The release of a long-awaited report on Russian influence in the UK provides a chance to look at why Moscow tries - and often fails - to exert influence, and why the Kremlin seems to default to aggressive, bullying words and deeds. Be warned, I spend more time on my soap box in this episode than I should.

For my other writings on this report:
'The weakness of the Russia report' - a quick response in The Spectator
'The ISC’s Russia Report Offers More Critiques of the Intelligence Community than Solutions' a commentary for RUSI
'The UK must urgently adapt to Russia's 'dark power' tactics' a Telegraph piece focusing on the obvious
'Lebedev’s Peerage Highlights London’s Need to Address Russian Influence' for the Moscow Times
'TEN SUGGESTIONS FOR A ‘RUSSIA STRATEGY’ FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM', a lengthier and presumptious set of prescriptions, in War On The Rocks

The Arutunyan article in Foreign Affairs I mentioned is here, the Levada poll is summarised here.

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