The war in Ukraine and the current situation in Russia are receiving considerable attention, and several books offer an overview. Marlène Laruelle presents a broad panorama of the evolution of the political situation in Russia over the last thirty years. While the country is marked by Vladimir Putin's absolute power, the author seeks to reveal the ideological underpinnings of his regime. She also demonstrates that it relies on producers of ideology. This appears to be a hodgepodge of remnants of Soviet grandeur and the Orthodox Church, of grand Russianism and Eurasian nationalism. Power rests on the Silovskies (the successors to the KGB) and on technocrats entirely devoted to the power-hungry regime, but with little interest in ideology. Recently, new elements have emerged, described as Generation Z (which symbolizes the war in Ukraine), with a heightened sense of patriotism. The regime manipulates and utilizes these various supporters according to its needs at any given moment, sometimes employing anti-Western sentiment, sometimes appealing to religion and Tsarism, and sometimes extolling Stalinist patriotism and the grandeur of the secret services. All these elements seek only one thing: to instill in the regime a sense of grandeur and, above all, a cult of imperial power, as evidenced by the violence of the aggression against Ukraine.
Indeed, the invasion of Ukraine has, if further proof were needed, demonstrated the imperial ambitions within the Kremlin. Journalist Elsa Vidal, an expert on the Russian situation, suggests that there may still be some reasons not to completely despair. While the regime, with a flurry of official pronouncements, claims that the Russian population supports the war, the reality appears more complex. Much like in the waning days of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, Russians prefer to give their approval in principle so that the authorities will "leave them alone," which is often the case in large cities. She highlights the various forms of resistance, most often invisible to the media. However, she also shows that in the peripheries, the authorities seek to disseminate their propaganda on a massive scale, and that the persuasive methods used allow for the support of a segment of the population. She also emphasizes that we shouldn't be under any illusions; the peace movement remains a minority force in Russia.
Francine-Dominique Liechtenham's impressive work underscores the influence of the Russian Army. This is a constant throughout the country's history. The Russian army has always supported the expansionist ambitions of those in power, whether imperial, communist, or Putin-led. The second constant is that this army has no regard for "human resources"; soldiers are considered cannon fodder, and it has always sought to annihilate the adversary, most often without success. The third constant of this military-industrial complex, besides appropriating the country's wealth for its own profit, is to acquire and develop new technologies while maintaining the principle of maximizing the use of recruits. It is this dual strategy that Ukrainians are currently experiencing: on the one hand, a front line where soldiers are sent to the slaughter, and on the other hand, highly sophisticated weaponry capable of destroying the enemy's rear.
Indeed, on the other side of the border, accounts of the Russian behemoth and the devastation of war abound, as demonstrated by the two books on Ukraine.
The risks of war and Russia's imperialist ambitions are beginning to manifest themselves in other territories. Recently, a group has emerged announcing the creation of a "People's Republic of Narva," a city in Estonia with a large Russian-speaking minority. Similarly, Russian ambitions are asserting themselves in Lithuania and Latvia.
The author revisits this issue, along with several others, illustrating the slow annexation of the Baltic states by the USSR in 1939 and then again in 1945, which was accompanied by the repression of all forms of opposition in these three countries for several decades. The independence movements, combined with the collapse of the USSR, fostered the resurgence of three republics that, despite their membership in NATO and the European Union, remain under threat of irredentist claims from Russia. The book analyzes this situation primarily from a geopolitical perspective, but it also sheds light on Russia's imperial ambitions and, above all, the strategies implemented by these countries to avoid being absorbed by their neighbor, with whom they share a common border. Russia is attempting to exploit their numerical weakness by seeking to destabilize them through maneuvers involving the manipulation of information and social media.
The works of Serhiy Jan and Tetyana Ogarka and Volodymyr Yermolenko recount the war from the perspective of civilians and victims.
Life on the Edge brings together testimonies from residents of Ukrainian regions directly threatened by the Russian invasion. The authors describe ordinary people, the evolution of their perception of daily life, and also offer a reflection on the notion of survival in these devastated areas. They also reveal Russia's war aims: to destroy all forms of intellectual, cultural, and social life. They also place their analysis within a broader historical context, emphasizing that this scorched-earth policy of massive and almost systematic destruction of all forms of life echoes the strategies used by the Soviets and Nazis in other periods of history.
The Kharkiv stories explore the situation of a city just a few kilometers from the front line. The city has been partially destroyed since the Russian invasion, but part of the population continues to live there. Jadan illustrates his narrative with numerous drawings that convey the anticipation of what will happen next, the fear of bombings; like a diary, they are snapshots of a city at war that continues to live despite the omnipresence of death and the sounds of fighting. He also explores the solidarity and sense of brotherhood that bind the inhabitants through short, often impactful texts.
What Do Russians Think?
Elsa Vidal
Gallimard 2026 156 pp. EUR18.50
The Political Ideas of Putin's Russia
Marlène Laruelle
PUF 2026 356 pp. EUR25
The Russian Army
Francine-Dominique Liechtenham
Perrin 2026 528 pp. EUR24.90
Life on the Edge
Tetyana Ogarka and Volodymyr Yermolenko
Gallimard 2026 292 pp. EUR22
No One Will Ask for Anything
Serhiy Jadan
Noir sur Blanc 2026 128 pp. EUR19
Céline Bayou
The Baltic States Facing the Russian Threat
Tallandier 2026 336 pp. EUR19.90
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8902
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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