Vladimir Putin extends his crackdown in Russia
Even troublesome war supporters are targeted
On January 25th a Russian court sentenced Igor Girkin, a former officer of the FSB, Russia’s main security service, to four years in a penal colony for the crime of “public incitement of extremist activity”. His arrest last July, days after he had criticised Vladimir Putin’s wartime decisions and called the Russian president a “cowardly mediocrity” on social media, has sent shockwaves through Russia’s active community of pro-war nationalists, many of whom deem him a hero.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “With friends like these”
Europe February 10th 2024
- A mounting crisis of confidence confronts Olaf Scholz
- Madrid is booming. Growing while keeping its cool will be the tricky part
- Vladimir Putin extends his crackdown in Russia
- Poland is trying to restore the rule of law without violating it
- Europe is importing a solar boom. Good news for (nearly) everyone
From the February 10th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down