A radically new New Year: what we can expect from 2023

Putin's New Year's address is radically different from his previous speeches. With a military background and lexicon, he is preparing Russians for a long and bloody war.

A “special grammatical operation”: what Putin’s use of cases reveals

Putin can avoid certain words, but it is more difficult to avoid grammar. In a pioneering study, Laura Janda et al. show how Putin's use of case forms of Russia, Ukraine and NATO is different from 'normal' language. My additional analyses reveal that Putin's use of cases with Russia and Ukraine has been stable over the years. A missed opportunity to discover what he was really thinking all this time?

Putin’s Bipolar World and AI’s Empathy

Russian version below. Русская версия внизу. At the International Economic Forum (which was less international than usual), Margarita Simonyan asked if artificial intelligence represents a danger for the humanity. Putin replied that it was too early to speak about that. AI doesn’t have empathy and a soul yet. That’s a dangerous idea, I think. If … Continue reading Putin’s Bipolar World and AI’s Empathy →

A Gopnik and a President

Russian version below. Русская версия внизу. The latest version of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was peculiar not only because it was attended by the Taliban, or because drinks and ice-cream were served by the robot Dunyasha dressed as a Soviet barmaid. Unkind people say that Dunyasha used to be a sex doll in … Continue reading A Gopnik and a President →

Why does Putin avoid the pronoun “I”?

Russian version below. Русская версия внизу. Many people outside of Russia know what Putin says. Not many people know how he says it. But his way of speaking can reveal a lot about him and his strategies, so it’s definitely worth examining it closer. One well-known peculiarity of Putin’s speech is his avoidance of the … Continue reading Why does Putin avoid the pronoun “I”? →

Strategically unimpressive: Putin’s speech on May 9

Putin speaks at Victory Day parade. Hardly any speech had been so anticipated recently as Putin’s address at the military parade on May 9, and hardly any has been met with so much disappointment. The world expected some big gestures — from announcing general mobilization to committing suicide in public. Instead, we heard a rather … Continue reading Strategically unimpressive: Putin’s speech on May 9 →