The war in Ukraine has made Russia's demographic decline worse, says John Defterios. The COVID pandemic was a much greater problem for the Russian government, he adds. In the longer run, this will make it more difficult to carry out military mobilizations, defterios says.
Emmanuel Macron narrowly survived two no-confidence votes, sparked by his pushing a pension-reform package through the legislature without bringing it up for a vote. But his troubles are far from over. Covid and the war in Ukraine exacerbated Russia’s long-standing demographic woes. And we analyse the artistry of the world’s greatest mime, born 100 years ago today.
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