Rarely have so few words sparked such widespread discussion and analysis. In a short paragraph from an autobiography published in 2000, Vladimir Putin recounts a childhood encounter with a rat that left a lasting impression on him. The story has since taken on a life of its own, becoming a prevalent narrative used to understand …
A simmering political feud in Russia has unexpectedly escalated into a full-blown crisis. The leader of a private military company fighting alongside Russia’s official military forces in Ukraine has declared war against the Russian Ministry of Defense, accusing defense bureaucrats of misleading President Vladimir Putin into a pointless conflict. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner …
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promise to keep everything under control has been challenged this week by the attack on Belgorod launched from Ukraine. The fact that a year and a half into the war, the Federal Security Service, which is responsible for borders, is not able to protect against small-scale attacks is concerning to the …