How Russia became a franchise of the Wagner Group
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s coup was the beginning, not the end of a new age of mercenary conflict.
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Discover the latest New Statesman content on Russia, exploring the politics, culture and economy of the nation. Insightful coverage and analysis of the war in Ukraine and Putin’s presidency.
Britain’s gift to Putin
British companies continue to play a significant part in Russia’s economy of oil and gas.
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I am once again woken up by the unpleasant buzzing of Russian drones
Also this week: Volodymyr Zelensky’s purchasing power and cross-pollination warfare.
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How Putin will respond to “Russia’s Pearl Harbour”
Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian airfields shows Zelensky still has cards to play.
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Poland has chosen the politics of reaction
This presidential election shows a country irreconcilably split between its liberal and conservative halves.
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The religious fever of Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day
In today’s Russia, state, Church, and War have become inseparable.
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Can Putin afford peace?
The end of the war could also mean the end of Russia’s economic illusion.
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What Russia can teach us
From Tolstoy to Shostakovich, Russian culture shaped Europe. We must not lose it.
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Steve Rosenberg: the last man in Moscow
The BBC reporter talks courting Putin, playing piano with Gorbachev, and the rising tensions of a nation at war.
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Vladimir Putin is winning in Riyadh
Handed an advantage by Donald Trump, the talks so far are bringing Russia closer to victory.
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The EU is becoming an engine of war
Building the union was never a “peace project”. But European hard power is now its leaders’ greatest priority.
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Putin’s endgame
With a fractured West and a pliable US president, he sees no reason to abandon his war on Ukraine.
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The NHS England power grab
Also this week: The miracle of organ donation and the beauty of the bullfinch.
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European leaders still aren’t facing reality on Ukraine
No matter how they spin it, there is no practical alternative to American military power.
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How Russia uses sex to ensnare Western diplomats
Even in our age of high-tech cyber espionage, the oldest tricks can be the most effective.
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Volodymyr Zelensky’s war of wills
For those fighting for their country’s survival, the president’s defiance is prized above his diplomacy.
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The Tories’ anti-Farage opportunity
Donald Trump has given the Conservatives a new dividing line with Reform.
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Trump cuts Ukraine off
The US president has halted military aid to Volodymyr Zelensky’s war-torn country, effective immediately.
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The strange rise of the pro-Russia right
Sympathy for Vladimir Putin among conservatives is both a threat and an opportunity for liberals.
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Xi and Putin vie to exploit the second Trump age
By voting for Russia and against Ukraine at the UN, the US president has shown which side of the war…
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