Two quick things

Tis the grading season. I have papers and/or exams to grade in all of my classes, so this week’s edition will be short. Here are two quick things that caught my eye this week.

First, Russia is increasing its government spending…by a lot. This year they have already exceeded their budget by nearly $30 billion. And in the newly released budget for next year there are greater increases. There is also a category of “secret spending”. The increased spending tells us the war is not over and that Russia is preparing for a long fight. They are not looking to slow down their activity or to reduce their aims in Ukraine.

The other interesting aspect of this story is that the Russian government is worried how the public might react to this increase in spending. They have instructed state media not to report on because they fear “it could become a trigger” to public discontent. Russia does not have an unlimited supply of resources or support. The Russian government understands this even if some in the West do not.

The second story is an investigation by the outlet The Insider, which is focused on Russia. The investigation uncovered evidence that Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison, and that is what led to his death. The documents they were able to obtain show that Navalny was experiencing symptoms consistent with poisoning and that reporting of these symptoms were removed by Russian authorities.

It is confirmation of what most people suspected, Navalny did not die of natural causes. While even if he did die of “natural causes”, these would have been related to the conditions of his unjust imprisonment. But with this evidence, we can confidently put another mark in Putin’s column of murdered opponents. You wonder why someone who is so popular with his people and so secure in his support consistently murders political rivals.

Ok, here’s a bonus thing. There are some worrying signs of declining support in some European countries. A far-right, pro-Russian party in Austria won elections, and the Slovakian PM said he would like to normalize relations with Russia. If Austria and Slovakia are added to existing skeptical countries, such as Hungary, the cohesion within the EU on Russian sanctions and Ukrainian aid will be strained. Something to keep an eye on and something for the new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to worry about.