‘Licking Putin’s Boot!’ Alastair Campbell | Witkoff’s Russia Deal & Netanyahu’s Iran War Plan

October 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's former communications chief, has written a book called Persevilience — a portmanteau of perseverance and resilience. But when Piers Morgan asks him to apply that concept to Donald Trump, Campbell doesn't hesitate. "Perseverance can be bad people too," he says. The problem, he argues, is that Trump's comeback story lacks what Campbell calls "values and integrity." The proof, for him, came that very morning, when Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff sat across from Vladimir Putin and called him a humanitarian. "That is not serious diplomacy, that is just bootlicking of the worst possible kind," Campbell says. "I am beyond despair in trying to work out what his motivation is."

The Ukraine betrayal thesis

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Guests on this episode

Piers Morgan Trita Parsi

Show Notes

Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest point of either presidency, with barely 31 per cent of Americans believing he is doing a good job. With the US midterm elections just 13 days away, the president is facing mounting political pressure as wars in Ukraine and Iran threaten to define his administration. Sign up to our newsletter and watch ad free: https://piersmorgan.tv Sign up to watch our first bonus episode for subscribers with Dave Smith: https://piersmorgan.tv/piers-morgan Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow seeking to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But his diplomatic mission has raised eyebrows after Witkoff publicly praised Putin as a humanitarian, while Trump has once again placed the burden of ending the Ukraine war on Zelensky rather than the Russian leader who launched it. Meanwhile, Trump is blaming Ukraine for the cost of American support, as voters grow increasingly frustrated with high fuel prices and continued conflict. Yet the pressure on energy prices is also tied to the war involving Iran, where renewed US attacks on Tehran could follow the midterm elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Trump’s leadership and declared that the two countries have a job to finish, fuelling concerns that the conflict could soon escalate again. As Trump attempts to contain the political fallout from two major wars, a fragile end to the fighting in Ukraine may be approaching. But the conflict with Iran could be entering a far more dangerous phase. Piers Morgan is joined by Alastair Campbell plus Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute; Jim Hanson, chief strategist at the Middle East Forum; and Will Chamberlain, host of Counterweight. Plus, General Keith Kellogg, former US special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, joins the show to discuss the prospects for peace in Ukraine and the growing threat of renewed conflict with Iran.

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:00) Alastair Campbell

(00:21:02) Will Chamberlain responds

(00:26:00) Trita Parsi on the consequences of the Iran War

(00:28:30) Elon Musk’s role in weakening Ukraine’s defences

(00:33:03) Will the U.S. win in the Iran War?

(00:37:00) Ukraine war and Zelensky’s changing relationship with the U.S.