Vladimir Putin
Q. & A.
Will Ukraine’s Incursion Into Russia Change the Trajectory of the War?
Volodymyr Zelensky’s Western allies have worried that the surprise, cross-border attack will provoke Vladimir Putin to escalate.
By Isaac Chotiner
The Lede
The Russian Prisoner Who Didn’t Want to Be Freed
The opposition figure Ilya Yashin was part of the exchange that led to the release of Evan Gershkovich. Now, in Germany, he dreams of returning to his cell in Russia.
By Joshua Yaffa
News Desk
Evan Gershkovich Is Finally Coming Home
In a multinational prisoner exchange, the Wall Street Journal reporter was freed, after being detained for more than a year in Russian jail.
By Joshua Yaffa
The Political Scene Podcast
Why Vladimir Putin’s Family Is Learning Mandarin
During the last few weeks, American political discourse has been consumed by what’s happening inside a New York City courtroom. But the world outside it hasn’t stopped.
News Desk
How Will Putin Respond to the Terrorist Attack in Moscow?
The Russian President has a long history of spinning lapses in security for his own political gain.
By Joshua Yaffa
The Political Scene Podcast
The Political Books That Help Us Make Sense of 2024
The works of fiction and nonfiction that offer clarity on the Trump-Biden rematch, U.S. foreign policy, and even Vladimir Putin.
The Weekend Essay
Has Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Improved His Standing in Russia?
As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it.
By Joshua Yaffa
The Political Scene Podcast
With Navalny’s Death, Putin Is Feeling More Confident than Ever
The New Yorker staff writer Masha Gessen reflects on Alexei Navalny’s death and what it says about Putin’s strength.
The New Yorker Radio Hour
Ty Cobb on Trump, Putin, and Navalny, and Lily Gladstone on Holding the Door Open
According to Cobb, an ex-Trump White House attorney, the former President’s preoccupation with Russia is about jealousy, not conspiracy. Plus, Gladstone talks about making Oscar history.
Postscript
The Death of Alexei Navalny, Putin’s Most Formidable Opponent
The opposition leader, who died in prison, had been persecuted for years by the Russian state. He remained defiant, and consistently funny, to the very end.
By Masha Gessen
Letter from Biden’s Washington
Trump’s Threat to NATO Is the Scariest Kind of Gaffe: It’s Real
Consider yourself warned.
By Susan B. Glasser
Essay
Can Ukraine Still Win?
As Congress continues to delay aid and Volodymyr Zelensky replaces his top commander, military experts debate the possible outcomes.
By Keith Gessen
News Desk
Tucker Carlson Promised an Unedited Putin. The Result Was Boring
In an interview that lasted more than two hours, the Russian President aired well-trod grievances and gave a lecture full of spurious history meant to justify his war in Ukraine.
By Masha Gessen
News Desk
What Could Tip the Balance in the War in Ukraine?
In 2024, the most decisive fight may also be the least visible: Russia and Ukraine will spend the next twelve months in a race to reconstitute and resupply their forces.
By Joshua Yaffa
The Political Scene Podcast
How the American Right Came to Love Putin
Many Republicans are resisting calls for more U.S. aid for Ukraine. Part of the explanation is the right’s affinity for the projects of Viktor Orbán, in Hungary, and Vladimir Putin, in Russia.
Letter from Biden’s Washington
The Week When Biden Hugged Bibi
The President, fresh off a grim trip to the Middle East, makes the case for funding Israel’s war—and Ukraine’s, too.
By Susan B. Glasser
Q. & A.
Should the West Threaten the Putin Regime Over Ukraine?
The historian Stephen Kotkin on the state of the war and the dangers of a Russian Tet Offensive.
By David Remnick
The Political Scene Podcast
Should Biden Push for Regime Change in Russia?
The Russia scholar Stephen Kotkin says that Ukraine must exchange Russia-held territory for security guarantees. But the U.S. must also threaten Putin’s hold on power.
Essay
The Case for Negotiating with Russia
Samuel Charap is asking Ukraine and its allies to consider how much worse the war could get.
By Keith Gessen
Postscript
Putin’s Deadly Revenge on Prigozhin
The killing of Wagner’s leader, who is presumed dead after his private plane crashed en route to St. Petersburg, won’t address the deeper sources of stress affecting the Russian President’s grip on power.
By Joshua Yaffa