I saw this today on The Washington Post – A new iron curtain descends on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/09/ukraine-russia-iron-curtain/. Longer article.
By Paul Sonne, Jeanne Whalen and Cat Zakrzewski March 9, 2022
Sanctions, airspace closures and departures of international companies threaten to cut off Russians to an extent unseen since the Soviet era
An economic and cultural iron curtain is descending on Russia as President Vladimir Putin proceeds with his invasion of Ukraine, reversing decades of integration with Western economies and threatening to isolate Russians to an extent unseen since the Soviet era.
The dramatic severing is the result of punishing restrictions put in place by the United States and Europe, including bans on Russian aircraft flying in Western airspace and sanctions on the central bank. It has been compounded by a voluntary exodus of international companies from the Russian market.
But the isolation is also a function of the repressive measures Putin has taken at home. Those moves have curbed the free flow of information online, contained public protest and sent thousands of Russians fleeing abroad, fearing the possibility of martial law, conscription or closed borders in a country careening toward a more severe form of authoritarianism.
–snip–
Ups Downs Family History 