Russia sinks into the quagmire

Putin shows no sign of backing down from his disastrous invasion of Ukraine, but the longer the war continues the more damaging it will be to Russia.

The battle for Russia

Russia’s thuggish dictator seems determined to wage war against the world, but may soon face a battle for personal survival himself.

Russia’s real enemy is Putin

“Russiaphobia’ means fear of Russia, not hatred of Russians, and is entirely rational given Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine and threats against the rest of Europe. The biggest enemy of Russian interests isn’t “Russiaphobia” but the monster in the Kremlin.

King rat

Vladimir Putin fancies himself the king of a resurgent Russia, occupying Eastern Europe and cowing the West, but like the Bond villains he so closely resembles, his own hubris, self-indulgence and bloated self-serving ambition will ensure his downfall.

Being banned from hell is no dishonour

Being banned by Russia is a mark of honour, given the thuggish barbarity of its poisonous regime.

Russia’s doctrine of hatred

Russians have been fed a diet of lies and disinformation about Ukraine for years, stoking the inhuman actions of their troops during Putin’s invasion.

Wild honey

Russian poet Anna Akhmatova wrote that “wild honey smells of freedom” but Vladimir Putin has followed in the dark footsteps of Josef Stalin and other Soviet leaders in ruthlessly suppressing any opposition to his dictatorial rule, forcing artists to choose between leaving the country, silence, imprisonment or death.

The corporate exodus from Russia

While some global and domestic companies – not least Australia’s Canva – are still doing business with Russia, a swathe of corporate pull outs in the wake of intense public pressure to do the right thing is increasing the economic and social pressure on Putin’s criminal regime.

Russia’s reign of thieves

The pernicious effects of decades of authoritarianism and endemic corruption have been vividly on display during Russia’s botched invasion of Ukraine.

Why Europe’s far right sticks with Putin

European leftists instinctively sided with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but now it’s far right populists in the USA, France, Hungary and elsewhere who excuse Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and oppose help for that embattled country.

Russia’s long slide into pariah status

Russia’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine is the culmination of its long slide into the diplomatic abyss. Only Eritrea, Belarus, North Korea and Syria voted against the UN resolution condemning the attack.

Generation “Z”

Just as generations of Russian children were brainwashed into accepting communism, so young people today are being indoctrinated to support Putin’s brutal internal repression and aggressive foreign wars in the name of fervent nationalism.