#Putin has claimed for the second time in a week that #Zelensky is illegitimate. In the latest December issue of the R.Politik bulletin (which is free, by the way, so feel free to check it out), I wrote that the Kremlin is signaling to the West that #Zelensky needs to be removed,

Reuters' exclusive is nothing new: since last September, Putin has been signaling that Moscow was ready to talk, only recently adding that a ceasefire should not be used to rearm Ukraine. As I wrote multiple times, Putin has never intended to take control over all of Ukraine by

“Putin is encouraging lawsuits like Fridman’s … He’s a lawyer by training — he understands that a decision in favour of the oligarchs weakens the foundation of the entire sanctions mechanism” ⁦⁦max seddon⁩ on Fridmans claim against Luxembourg on.ft.com/3UOdO22

Well put

In my recent piece in Foreign Affairs, I argued that nobody in Moscow is looking for an exit strategy from the war; rather, people are prepared to fight as long as it takes. Many interpreted this as a thesis that Moscow will not negotiate with Ukraine or agree to a ceasefire.

'The shakeup has allowed Putin to kill two birds with one stone: he has gotten rid of the unpopular defense minister Shoigu, and given his replacement Belousov the task of optimizing the war effort.'

Tatiana Stanovaya on Russia’s recent government reshuffle: carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia…

Dear Friends,
We are eager to present our latest R.Politik Bulletin, issued after a short break. It covers all major personnel changes in the Russian government undertaken by Vladimir Putin in the last two weeks.

In this edition:

◽️ Mishustin And The Cabinet.
We explain why

As the Kremlin continues to expand its control over the state and society, Russian elites are increasingly embracing Putin’s war agenda—and are growing more hostile to the idea of compromise with the West, writes Tatiana Stanovaya.
trib.al/MzTpiNi

An important shift concerning Patrushev is that the channel of dialogue with the American national security adviser has now been officially transferred to Shoigu. In his new role, as Putin's aide, Patrushev no longer holds as much interest for the Americans, especially given the