Russia
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Navalny’s return to Russia is brave – and provocative
Will Navalny’s gamble backfire?
For years, Alexei Navalny had been – barely – tolerated by a Kremlin that was willing to permit very limited…
Alexei Navalny: a profile in courage
Vladimir Putin likes his opponents in exile: it makes them easier to portray as defectors who have turned their back…
Is Joe Biden’s administration fit for the 2020s?
Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees have been warmly received by the massed ranks of anti-Trumpists in Washington. But the warmth stateside…
The fight for liberalism
The world has many island nations, and sometimes the United States counts itself among them. We have water on either side of us,…
Putin’s festive message: the world’s naughty, but I’m nice
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. When a reclusive figure comes bearing gifts, when the air is full…
Pure genius
Of all the times and places to have been on the wrong side of history, I can’t imagine many worse…
Cold war
Russia’s bid to control the Arctic
Russians are wary of Putin’s vaccine
Never one to let a bandwagon pass by, Vladimir Putin launched his own national vaccine programme the moment Britain said…
Biden’s Brezhnev vibes
Like many other Americans who had the misfortune to live under socialism, I’ve been having lots of flashbacks lately. In…
Can you really blame Trump supporters for refusing to accept the election result?
It’s been a week and a half since Election Day and the results are still not certified — some votes…
Erdogan’s game
Why Turkey is severing its links with the West
Fish and fire
Anyone who invited the Russian composer Mily Balakirev to dinner had to be jolly careful about the fish they served.…
Our Belarusian blind spot
I’d always rather liked the Finns, until I came across the conductor Dalia Stasevska. When I asked my mother what…
Portrait of the Week
Home Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, made pupils wear face-coverings in school corridors. It didn’t take long for…
Portrait of the week
Home In fine weather with calm seas, 565 migrants in four days crossed the Channel in small craft. French officials…
Unleash chaos
How Putin plans to make the West destroy itself
Portrait of the Week
Home A coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, tested on 1,077 people, was found to induce antibodies and…
Putin plans to make the West destroy itself
There’s only one person who’ll be genuinely pleased with the UK Intelligence and Security Committee’s Russia report, finally revealed on…
These Russian cyber-attacks are a wake up call for the UK
Days before the release of the becalmed Intelligence & Security Committee (ISC) report on Russian political interference, we suddenly started…
No one loves a despot
Displaying the pristine neutrality that has made her such a popular figure, Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis apparently tweeted the following last…
Britain’s Magnitsky sanctions will hit Putin where it hurts
It’s rare for a Government minister to make an announcement that is universally welcomed in the House of Commons. But…
Empires strike back
From ancient times, empires have risen and fallen, driven by war, territorial acquisition, trade, plunder, religion, ideology, technology, culture and…
Putin’s stress test
Coronavirus is a double whammy for his regime
Covid-19 is testing Putin’s regime
Vladimir Putin is observing the old adage that you should never let a good crisis go to waste. With the…
