Since Russia's recent invasion in Ukraine, I've been keeping up with it on the news. The coverage around the world has been quite startling (widespread as global warming should be), and so it's interesting to see your quote in relation to this; as this war is entering a new phase, with Russian forces having to backtrack, will the world's sanctions hitherto be enough? Or, will Scholz, under increasing pressure, boycott Russian energy?

Fascinating stuff. It would have been interesting to get more of a take on Putin's mental state (information the West is very happy to disseminate), as my friend who's half Russian may be alluding to when he says: "You have to understand that when Russians put these NATO points across they aren't acknowledging to you or themselves that their government is a nationalistic dictatorship... they think the way Russia is run, with no press/media freedom, diminishing human rights, oligarchs who own 99% of the country's wealth and a militaristic national identity - to them this is normal..."

Hasn't Putin been living in a literal bunker afraid of COVID and stewing over history books, where he can live in a 1960s mentality? That's a dark place to be. I hope we'll see the light.