Detailansicht

<p><span>The short period of time stretching from the dramatic Constitutional amendments of January 2020, to the war launched by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine in February, 2022, marks a sharp turning point in post-Soviet Russian history. The author explains how Russia got to that point of war. Although Putin, termed eternal because of amendments that allow him to run for two more terms as president, is everywhere in it, the book is a study of Russia writ large. It features the political uproar over the Navalny phenomenon, the ravages of the pandemic, manifestations of climate change, and intensifying confrontations between Russia on one side, Ukraine, NATO and the US on the other. The book provides a who, what, where and when of the short but volatile period prior to the outbreak of war, and offers a tentative why it happened. Discussed, too, are the highs and lows of Putins popularity; the effectiveness, or not, of economic sanctions, and Moscows pivot to the east. Whereas Putin is a more obvious villain in the unhappy tale, the author makes it clear that Ukrainian and Western leaders are by no means blameless for this state of affairs.</span></p><p></p>

The book details events in Russia over the two years before Putin launched his war against Ukraine, provides reasons why he did so and suggests potential consequences of that war. Russia¿s presidency, its economy, media and quality of life are featured, along with foreign affairs, political dissent and problems posed by the pandemic, climate change and political dissent.