Letter From the Editors
Russia’s province of Vologda isn’t known for much except its butter. In terms of politics, it has been keeping a low profile – until now. This year, Governor Georgy Filimonov decided to make his fiefdom an example of clean, sober living for the rest of the country by banning alcohol sales. No, not completely – sales are allowed between noon and 2 p.m., and bars and restaurants can still serve alcohol after hours. But the piloted “semidry semilaw,” as Kommersant correspondent Aleksandr Chernykh found out, is already having repercussions on the daily life of Vologda residents. And since there’s occasionally talk about making such a ban national, the repercussions from this quiet provincial experiment could have far-reaching consequences.
The biggest grumble of those living under Governor Filimonov’s Stalinesque restrictions (and yes, the governor is a big fan of Stalin, having unveiled a statue to him in December 2024) is that “anyone who needs a drink will find one.” Indeed, a shadow alcohol economy has emerged in Vologda – and everyone from pensioners to taxi drivers is getting in on the action. According to a local, elderly women “go to the store at noon and pick up some bottles. And in the evening they sit on benches in groups of three or four. . . . If you’re coming home from work in the evening, go ahead, buy from the grannies.” Al Capone, eat your heart out.
Speaking of well-meaning measures that backfired, US President Trump’s face would be pretty red this week if it weren’t for the spray tan. After introducing record-setting tariffs against most of the world on America’s “liberation day,” Trump was forced to backtrack and suspend the measures for 90 days. Apparently, America’s attempt to rein in frenemies like the EU and China didn’t work as splendidly as the “master of the deal” had hoped. China, for one, introduced countertariffs and suspended US LNG purchases. Interestingly, Beijing also announced a “moderate reduction in the number of imported American films.” Considering that China is the second-biggest movie market in the world, the move may be a painful blow.
According to Fyodor Lukyanov, Trump’s semi-attempt at restoring a trade balance is just one example of the reckless “Flight 93 attitude” that has been dominating American politics (a reference to United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a field because those on board attacked the hijackers). But now, even Trump allies like Elon Musk are starting to worry.
Aleksei Maslov of Moscow State University’s Institute of Asian and African Countries sees another dimension to Trump’s slew of restrictions. The goal, apparently, is to drive a wedge between Russia and China. However, this attempt is also doomed to failure, since Russia never had that high a trade volume with the US. Meanwhile, China may feel the sting of US restrictions, especially on tech exports, but the blow won’t be fatal, since it has diversified its supplies. And most importantly, the US has nothing to offer Moscow in exchange for abandoning its ally and neighbor: “Our countries share a common outlook on many global problems. No one is going to give that up for a pig in a poke, which is what our relationship with the US amounts to right now,” Maslov concludes. Beware of Americans bearing gifts?
Not everyone has such a gloomy outlook on the current state of affairs. In an interview with NG, Nicolas de Rivière, the new French ambassador to Russia, shared some optimism on improving ties in the future. But first, the war must end in a way that ensures “a lasting and sustainable peace” for Ukraine, he said. That means finding “appropriate political, economic and security solutions” so that Ukraine can defend itself. Half-measures won’t do. As for restoring relations between Moscow in Paris, which have seen their share of ups and downs throughout history, the ambassador was brief: It takes two to tango. Then perhaps we can crack open some semidry to celebrate. Just don’t try it in Vologda.