tsar he models himself on, Vladimir Putin is about to be anointed as Russia’s ruler for another six years. Thewill be a sham. But it should nonetheless be a wake-up call for the West. Far from collapsing, Russia’s regime has proved resilient. And Mr Putin’s ambitions pose a long-term threat that goes far beyond Ukraine. He could spread more discord in Africa and the Middle East, cripple theand put nuclear weapons in space.
shows, its resilience has several foundations. Russia’s economy has been re-engineered. Oil exports bypass sanctions and are shipped to the global south. Western brands fromhave been replaced with Chinese and local substitutes. In textbooks and the media a seductive narrative of nationalism and Russian victimhood is promulgated. Dissent at home has been strangled. Mr Putin’s most charismatic political rival, Alexei Navalny, was murdered in the gulag in February.
During the cold war, the Soviet Union posed both a military and an ideological threat to the free world. The West successfully contained it and, after it collapsed, welcomed its democratic and market reforms. Mr Putin, who took over in 1999, has rolled back Russian democracy, slowly at first, but more rapidly after young, urban Russians staged mass protests in the 2010s.
What should the West do? America and Europe have bet on two strategies: defending Ukraine and sanctions. Arming and financing Ukraine’s defenders remains the most cost-effective way to thwart Russian aggression, yet the West’s resolve to keep doing so is scandalously wavering.
Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SkyNews - 🏆 35. / 67 Read more »
Source: Channel4News - 🏆 27. / 68 Read more »
Source: TIME - 🏆 93. / 53 Read more »
Source: HuffPostUK - 🏆 108. / 51 Read more »
Source: FT - 🏆 113. / 51 Read more »
Source: TIME - 🏆 93. / 53 Read more »