Putin Decides That Stalin’s Victims Were Guilty After All
Authorities in Moscow once exonerated people who were tortured, imprisoned, and killed during the Soviet era. The current president wants to undo that.
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Illustration by Allison Zaucha / The Atlantic. Sources: Heritage Images / Getty; Fototeca Gilardi / Getty; DeAgostini / Getty; Alexander Zemlianichenko / AFP / Getty. What Putin’s No. 2 Believes About the West
A secret-service overlord’s delusional outlook becomes the party line in Russia—with global implications.
Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters The Sanctions Against Russia Are Starting to Work
Economic penalties gain force over time, and for average Russians, the pain is finally setting in.
Contributor / Getty Putin Is Worried, So He Turned to Anti-Semitism
His recent rhetoric targeting Jews suggests that his grip on power may be loosening.
Antonio Masiello / Getty A Neutral Ukraine Is a Dangerous Idea
Even if Kyiv agrees not to align with the West, Putin will have other demands.
Petros Giannakouris / AP What’s Behind Putin’s Dirty, Violent Speeches
Although seemingly spontaneous, the Russian president’s deployment of vulgar language has almost always been intentional and strategic.
The Atlantic ; Kay Nietfeld/Picture Alliance/Getty Putin Pays Backhanded Tribute to Democracy
In his new bid to cling to power, Russia’s authoritarian president pretends to obey constitutional norms.
Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Russian Jokes Tell the Brutal Truth
In a repressive society, dark political jokes allow regular people to describe what they see with their own eyes.
Grigory Dukor / Reuters
