Russia

The West’s failure regarding Russia was not born of naivety alone. It was interest-driven blindness: German corporations wanted cheap gas, British banks wanted Russian money, shipping companies wanted open routes, and most actors simply saw what they wanted to see.
The 2022 invasion of Ukraine should have made it unequivocally clear that this is not about misunderstandings, but a deliberate strategy of territorial expansion. Nor is Russia as isolated as Western media often portray. The country has consolidated ties with China, Iran, and parts of the Global South, while sanctions have dented its economy without altering its course.
This category covers Russia as a geopolitical actor: the war, the Kremlin’s strategies, relations with the West, and the long-term consequences for European security.