Moscow at first responded to the war cautiously, but was in the end forced to intervene decisively. Was this a geopolitical coup or was Moscow’s hand forced?
International observers said that despite some irregularities, overall the vote was free and competitive. But the losing parties are nevertheless protesting and refusing to enter parliament.
The book dispels a widely held misperception in the West that Putin is an omnipotent puppet-master, pulling all the strings in Russian disinformation operations. The reality is not so exotic.