vladimir putin
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Europeans might be ready to talk to Russia but they’re struggling to find the right envoy. Who might make Putin listen?
The EU is facing growing pressure to mediate talks with Russia – but picking the best person for the role could be the hardest job of all.
‘Putin is poisoning generations of Russians’: Mikhail Kasyanov on the future of the nation he once led
The former prime minister shared his thoughts on the current state of Russia, its leader and what the next 10 years might hold.
Forbidden cities
Syria's ancient capital Damascus beckons intrepid travellers despite years of civil war, offering glimpses of enduring beauty amid the watchful gaze of an authoritarian state.
Clock and dagger
As the war in Ukraine rumbles on, Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, is relying on Russia’s spy network to prevent his downfall.
Bubbling under
Speculation about the blasts that wrecked the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been rife. Is the truth about to surface?
Do cultural boycotts work?
In the midst of occupation, is it effective to ban a nation's ballet, artistic output from an institution's syllabi or musicians from playing? As Russia's war continues, we consider the efficacy of cultural boycotts.
Affairs
Andrew Mueller surveys the military hardware that will reshape modern warfare in the years to come.
The peacemaker
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has become the face of diplomacy against a country seemingly hell-bent on ignoring common sense.
The hard or soft option
When war tests diplomacy's limits, which nations wielded cultural influence most effectively? Our annual survey reveals surprising winners in the soft-power stakes.
