Putin
Putin is no Peter the Great
Putin has a penchant for history, but only insofar it flatters him and his views. Last year, he gifted the…
‘Famine is part of Russia’s strategy’
President Zelensky’s economic adviser on the reality of Putin’s tactics
The West is watching the war in Ukraine like it’s sport
Every time I hear a politician speak of Munich, I suspect that something is amiss. Last week, President Zelensky accused…
Could Putin be toppled?
The former head of MI6 on where Russia has gone wrong – and what happens next
Soldiering on
Given Putin’s less than triumphant operation in Chechnya, where the Russian army suffered catastrophic losses, it is hardly surprising that…
Sanction Schröder
From the start of the war in Ukraine, the democratic world has shown striking unity in the economic boycott of…
Theatre of war
Russians must mobilise their own culture against Putin
Ancient and modern
Did Vladimir Putin ever use his infamous ‘historical’ account of Russia-Ukraine relations to consider how Ukrainians might react to his…
Read: Vladimir Putin’s victory day speech in full
The following is The Spectator’s translation of Putin’s speech for victory day 2022. Most respected citizens of Russia, dear veterans,…
Rough justice
What is a just war? Those who, from St Augustine onwards, have debated the question usually begin with Cicero, the…
Morale support
Commentators talk much about the morale of the Ukrainian troops and the edge that this has given them over the…
The crop of gold
Publishers love books with ambitious subtitles such as ‘How Bubblegum Made the Modern World’, and this one’s, about American wheat…
Russia’s special relationship
Why so many African leaders support Putin
Toxic Patriarch
How Putin weaponised the Russian Orthodox church
Putin is devouring his children
Like the Greek titan Cronos devouring his own children, Vladimir Putin seems determined to turn against those he was once…
The war’s next phase
A month in, and the war in Ukraine looks very different to how anyone expected. On the first day of…
Raging against God
Patriarch Kirill is Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church; and one of his…
Inside Putin’s mind
The lessons of Chechnya
The middleman
Can Turkey’s President broker a peace deal?
Diary
‘Why the hell did you hire a lorry without a spare tyre?’ asked Rizvana. Fair question. Luckily we had just…
Francis Fukuyama on Ukraine, liberalism and identity politics
This week, Sam Leith spoke to Francis Fukuyama – the author of ‘The End of History and the Last Man’ and…
It doesn’t matter if Putin is mad
Mike Tyson put it simply: ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth’. And Vladimir Putin has…
Russia has never been a part of the West
In 1697 Tsar Peter the Great set out on a great journey across western Europe, seeking the support of European…
Why do Russian tennis stars need to condemn Putin?
Nigel Huddleston is Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, hardly the biggest job in government. Yet…
The fatal miscalculation that led to war in Ukraine
The war against Ukraine – or the ‘special military operation’ as it is compulsorily known in Moscow – has lasted…
