Politics
EU bans Russian-registered cars while lifting sanctions on the oligarch who helped Putin’s friends seize the media Paid Members Public
The EU’s sanctions policy continues to throw up paradoxes. Following last week’s scandal around the confiscation of personal items that Russians bring into Europe, the EU confirmed a ban on driving Russian-registered vehicles into its member states. At the same time, the European Commission lifted sanctions on three
A rehearsal before Putin’s election in 2024 Paid Members Public
Last week, Russia held federal and regional elections in 49 of its 83 regions, as well as in Crimea and the four regions of occupied Ukraine. Russians chose mayors, regional leaders and deputies for regional parliaments and the upper chamber of the Federation Council. * This year’s elections are affected
Why cars and personal items could be confiscated Paid Members Public
The European Commission made new clarifications in the sanctions regime against Russian citizens — and it became apparent that Russians are now barred from bringing any personal items into the European Union, from cars and laptops to simply a tube of toothpaste. These “new” restrictions on Russians are described in the
Russia Loses its First-Ever Lunar Station Paid Members Public
Russia attempted to launch a lunar station for the first time since the Soviet era. The Luna-25 mission was initially planned for the late 90s. But because of a combination of the failure of other space programs, a lack of funding, sanctions, and the collapse of international cooperation in space,
Market research is the latest victim of Russia’s spy obsession Paid Members Public
Amid its persistent battles against Western espionage and the driving forces behind sanctions, the State Duma has found a convenient new target — foreign firms engaged in researching Russia's consumer market. The Duma has moved to ban such companies from conducting market research, a sector where international entities have
Russia’s ban on Dozhd makes the Kremlin’s tactics against independent media clear Paid Members Public
Last week, Russian authorities designated the Dozhd broadcaster as an “undesirable” organization. Anyone who works with it – and even appearing on screen as a guest constitutes working with it – could now face criminal charges. In effect, the authorities are changing their tactics against independent Russian media, which were previously universally
Amid military escalation, Russia adopts laws “for a long war” Paid Members Public
Last week witnessed a sudden escalation in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Moscow gearing up politically and economically to address the situation. The Ukrainian military initiated a new phase of its counteroffensive, which has been underway since the start of the summer. Moscow twice came under drone attack. First,
Is Russia dying out? Our interview with a demographer Paid Members Public
Following the U.S.S.R.'s dissolution, Russia's population decline became an acute economic problem. Putin turned the "demographic solution" into his most important PR triumph. Yet the demographic crisis has resurfaced due to the pandemic and Ukraine's invasion. We spoke with
