More than anything, I am concerned about tensions between Russia and the West. As of now, it is nearly impossible to get a US tourist visa in Russia because the are no slots available for interviews. People are waiting for months, logging in every hour, to check if they can schedule an appointment. I just hope there will be no iron curtain again, as it will be a disaster for people who want to immigrate, such a me.
I also think, that the perceptions of Putin is a bit off in that he is being portrayed as a thug who does as he pleases. To me, he looks more like a desperate man, who is being cornered. Like that Crimea annexation, it happened because the west had toppled a Moscow puppet in Ukraine, so Putin felt he has to act or he is next.
This murder is more or less a "hands off" warning to MI6. Putin feels threatened by the western intelligence plotting against him in Moscow and he is trying to show his decisiveness. He is aging and declining, but he needs to make sure his spies are still scared of him, do they won't fall for a £100,000 like Skripal. It is about Putin trying to not lose his grasp on power in Russia, not so much about him trying to rule the world.
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