How the international media covered the Russo-Ukrainian war, July 30

In an essay in The Wall Street Journal, French author Michel Gurfinkiel writes about how the West is restoring the world order that won both world wars and the Cold War. He asserts that current geopolitical trends are consistent with the Rimland concept, or arc theory. The author of this theory, Nicholas John Spykman, believed that the strip of coastal land surrounding Eurasia was key to controlling the continent. This vision once formed the basis of containment policy. Now, the alliance between Russia and China can be restrained by the "crescent" of countries from Western Europe through the Middle East to South and East Asia. The author lists four key aspects of applying the arc strategy today. First, Russia and China are important threats: both are authoritarian and imperial powers that seek to destroy the "Western order." Secondly, the approach is still relevant, because the main development strategy of the Peopleʼs Republic of China "One Belt ― One Road" aims to include the Eurasian coastlines in the global network of its influence. Thirdly, there is currently no consensus among all potential partners of the "arc" on the need for a joint response against the alliance of China and Russia. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe is now more concerned about Russia than China, while South Asia feels the opposite. Some "arc" countries try to maintain neutrality altogether, such as Turkey. Finally, the author wonders whether the revival of the arc strategy is a conscious decision. Gurfinkiel believes that theorists have indeed rediscovered classic Anglo-American geopolitics in the early 2000s, but still lack the tools to turn theories into practice.

The Politico website published an interview with Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov. The publication describes Filatov as a man who speaks harshly, smokes constantly, has a flair for the dramatic, craves adventure ― and even has a $200,000 ticket for a flight around the orbit from Virgin Galactic. Filatov emphasizes that his first language was Russian and that he is an ethnic Russian, in fact he is a Ukrainian who contributes to the opposition to Putinʼs order. The mayor believes that Dnipro is of particular interest to the Kremlin, as it is home to large industrial facilities and "many very smart people." Also, the main flows of arms and support supplies to the front pass through the region. Filatov recalls his morning on February 24: he found out about the invasion the day before, in the evening of February 23. He criticizes President Zelensky for downplaying the threat and "promising that in May, everyone will grill kebab." Filatov recalls how he immediately coordinated with Gennadiy Korban, who at the time headed the cityʼs Territorial Defense Forces, writes Politico (here the publication made a mistake: in fact, Korban headed the Headquarters of the cityʼs Defense Council). The mayor of Dnipro is angry with Zelensky for the fact that Korbanʼs Ukrainian passport was taken away and he was not allowed to enter Ukraine. Filatov told the newspaper that he is worried about the possible usurpation of power in Ukraine due to the war, but "hopes that this is just a tragic mistake."

Foreign Policy writes about the novel "The Wizard of the Kremlin", which, although fictional, offers an interesting look at the top of the Kremlin. The author of the book is a political scientist and former advisor to the Prime Minister of Italy Giuliano da Empoli. "The Wizard of the Kremlin" is essentially a long monologue of the fictional character Baranov, whose prototype is Putinʼs former political technologist Vladyslav Surkov. Although the book was written before the start of Putinʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it offers a glimpse into what the Russian president seeks ― totalitarian control over the ruins he has created. Foreign Policy writes about the figure of Surkov, who in the late 90s helped Berezovsky and other oligarchs promote Putinʼs candidate. Berezovsky then quickly lost access to the president, but Surkov remained a close person and promoted the ideas of creating an autocracy behind the screen of a fake democracy. These theories and ideas of Surkov, the publication writes, are central to da Empoliʼs novel. Initially, the author planned to write a non-fiction about Surkov, but later realized that "a fictional story is the best way to touch a certain form of reality", and created "The Wizard of the Kremlin". "Russia is too weak to behave as a superpower," says Baranov. "Therefore, the only way to influence the world is to destabilize everyone who does not treat Russia as a significant power." Foreign Policy cites many more quotes from the main character and excerpts from the novel and advises you to read it, because fiction is perhaps the only way to understand the terrible reality that currently reigns in the Russian Federation.