“What’s the point of a world without Russia in it?” asked a well-known politician, now a wanted war criminal, back in 2018. A less prominent Russian figure echoed this sentiment in 2024, though less threateningly, when he remarked, “The disintegration of Russia would be a catastrophe, not only for our country and people but a tragedy for the world. The first quote belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the second to one of his biggest critics, dissident Illya Yashin. Despite their many disagreements, both appear oblivious to the root cause of Moscow’s aggression – an empire built on …
