A Full Court Press from the KGB

JUN 9, 202051 MIN
The Service

A Full Court Press from the KGB

JUN 9, 202051 MIN

Description

<p>In the mid-1980s, New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy is attracting international attention. With the ANZUS alliance in crisis, the KGB see an opportunity.</p><p>To see more images and details about the series, vist the <a href="https://shorthand.radionz.co.nz/the-service-podcast/index.html">website here</a>.</p><p>The world lived under the shadow of the nuclear bomb through the 1980s and New Zealand briefly took centre stage in the debate when it went nuclear-free in 1986. It angered the Americans and put pressure on the Five Eyes intelligence network. Soviet Russia saw an opportunity and, according to then-deputy prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, became &quot;extremely active&quot; in New Zealand. </p><p>After a year of investigation, Guyon Espiner and John Daniell reveal more stories of what the NZSIS and its enemies got up to during the Cold War.</p><p>In Episode 3, Palmer and reveals new details of Russia&#x27;s &quot;full court press&quot; in this country, and former SIS officer Kit Bennetts explains the &quot;frog kissing&quot; they were doing at the time. Former Soviet diplomat Rouben Azizian gives Moscow&#x27;s thinking, we delve into the stories of KGB colonel and defector Oleg Gordievsky and Wellington-based spy Sergei Budnik, and reveal what the SIS were doing to former Labour MP Richard Northey. </p><p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-service?share=elf_audio_2018749944">Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details</a></p>