Upon the advent of the new decade, it was expected that the 2020s would be challenging even without a major economic crisis or another high-impact, low-probability event after the COVID–19 pandemic.

Ideologies offer a simplified, one-dimensional view of the world. In reality, international relations are determined by a multitude of complex factors, and are often based on pragmatic considerations.

According to Van Buren, it is ‘shameful’ that the Biden administration is not forcefully pushing for a diplomatic solution, but is content to bleed out the Russians, as it did in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

To reassure the public that the government cares for the soldiers in Ukraine and their families, Putin has met with a carefully selected group of mothers whose sons are fighting or have died on the frontline in Ukraine.

The Great Patriotic War, the Russian Empire and Ukraine are the three recurring themes that constitute the pillars of the Russian President’s historical narrative.

Alexander III of Russia is known to be Putin’s favourite tsar. During his reign, he advocated for Russification, for Russia’s interests in global affairs and for the ‘inviolability of autocracy’.

Although Putin was the first world leader Xi Jinping met with outside China since the outbreak of the pandemic, Beijing is probably more interested in a West divided over Ukraine than in Russia itself.

Russia has introduced new compulsory ’patriotic rituals’ that all school children are required to perform in schools. The new patriotic lessons include discussions of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine and the ‘NATO threat’.

‘The problem is the Western European argument attached to these sanctions, namely: the greater the pressure exerted by the sanctions, the quicker peace will come. This mindset was wrong from the start because sanctions–as we saw earlier in the case of Iran– can only have an impact in the long run.’

To fully grasp the situation of Russian Christianity, it is necessary to have an understanding of the historical vicissitudes of the Church.

Since February, countless reports have been published about Putin’s health. Claims about his cancer, Parkinson’s disease and innumerable other alleged illnesses abound; however, his worsening looks could simply be the result of aging, with Putin turning 70 soon.

While most of the time Emmanuel Macron appears to be completely in line with the common position represented by the NATO allies and the European Union member states, there are occasions when he dissents.

It is our position that the Russian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the human and minority rights within its borders must be restored.

Although Vladimir Putin likes to pose as a historian, it seems that he failed to learn from history that blitzkrieg-type invasions rarely worked in the 75 years since the Second World War – emphasized Mr. Roberts.

Spain’s civil war has been widely considered as the ‘dress rehearsal’ of the Second World War, a sort of test-run for the global conflict that followed shortly. Now, the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is becoming increasingly similar to it in many of its aspects, but does that mean we’re heading in the same direction?

‘I have been able to see a distinct feature in Europe: a complete lack of solidarity among Europeans. Part of this dichotomy stems from a lack of Christian leadership.’

While on the surface Putin’s responsibility for the crisis is apparent, the reality is that Putin was provoked by the West to invade Ukraine.