Tag Archives: Russia

Great article from the FT: “Wagner became a kind of Frankenstein’s monster that eventually turned on its creator”

A great article from the FT offers a good explanation on what happened between Pregozhin and the Kremlin in the last few days. In essence “Wagner became a kind of Frankenstein’s monster that eventually turned on its creator”. “Covert warfare, corruption and poor governance stoked the greatest threat to Russian president’s rule”. https://on.ft.com/43WnhHY Excerpts: “Although… Read More »

Stephen Kotkin on Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia at GoodFellows

Stephen Kotkin on Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia at Goodfellows by the Hoover Institution Can China’s current authoritarian model hold without destroying its economy, and what’s the near-term outlook for the war in Ukraine? Stephen Kotkin, an authority on geopolitics and authoritarian regimes joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane to… Read More »

Ukraine War – are realists right? A Munk Debate

Excellent debate on the Ukraine war between realism and freedom. The question posed to the audience was badly formulated – “ending the war starts with acknowledging Russia’s security interests”.In essence both sides accept the proposition.Everybody agrees that we must strive to end the war as soon as possible.The discusion then is about what are these… Read More »

Russians in Germany clash over the war in Ukraine

On May 9, Russians’ demonstration in Berlin showed huge divisions. Many Russians have been brainwashed by Kremlin’s propaganda. Some showed clear support to Putin and to his narrative of the “special operation” to erradicate nazism from Ukraine. Others opposed the war and some even supported Ukraine. German authorities had to show neutrality and prevent political… Read More »

Russia and the Myth of NATO Provocations

Peter Zeihan, geopolitics analyst and author, on the myth that Nato provoked Russia and therefore is to blame for the Ukraine invasion: Zheian has been focussing on the tensions within Russia and around its borders. This piece written in December 2021, 2 months before the invasion provides interesting insights into Russia’s possible motives.https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/a-ukraine-war-and-the-end-of-russia I’ve seen… Read More »

The Cold War Never Ended – Ukraine, the China Challenge, and the Revival of the West – by Stephen Kotkin

A great essay by Stephen Kotkin appears in the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs. It is an essential read to understand the current geopolitical situation. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2022-04-06/cold-war-never-ended-russia-ukraine-war Excerpts: Does anyone have a right to be surprised? A gangster regime in the Kremlin has declared that its security is threatened by a much smaller neighbor – which,… Read More »

Reality distorsion in Russian media – Ukrainians under Stockholm syndrome for their government?

The level of reality distorsion by Russian official media is amazing. This article at RIA Novosti claims that Ukrainians suffer from the Stockholm syndrome at the hands of its government that has been keeping them hostage for years.(Probably since 2014 when they deposed a russian puppet president, and subsequently held free elections the last one… Read More »

Sergey Karaganov, top Russian thinker shows Russia’s terrifying hand on Ukraine – Bruno Maçães interview

An extraordinary interview by Bruno Maçães (@MacaesBruno) on The New Statesman to a top Russian political scientist with great influence on the Kremlin’s foreign policy. Here Sergey Karaganov shows Russia’s hand in this conflict and it is a threatening one. Some key points: Ukraine’s invasion was inevitable under Putin’s vision. “Maybe three or four years… Read More »