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Opinion

Vladimir Slivyak

The Kremlin Fiddles While Tuapse Burns

As oil fires rage and toxic slicks spread in the Black Sea, officials are downplaying what could become one of Russia’s worst environmental crises.
Charles Digges

40 Years Later, Chernobyl Remains a Lesson in the Unthinkable

We thought we’d seen the worst thing that could happen to a nuclear power plant. No one ever thought one would come under attack.
7 Min read
Dalibor Rohac

Why Bulgaria’s New Leader May Not Become Putin’s New Trojan Horse

While Rumen Radev has a history of pro-Russia comments, he's unlikely to be a new Viktor Orbán, pursuing Putin's interests in Europe.
5 Min read
Sergey Golubok

The Paradox of Prosecuting Russian Criminals

More countries should exercise universal jurisdiction to go after those who committed crimes in Ukraine. But something stands in the way.
3 Min read
Lucy Ash

Russia's Blasphemy Laws Are Just Kremlin Censorship in Disguise

Russia has become a country where torture and kidnapping children are part of a "holy war," but offending religious believers is a crime.
6 Min read
Harold Chambers

Dudayev’s Legacy Still Resonates 30 Years After His Assassination

Many of the Chechen leader's warnings about Russian nationalism and Moscow's imperialist ambitions have come true.
5 Min read
Anton Starikov

Influencers Versus Putin? What a Farce!

A Monaco-based influencer isn't the new star of the Russian opposition. But she's right that people can't stay afraid forever.
5 Min read
Anthony V. Rinna

Russia and North Korea’s Propaganda Partnership Is Taking Shape

Russia and North Korea are deepening their partnership by coordinating propaganda to shape how their alliance is seen at home and abroad.
4 Min read
Vasily Burov and Andrey Yakovlev

Ending the Ukraine War Won't Fix Russia's Economy

The war exposed problems that have been accumulating for decades and won't be sorted without intensive reforms for which there's no appetite.
6 Min read
Juuso Eskonmaa

The West's Russian Language Skills Are in Decline. That's a Strategic Mistake.

Understanding Russia's armed forces requires a combination of language skills and subject knowledge that technology cannot replace.
4 Min read
An Anonymous Writer in Russia

I'm in Russia. By Blocking Telegram, the Kremlin Is Shooting Itself in the Foot.

Even my grandmother, who has always supported Putin, simply doesn’t understand why the government would do this.
5 Min read
Tatyana Rybakova

How the Kremlin Is Considering Cracking Down on Financial Freedom

As banks intrude into customers' affairs and a draft bill plans to restrict cryptocurrencies, it's no surprise Russians turn to conspiracies.
5 Min read
Arshak Makichyan

Russia Is Redefining Genocide for Political Purposes

Moscow is cynically exploiting ignorance about the legal meaning of genocide to expand repressions at home and play the victim abroad.
6 Min read
Dmitry Gorchakov

Another Russia-Linked Nuclear Power Plant Is at Risk From War. This Time, in Iran.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant is a civilian facility. But military strikes have come too close for comfort, risking a radiological incident.
6 Min read
Jason Corcoran

Sanctioned Russian Tycoons Are Still Profiting From Industries in Europe

It is hypocritical for governments to claim they're tough on Russia's super rich when they leave the peripheries of their empires untouched.
4 Min read
Vselovod Levchenko and Charles Digges

The Northern Sea Route Is Risky – and Russia Is Not Prepared

Pivoting from the Strait of Hormuz to the Arctic risks unique environmental disasters that Russia has shown it cannot handle.
4 Min read
Dan Storyev

Russian Exiles in Europe Face a Catch-22

Russians who fled abroad can't win: their visible existence is seen as an offense, but they’re expected to loudly put their families at risk.
6 Min read
Elena Davlikanova

Negotiations Are Not Ending the Ukraine War – They Are Extending It

Even before the Iran war drove up oil prices, Washington's strategy of conceding to the Kremlin enabled Russia's continued war on Ukraine.
4 Min read
Andrei Pivovarov

For Russians in Europe, Being Quietly Anti-War Is No Longer Enough

The harsh truth is that most Russian emigres are apolitical, at best. If we want to be taken seriously, we have to be more openly against the war.
5 Min read
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