Russia, a country of perpetual war
Russia is an interesting society: if you ask any Russian if he or she thinks that Russia is governed well, the answer will be...
Russia has failed as a state
2022 was the year of Russia. Russia was in the focus of the world’s attention. The war to started in Europe for some came...
The lack of ideology makes Russian society fragile
Russian war with Ukraine is Europe's most severe geopolitical crisis after WWII. Yet, after more than 14 months of the war, there are still...
Beijing allows Moscow to bow in obedience
Starting a war with Ukraine, Putin proclaimed it a fight for Russia's independence and sovereignty. A year later, Xi Jinping's visit to Russia came...
Is ICC’s warrant a moment of truth for Russia?
The International Criminal Court has issued a war crime warrant for Putin. Leaders of strong states do not receive such warrants because strong leaders...
One year later, why do Russians still support the war?
After February 24, 2022, it became apparent that most Russians supported what Putin called "a special military operation." Yet, weeks later, most Russians still...
Any “red lines” left for Putin?
"Red lines" have become a ubiquitous narrative of Russian-initiated conflict with the West. Putin repeatedly used "red lines" as a warning metaphor for the...
Putin’s USSR 2.0 project to be undermined by his satellites
On January 18, 2023, the EU released a "joint motion for a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh," planning to...
Annexation of Ukrainian oblasts to undermine the Russian Constitution
On September 30, 2022, Russia declared its annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Not only none of the oblasts...
The Perils of Russian mobilisation
The unexpected military defeat in the Kharkiv oblast and major reversals in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts has forced Vladimir Putin to announce...