Russia
Flying the flag for Belarusian dissidents
“Belarusian troops are not being sent to the front in Ukraine. That is because the response of a patriotic Belarusian in these circumstances would be to immediately surrender, taking their weapons with them and then…
Why ejecting Russia from Swift is largely symbolic
‘It is conceivable that all this could lead to a rapid collapse of the Putin autocracy, but we should not engage in wishful thinking. Wide-ranging economic sanctions on Russia may be needed for a lengthy…
Putin’s complaisant middle class
‘Members of both (public/private) sectors currently prioritise stability and economic security over liberal values, and both express high levels of trust in the Putin regime.’