Opinions 360: The Second Phase of the War

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 50th day, here are some must-read commentaries on the war this week.

• The Russia-Ukraine war has certainly not played out according to what Russian President Vladimir Putin had in mind, even though he claims everything is “going to plan”.
• Over 50 days, Russia has gained the notorious badge of the most sanctioned country. Both Ukraine and Russia have suffered massive casualties. But the war has also begun to take an ugly turn.
• There have been ample instances of Russian forces openly attacking Ukrainian civilians. The province of Bucha in Ukraine is a cautionary tale about how Russian forces won’t stop their brutality.
• Many countries have condemned Russia’s invasion. While India is calling for peace, it hasn’t outright spoken against Russia. We take a look at the context around India’s stand on the issue.
• There has also been a lot of commentary on how the era of the US dollar as a powerful currency may be over, but one columnist argues that it’s definitely not the case.
• While there may be immense economic sanctions on Russia, Putin has been very smart to hide his loot from prying eyes, according to a former foreign investor who’s seen it first hand.