In Moscow's Shadows 56: Jaw-Jaw so Far, not War-War (brief thoughts on the state of play)
After the Blinken-Lavrov talks, a brief one-segment podcast with a few thoughts on the current state of the dialogue, the risks of conflict, and the chances that Moscow will formally recognise the Don...
22 Jan 202222min
Twelve Days of Shadowy Christmas 2021-22 (7): Russia’s Planet Business in 2022
One of the short bonuses provided to Patrons over the 2021-22 Christmas and New Year season, released later: usually a month, in this case a fortnight, as I think it's worth hearing early in the year!...
12 Jan 202214min
In Moscow's Shadows 55: Kazakhstan, through the Russian lens
A Russian-led force deploying into Kazakhstan has inevitably had some people talking invasion, some stabilisation. I make no claims to being a Kazakhstan expert and look forward to people who are havi...
9 Jan 202239min
In Moscow's Shadows 54: Naughty or Nice? What 2022 May Hold For Russia's Rulers
To kick off the year, rather than making some grand predictions about Russia, instead I speculate as to what 2022 may offer Putin, Patrushev, Mishustin, Shoigu, Kirienko and Kadyrov. So much will depe...
1 Jan 202231min
In Moscow's Shadows 53: Trick or Treaties - Russia's proposals to 'resolve' the current crisis
A short, one-segment piece on Russia's proposed new treaties and how, despite what their deputy foreign minister may say, we have to treat them as the basis for some kind of negotiation, and see what ...
19 Des 202120min
In Moscow's Shadows 52: Nightmares before Christmas? Ukraine and the Russian underworld
Quite what is Russia's game plan over Ukraine? It seems hard to explain through common sense, so I conduct a thought experiment: what would Putin have to be thinking to believe that a war, with all th...
12 Des 202140min
In Moscow's Shadows 51: Ukraine, Prisons, Legitimacy and Lombards...
Something of a miscellany. First of all, latest thoughts - that turn out to be disappointingly inconclusive - about what's going on with Ukraine. Then reflections on the appointment of a career cop a...
28 Nov 202139min
In Moscow's Shadows 50: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belarus and Ukraine
In the first part, a little exploration of MID, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its decline - and yet why it still ought not to be taken lightly. Then in the second half I look at the current crises ...
21 Nov 202147min
