Since the annexation of Crimea in March, and throughout the conflict in the Donbas region, much of the Russian elite and public have been living in something of a collective hallucination. Fantasies about imperial glory and "Novorossia" were in the air. St. George ribbons were ubiquitous. And Putin's popularity surged past 80 percent.
It was a dizzying mirage that reset Russia's domestic politics.
But eventually reality intrudes on every hallucination -- and that reality is often accompanied by a nasty hangover.
So if the Ukraine crisis is really winding down, if the hallucination is really over, what will the new normal look like?
On the latest Power Vertical Podcast, we discuss this issue. Joining me are Peter Pomerantsev, author or the forthcoming book "Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia," and Ben Judah, author of the book "Fragile Empire: How Russians Fell Out Of Love With Vladimir Putin."
Enjoy...
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