Spies and mafia states: Reflections on John Le Carré, Russia and the nature of spying today

John le Carré’s books famously explored the constantly shifting ethical borders “between us and them” in the murky world of espionage. This talk explores how the concept of spying differs in reality between authoritarian regimes – marked by internal security obsessions and paranoia – and democracies, and how it manifests itself in Putin’s Russia today.