiral out of control? Then, new evidence links a Saudi national to 9/11, reigniting old questions about the kingdom’s role in the plot and whether a reckoning is overdue. They also explore a malfunctioning Russian military satellite, possibly a testbed for a space-bas...
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S9 Ep44: Is Peace Possible for Ukraine? with Dr. Taras Kuzio

April 30, 2025 • 59 mins
This week, Chris is joined by Dr. Taras Kuzio for an on-the-ground look at Ukraine’s evolving war effort and the political battle over peace negotiations. Dr. Kuzio discusses daily life in Kyiv amid ongoing conflict, growing anger toward the Trump administration’s approach, and why Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine risks emboldening Russia and destabilizing Europe. They explore myths about Russia’s military power, the tight...
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S9 Ep43: Espresso Martini | Hegseth on the Ropes, Putin’s Diplomat Spy, and Listener Questions

April 26, 2025 • 80 mins
This week, Chris and Matt unpack the deepening chaos at the Pentagon as Pete Hegseth’s tenure as secretary of defense continues to spiral. From more leaked strike plans on Signal to staff purges and his wife sitting in on sensitive meetings, the dysfunction is reaching new lows. Then, a little-known Russian spymaster emerges as a key player in Ukraine peace talks, just as far-right ideologues inside Russia insist on total vict...
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S9 Ep42: Russia’s Shadow War Against NATO with Florian Flade

April 23, 2025 • 72 mins
Chris welcomes back national security journalist Florian Flade to unpack Russia’s shadow war against NATO. They examine Moscow’s escalating hybrid attacks across Europe—from sabotage and arson to drone incursions and attempted assassinations—and how Russia recruits low-level agents via Telegram and even AI-driven chatbots. Florian details arson plots, suspicious drone activity near critical infrastructure, infiltration of the ...
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S9 Ep41: Body Language and Lie Detection with Gavin Stone

April 19, 2025 • 61 mins
Chris sits down with Gavin Stone—former covert operative, body language expert, and best-selling author—to explore the subtle science of reading people. They delve into the art of lie detection, psychological manipulation, and the power of nonverbal cues in high-risk environments. Drawing on two decades of frontline HUMINT experience, Gavin shares insights from a career spent tracking threats, training operatives, and masterin...
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S9 Ep40: God’s Banker and the Vatican’s Cold War Secrets with Nicolo Majnoni

April 16, 2025 • 54 mins
This week, Matt speaks with Nicolo Majnoni, host of Shadow Kingdom, a gripping new investigative podcast from Crooked Media and Campside Media. The first season explores the mysterious June 1982 death of Roberto Calvi—known as “God’s Banker”—and his ties to the Vatican, organized crime, and secret societies at the height of Italy’s Cold War turmoil. They unpack Calvi’s downfall, the shadowy institutions behind it, and what thi...
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S9 Ep39: Espresso Martini | Trump’s Special Economic Operation, NSA Purge, and the FBI in Turmoil

April 12, 2025 • 61 mins
Chris and Matt unpack the surreal ousting of top U.S. national security officials after far-right influencer Laura Loomer walked into the Oval Office with a hit list. They assess the fallout for cyber defenses, the politicization of the FBI, and the broader dismantling of U.S. institutions under Trump’s second term. Then, they turn to Trump’s sweeping trade war, its global blowback, and what Wall Street really thinks. Plus, a ...
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S9 Ep38: Photographing Area 51 with Michał Rokita

April 9, 2025 • 60 mins
Photographer and field researcher Michał Rokita joins Matt to discuss his rare and meticulous efforts to document one of the world’s most secretive military sites: Area 51. From hiking remote peaks in the Nevada desert to capturing panoramic images from over 20 miles away, Michał shares what it takes to legally photograph Groom Lake from public land. They explore the history of the Dreamland Interceptors, the challenges of des...
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S9 Ep37: Espresso Martini | Signalgate with Shane Harris, Boeing’s F-47, and Remembering Oleg Gordievsky

April 5, 2025 • 94 mins
The Atlantic’s Shane Harris joins Chris and Matt to unpack Signalgate, the extraordinary national security scandal where top Trump officials coordinated airstrikes over Signal and accidentally included a journalist in the group chat. They discuss the operational fallout, legal implications, and the strain on Five Eyes allies. Then, they dive into the reveal of Boeing’s F-47, the U.S. Air Force’s first sixth-generation fighter...
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S9 Ep36: Sell Like a Spy: What Business Can Learn from Intelligence Officers with Jeremy Hurewitz

April 2, 2025 • 51 mins
What can business leaders learn from spies? In this episode, Chris speaks with Jeremy Hurewitz, author of Sell Like a Spy, to explore how intelligence officers build trust, read people, and influence outcomes. Drawing on years spent working alongside former CIA, FBI, and military professionals in the world of corporate security, Jeremy shares real-world techniques—like mirroring, elicitation, and active listening—that can tran...
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S9 Ep35: Eric O’Neill on Cybersecurity and Catching One of America’s Most Infamous Spies

March 29, 2025 • 60 mins
Former FBI counterintelligence specialist Eric O’Neill joins Chris to recount his mission to help capture one of the most damaging spies in American history: Robert Hanssen. They discuss Hanssen’s transformation from a wannabe Bond into a real-life cyber mole, his staggering betrayal of US intelligence, and how O’Neill built trust with a man he knew he had to take down. Eric also shares how the Hanssen case shaped his transiti...
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S9 Ep34: Is China’s Military Ready for War? PLA Readiness, Regime Stability, and Taiwan with Timothy Heath

March 26, 2025 • 49 mins
Is the Chinese military really ready for war? In this episode, Chris and Matt speak with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, about his provocative new report The Chinese Military’s Doubtful Combat Readiness. Heath argues that the PLA remains deeply shaped by its political mission to preserve CCP rule—and is poorly optimized for high-end combat. They discuss how China’s military moderni...
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S9 Ep33: Espresso Martini | Putin’s Dilemma, Moscow’s Play in Africa, and Listener Questions

March 22, 2025 • 81 mins
Putin hesitates on Ukraine's ceasefire, Trump plays shuttle diplomacy, and the West braces for Russia’s next move. We break down Mark Galeotti’s take on Putin’s indecisiveness and Trump’s latest call with Moscow. Plus, Russia’s ghost ships in Libya—what’s behind Moscow’s growing influence in North Africa? Then, we tackle listener questions: Is the West retaliating against Russian undersea sabotage? Will NATO stand by Denmark o...
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S9 Ep32: Who Will Defend Europe? with Keir Giles

March 20, 2025 • 60 mins
Chris is joined by Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe?, to discuss the looming threat of Russian aggression and Europe’s unpreparedness for war. They dig into the failure of Western governments to heed repeated warnings about Moscow’s ambitions, the dangerous reliance on outdated post-Cold War assumptions, and the consequences of US disengagement from European security....
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S9 Ep31: Espresso Martini | A Russian Spy Ring in the UK, Ukraine’s Ceasefire Gamble, and AI Warships on the Horizon

March 17, 2025 • 76 mins
Another Russian spy ring in the UK is exposed—what were they up to, and what does it reveal about Moscow’s intelligence operations? Chris and Matt dive into the details of the case, including a botched plot to track Ukrainian soldiers and bizarre honey trap plans. Then, they break down the latest on the Ukraine ceasefire proposal. Will Putin play ball, or is this just a naive delay tactic? Plus, the US Navy’s new autonomous wa...
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S9 Ep30: Mission Iran: Behind the Scenes of Operation Eagle Claw with James Stejskal

March 10, 2025 • 41 mins
Guest host and spy thriller writer Stephen England sits down with James Stejskal, a former US Army Special Forces soldier, CIA officer, historian, and author. They discuss Stejskal’s journey from special operations and intelligence work to writing both fiction and nonfiction. The conversation focuses on Mission Iran, his latest book, which uncovers Special Forces Detachment A’s covert role in Operation Eagle Claw, the 1980 mis...
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S9 Ep29: Espresso Martini | The Oval Office Debacle and a Reckoning for the Western Alliance

March 8, 2025 • 85 mins
This week’s Espresso Martini is unlike any other. Chris and Matt take a deep dive into the future of the transatlantic relationship after the disastrous White House meeting between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy. They unpack the fallout, the shifting US stance on Ukraine, and the broader implications for NATO and European security. A raw, emotional, and unfiltered discussion on a critical moment in world affairs—one where the sta...
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S9 Ep28: Shane Harris on the US Intelligence Community in Crisis

March 5, 2025 • 60 mins
The Trump administration’s national security team is in place, and the intelligence community is feeling the shock. Elon Musk’s "Department of Government Efficiency" has infiltrated federal agencies, intelligence officials are resigning or being purged, and US allies are questioning how much they can still trust Washington. In this episode, The Atlantic’s Shane Harris joins Matt to assess the state of the US intelligence commu...
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