At the end of 2013 veteran US statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski, known for his fierce anti-Soviet stance, wrote in the Financial Times that Russia would find it impossible to revive its former empire. But how convincing are his arguments?
Many democratically-minded Russians have seized upon the recent re-criminalisation of defamation as an further example of Russia’s regression during Putin’s third term. They miss the point, argues Poel Karp: Russia does need a law on defamation, but that law needs to apply to everyone, including t
Notions of right and left have been muddled througout Russian history. The Soviet Communists professed left-wing slogans, but practised right-wing ideologies, embracing a neo-feudalist and unfree order. Russia’s politicians continue that duality today. For Poel Karp, what Russia desperately needs
Much has been written about the Cameron visit to Moscow and why it apparently failed to do much to improve the chill in relations between Russia and Britain. We are very different, but that does not mean there is no way forward. Some kind of relationship can be developed, but the rules of the game
The elections are drawing nearer and Putin’s United Russia party has stepped up its claims to represent the real Russia and the majority of Russians. But things are never that simple. Poel Karp looks at the wider historical picture, considering the meaning of democracy and how necessary it is for
