For the Russian state, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny was simply business | Oliver Bullough

The kleptocracy that controls the country behaves like a ruthless mafia clan – the world needs to start treating it like one My favourite moment in The Godfather comes when Michael, barely moving his mouth, assures his brother: “It’s not personal, Sonny, it’s strictly business.” He’s not killing a New York City police captain to avenge his broken jaw, but to advance the Corleone family’s commercial interests.It was a line I remembered when I first heard of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, the Russian anti-corruption campaigner whose viral videos have done more than anything to expose the luxurious lifestyles of the Kremlin’s elite (here’s one about a vice-premier, a jet and a pedigree corgi). Commentators regularly explain such poisonings – like that of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018, or that of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, or indeed many others – by saying that Vladimir Putin is settling old scores, eradicating perceived traitors. Continue reading…
Via: For the Russian state, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny was simply business | Oliver Bullough