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The Week
The Week
National
Felicity Capon

Cradle to Kremlin: how Putin’s childhood casts a shadow

Vladimir Putin Ukraine Katie Strick KGB Maria Masha Gessen Philip Short the Boston Globe Russia the Evening Standard

From rats to riches, the Russian president’s extraordinary rise to power may explain his actions in Ukraine

Ever since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and with no end to the conflict in sight, many commentators have tried to explain what motivates the Russian president.

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