Brian Whitmore is the author of RFE/RL's popular Power Vertical blog, written especially for Russia wonks and obsessive Kremlin watchers, and the host of the weekly Power Vertical Podcast.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
(The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.)
The Kremlin is crossing a very important -- and a very disturbing -- red line.
Of course Russia is prosecuting somebody for misbehaving in church. Of course he could face five years in prison. Isn't that, after all, just par for the course?
According to deputy Kremlin chief of staff Vyacheslav Volodin, there is absolutely nothing political in the Kremlin's decision to brand the Levada Center as a foreign agent.
Vladimir Putin was hoping to turn Hangzhou into Yalta. He was hoping to turn the G20 into Munich. And he failed.
By declaring the Levada Center a "foreign agent," Vladimir Putin's regime has significantly escalated its war on facts.
So we continue to learn things we have long suspected.
A 66-page report, titled Russia's Criminal Party, alleges that United Russia has essentially become a vehicle for the political legitimization of organized crime.
Geopolitical extortion in different forms shows Russia is prepared to wreak havoc and sow chaos until the West let's it have its way.
After more than two years of war in eastern Ukraine, we continue to pretend that what is happening in the Donbas is a civil war, when in fact it is the result of a Russian invasion.
The Kremlin wanted Odesa. The Kremlin wanted Zaporizhzhya. The Kremlin really wanted Kharkiv. And the Kremlin failed -- big time.
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