"There was great optimism about Russia in the 90s as it emerged from decades of authoritarian control. This has gone into reverse since 2014, and its messy geopolitical divorce from the Western world is accelerating."
As a teenager, Jonathan Fink was a Russophile. While in college, he lived in Russia to deepen his knowledge. He found that in the 90's, the Russian people were humbled but not scornful of foreigners. Today, he says the Russian climate is much different, and it's part of what has brought the country to a possible near coup during the invasion of Ukraine, with Putin finding himself unexpectedly sparring off with the head of the state-funded paramilitary organization, The Wagner Group.
On his YouTube channel, The Silicon Curtain, Fink interviews academics and thought leaders on the topic of Russia, with a focus on "propaganda, digital disinformation, politics, corruption, hybrid warfare, weaponized conspiracy theories, social echo chambers and digital dystopias." Today on Ukraine 2 4 2, Fink explains how these tactics have created chaos and self harm, leaving Russians with no centralized opinion on the war, if any at all.