Russia’s doping scandal is only the symptom of a much larger problem.
Russia
Russia won’t let me go. I became fascinated by Russia as a boy when my parents gave me a 700-page book of Russian fairy-tales one Christmas. The fact the Soviet Union was closed, far away and America’s mortal enemy added to the country’s mystique. I devoured every book on Russia I could get my hands on. When I went to college, I started studying Russian.
What continues to intrigue me is that no matter how close I get to Russia and Russians, I always end up feeling like a foreigner. Despite all the Western influence, Russia preserves its distinctiveness, belonging to neither Europe nor Asia.
Vladimir Putin Feels Your Pain
The Kremlin’s call-in program is like a surreal game show where an entire country asks one contestant questions — and his answers are always right.
He Came, He Saw, He Withdrew From Syria
The main unspoken reason for the Kremlin’s Syria mission was to re-establish Russia as a global player on par with the United States.
Do You Suffer from Russophobia? The Kremlin Thinks You Might.
Ever since my first visit to Russia in 1991, Russians have asked me why I decided to learn their language and travel to their country. My answer was simple.
Vladimir Putin Picks Turkey Over US as the Enemy in Annual Q&A
In a world of fake news and imitation politics, nobody knows what Russians really think of Putin — or how deep their loyalty lies.
Vladimir Putin Targets Turkey First, Terror Second in State-of-Russia Speech
Putin’s speech was an exercise in self-hypnosis by an autocracy incapable of rejuvenating itself.
Bordering on War
For Putin, the Russian jet is the third downed plane to warn of the unintended consequences of armed intervention in a little more than a year.
How Putin Has Turned the Paris Attacks to His Advantage
Grabbing on to Hollande’s coattails, Putin has rediscovered Russia’s struggle against ISIS.
Syria Is the Next Arena on Vladimir Putin’s Comeback Tour
The Russian president has stepped back on center stage by appointing himself the indispensable arbiter in Syria’s civil war.
How Vladimir Putin’s Skewed View of World War II Threatens his Neighbors and the West
Remembering the Great Victory is more than an instrument to consolidate Russians. It has also become a way to prepare people for war.
