Edward Lucas’s The New Cold War: Putin’s Russia and the Threat to the West paints a vivid portrait of Russia’s return to Cold War-era tactics under Putin’s rule. Fueled by vast oil and gas riches, Russia wields its power to influence and intimidate former Soviet neighbors like the Baltic states and Georgia. Behind the scenes, democracy withers as critics vanish mysteriously and free media is crushed. Lucas warns that Russia’s mix of economic muscle, political manipulation, and ruthless repression is reshaping international relations, demanding a tougher, smarter Western response.