Anne Applebaum

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

So this is both the thing that unifies modern dictators, and it's also the thing that often unifies their opponents. And so the fact that the Trump administration is moving so quickly in a kleptocratic direction and beginning to eliminate one by one all kinds of norms, defying all kinds of laws, changing existing laws, to enable theft, essentially, and to enable corruption, should really alarm us.

So this is both the thing that unifies modern dictators, and it's also the thing that often unifies their opponents. And so the fact that the Trump administration is moving so quickly in a kleptocratic direction and beginning to eliminate one by one all kinds of norms, defying all kinds of laws, changing existing laws, to enable theft, essentially, and to enable corruption, should really alarm us.

So this is both the thing that unifies modern dictators, and it's also the thing that often unifies their opponents. And so the fact that the Trump administration is moving so quickly in a kleptocratic direction and beginning to eliminate one by one all kinds of norms, defying all kinds of laws, changing existing laws, to enable theft, essentially, and to enable corruption, should really alarm us.

Because this is very often what precedes a broader crackdown on civil society. Wherever you see a regime that is rapidly accumulating money and is rapidly enriching itself, you will see some kind of resistance movement and some kind of crackdown afterwards. And I suppose that's why I'm so concerned about it.

Because this is very often what precedes a broader crackdown on civil society. Wherever you see a regime that is rapidly accumulating money and is rapidly enriching itself, you will see some kind of resistance movement and some kind of crackdown afterwards. And I suppose that's why I'm so concerned about it.

Because this is very often what precedes a broader crackdown on civil society. Wherever you see a regime that is rapidly accumulating money and is rapidly enriching itself, you will see some kind of resistance movement and some kind of crackdown afterwards. And I suppose that's why I'm so concerned about it.

It is really an extraordinary transformation. I can only attribute it, one, to greater preparation. This time, his family and some of his business contacts were prepared for him to win and had a set of plans ready to go should he become president. Also, it's true that, as you say, in the first term, there were these small violations. There was another incident when

It is really an extraordinary transformation. I can only attribute it, one, to greater preparation. This time, his family and some of his business contacts were prepared for him to win and had a set of plans ready to go should he become president. Also, it's true that, as you say, in the first term, there were these small violations. There was another incident when

It is really an extraordinary transformation. I can only attribute it, one, to greater preparation. This time, his family and some of his business contacts were prepared for him to win and had a set of plans ready to go should he become president. Also, it's true that, as you say, in the first term, there were these small violations. There was another incident when

Mike Pence went many miles out of his way to stay at a Trump hotel in Ireland. I mean, there are all kinds of things like that that happened. And there was really no resistance. Nobody ever said you're breaking the law. Nobody stopped him. It wasn't even really a major topic of concern among the many things that people were concerned about. But you're right.

Mike Pence went many miles out of his way to stay at a Trump hotel in Ireland. I mean, there are all kinds of things like that that happened. And there was really no resistance. Nobody ever said you're breaking the law. Nobody stopped him. It wasn't even really a major topic of concern among the many things that people were concerned about. But you're right.

Mike Pence went many miles out of his way to stay at a Trump hotel in Ireland. I mean, there are all kinds of things like that that happened. And there was really no resistance. Nobody ever said you're breaking the law. Nobody stopped him. It wasn't even really a major topic of concern among the many things that people were concerned about. But you're right.

This time of year, it's very, very different. I mean, there are about four different kinds of things happening. And this is one of the reasons it's so hard to keep track of. One is violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. This is essentially the clause that says the U.S. president isn't supposed to benefit in any way from relationships with foreigners.

This time of year, it's very, very different. I mean, there are about four different kinds of things happening. And this is one of the reasons it's so hard to keep track of. One is violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. This is essentially the clause that says the U.S. president isn't supposed to benefit in any way from relationships with foreigners.