Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***RussiaEven as it continues to make small advances in its war against Ukraine, Russia has been focused on larger geopolitical issues over the last two weeks. The start of the Olympics in Paris highlighted Russia’s continued exclusion from the international community. Rather than attempting to reintegrate into the Olympic community, Russian leaders have largely rejected the Olympics, with Russian media describing them as “the Olympics of Hell” while Russian athletes eligible to participate as individuals were pressured to withdraw. This has led Western media to describe Russia as being in line to “win the gold … for sour grapes.” Russian operatives seeking to derail the games were arrested prior to their start and the French interior minister has voiced the possibility that Russia may have been involved in the coordinated attacks against the French train system on the day of the opening ceremony. Russia has also been tied to the effort to create controversy around the gender identity of two Olympic boxing medalists.The exchange of prisoners between Russia and a number of Western states on Aug. 1 brought to mind similar exchanges from the Cold War period. Vladimir Putin’s presence on the tarmac when the released Russians arrived in Moscow highlighted the significance of the exchange for him. In exchanging 16 Westerners imprisoned for various largely imaginary offenses and Russian political prisoners for an FSB hitman and several spies and financial criminals, Putin has highlighted his mantra that Russia will never abandon its own. He has also exiled several prominent opposition activists whose departure from Russia may help to undermine their domestic authority.Vadim Krasikov (with baseball cap) on 1 August 2024 at Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, after prisoner exchange. Image via Wikimedia Commons.North KoreaRussia appears to have resumed using
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Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***RussiaEven as it continues to make small advances in its war against Ukraine, Russia has been focused on larger geopolitical issues over the last two weeks. The start of the Olympics in Paris highlighted Russia’s continued exclusion from the international community. Rather than attempting to reintegrate into the Olympic community, Russian leaders have largely rejected the Olympics, with Russian media describing them as “the Olympics of Hell” while Russian athletes eligible to participate as individuals were pressured to withdraw.
