The united front seen during the World Cup is an illusion. Putin fears the convergence of grassroots and an elite opposition, says Professor Marie Mendras
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/25/propaganda-putin-russia-elections
https://www.the-american-interest.com/2018/05/25/putin-the-european/
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/25/disinformation-wars/
The global leaders meeting in St. Petersburg had little in common except their growing exasperation with the U.S. president.
The Russian president likes power for its own sake, and he’ll do almost anything to get it.
Predictably, the Kremlin is pushing back, implying that it is the victim of a nefarious smear campaign.
http://observer.com/2018/05/kremlin-responds-to-netherlands-australia-blame-russia-for-mh17-crash/
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that without "trust," Moscow and Washington may resort to "force," and "this might lead to tragedy."
http://www.newsweek.com/russia-says-us-must-begin-talks-or-else-force-only-option-945255
The long read: For decades, politicians have welcomed the super-rich with open arms. Now they’re finally having second thoughts. But is it too late?
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/25/how-britain-let-russia-hide-its-dirty-money
From state television to the Russian embassy, indignation, mockery and flat-out denial is the order of the day, writes Russian journalist Alexey Kovalev