The war in Ukraine is straining Russia’s economy and society
Despite advances on the battlefield, pressure is growing
In early November, on the anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution, Vladimir Putin gave a speech meditating on the patterns of history. The communist takeover of Russia, he said, was one of the “milestones…that determined the course of history, the nature of politics, diplomacy, economies and social structure”. The war he started in 2022 by invading Ukraine, he implied, was another such moment.
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This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “All disquiet”
From the November 30th 2024 edition
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