In a week that has seen a France beat Croatia 4-2 to become champions of the globe, we ask has this World Cup been Putin’s biggest triumph?


There were fears that world cup would be racked by hooliganism and racism, and an instead travellers to Russia in 2018 were confronted by smiles, streets parties and have learnt to not define a people by its politicians. Tim Could this world cup be as effective way of disrupting our perceptions of Russia as the GUR’s campaign to disrupt the 2016 US election?





1 Relations with NATO and its member nations2 Tensions in other European countries and relations with the former Soviet bloc4 Relations with Middle Eastern and Syria5 Relations with post-Soviet states5.1Intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea6.1 Georgia and the Caucasus6.2 Moldova6.3 Baltic states and Scandinavia7 Gas pipeline deal with Germany

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