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Opinion

Konstantin Pakhalyuk

What Does the Kremlin Mean by ‘Russophobia?'

Moscow says they’re banning “Russophobia.” But they’re really banning criticism of the country’s policies.
Jason Corcoran

Honeytrap Russian Spy Scandal Shows Ireland Is Europe’s Soft Underbelly

While Ireland speculates about which politician was seduced into working for a Russian spy, Dublin must reckon with their exposure to hybrid warfare.
4 Min read
Andras Toth-Czifra

Could Putin’s ‘New Elite’ of Soldier-Politicians Backfire?

Artyom Zhoga was chosen as the Kremlin’s representative in the Urals. But the ambitions of these veterans and commanders could grow.
5 Min read
Jack Margolin

Russia’s Convict Soldiers Put Quantity Over Quality on the Battlefield

Moscow cannot rely forever on recruiting convicts to fight in Ukraine. The costs of this Wagner-inspired approach are becoming clear.
6 Min read
Alexander Kolyandyr

How the West Seeks to Make Russia's Sanctions Evasion More Expensive

Washington and Brussels appear to believe making it more expensive to get around Western restrictions will fuel inflation in Russia and boost inefficiency...
5 Min read
Saahil Menon

Why Russia Is Promoting Itself as an Anti-Woke Sanctuary

A new special visa for Westerners who feel progressivism has gone too far is more than the “humanitarian” endeavor the Kremlin says it is.
5 Min read
Andreas Umland

We Can’t Be Cowed by Russia’s New Nuclear Doctrine. It’s Business as Usual

Putin is trying to scare Kyiv’s allies away from supporting Ukraine's defense. The West cannot allow Russia’s PR war to win the real war.
4 Min read
Rövşən Məmmədli

Does the Russia-Iran Rift in the Caucasus Create an Opportunity for the West?

Moscow’s backing for Azerbaijan’s Zangezur Corridor project presents a much-needed engagement opportunity for the West in the contested region.
4 Min read
Sofia Johanson

Muzzled in the West, RT Still Reaches Audiences Across the Globe

RT thinks it's an embattled underdog against the hegemonic West — a perspective appealing to the Global South countries it targets.
5 Min read
Jason Corcoran

Russia’s Violent 1990s Re-Erupted With Wildberries Shootout

In a scene straight out of a mobster's playbook, the chaos that once ruled the streets has returned to the Moscow boardroom.
5 Min read
Abubakar Yangulbaev

Why Were No Chechens or Prisoners of Kadyrov Included in the Prisoner Swap?

Chechnya’s history is inseparable from why the exchange happened in the first place. The fact no Chechens were freed is a glaring omission.
3 Min read
Olesia Horiainova

Finland Is Awake to the Russian Threat. Is the Rest of the West?

The sense of security enjoyed by many European countries, especially NATO members, can be misguided and lead to serious consequences.
5 Min read
Elena Davlikanova

J.D. Vance Is Wrong About Ukraine … Again

The Republican Vice President has based his so-called peace plan for Ukraine on bad ideas and myths that jeopardize the embattled country’s future.
5 Min read
Andras Toth-Czifra

To See How Badly Russia Is Governed, Look at the Kremlin’s Response to Kursk

By its very nature, the Russian system is slow and ineffective at reacting to unexpected challenges and implementing solutions.
6 Min read
Mikhail Krutikhin

Why Is Ukraine Still Helping Fuel Russia’s War Machine?

If Kyiv stopped allowing Russian gas to flow to Europe through its pipelines, it would cut off a huge source of revenue to the Kremlin’s military budget...
2 Min read
Vladislav Inozemtsev

What Will Shake Russians' Apathy Toward the War?

In an atomized society, individuals are almost exclusively concerned with their personal interests. It is only once those interests are threatened that...
4 Min read
Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul Southern

Telegram's Free Speech Ethos Cannot Excuse the Horrific Crimes It Facilitates

Human trafficking, terrorism, sextortion and other atrocities are not free speech.
7 Min read
Ian Garner

In Seeking to Humanize Russian Soldiers, ‘Russians at War’ Glosses Over Their Atrocities

Anastasia Trofimova’s controversial film skirts around questions of Ukrainian humanity and suffering, the agency of Russian soldiers and her own documentary...
5 Min read
Yelena Kotyonochkina

How Russia Perfected the Art of Blocking Independent Candidates From Elections

This year’s regional and municipal elections set a new record for the number of candidates not registered. That is by design.
8 Min read
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