BUSINESS
The ruble’s fall points to pain but not collapse
Thanks to the ingenuity of finance officials and entrepreneurs, Russia remains economically resilient and can still fund its wartime budget
BUSINESS
Wagner cost Russia suspiciously little money
If Putin’s defense spending numbers are correct, it’s likely that Prigozhin overstated the size of his army
BUSINESS
The Wagner mutiny leaves Vladimir Putin as Russia's naked emperor
Few in Russia jumped to Putin's defence in the face of Prigozhin’s willingness to unleash chaos. While some officials professed loyalty to Putin during the mutiny, the Russian state’s actions spoke louder, and they spoke of a fearful neutrality. Ordinary Russians, too, showed themselves largely indifferent, if somewhat confused
BUSINESS
Putin’s nuclear scare tactics on Ukraine will fall flat
No nukes will fly until Russia faces an existential threat, such as a massive invasion of its internationally recognised territory. No matter what the Kremlin and its various messengers may say, Ukraine’s efforts to liberate its own territory do not represent such a threat, not even to Putin
BUSINESS
War in Ukraine so far favours the defence
Some military theorists have argued that modern technology has shifted the offence-defence balance in favour of defence. Ukraine’s surprising success at repelling the Russian invasion reiterates this argument, which would suggest that the much-ridiculed Russian troops may have a natural advantage as they face the current Ukrainian onslaught
WORLD
Bakhmut falls but is it really a Russian victory?
After a bruising six-month siege, the invading army is left to wonder when the feared Ukrainian counteroffensive will materialise and whether the Russian military and political leadership will force the tattered Russian forces to attack well fortified towns like Slovyansk and Kramatorsk next
BUSINESS
Nord stream sabotage mystery leaves all infrastructure more vulnerable
Knowing who was responsible for the pipelines’ disruption is key to preventing future attacks against essential undersea lines of communication and transport
BUSINESS
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine looks a lot like Saddam Hussein's war on Iran
The parallels between the course of the Russia-Ukraine and Iraq-Iran wars are hard to ignore. And sadly, if the Iraq-Iran precedent is any indication, there is no imperative for a quick peace, either
BUSINESS
Vladimir Putin has decided to normalise his war
His just-grin-and-bear-it message in his state-of-the-nation speech means that he has no idea how Russia wins
