To the extent that Russia's Ukrainian adventure is a
civilizational challenge to the West and the established international order, keep in mind this note:
"According to 2006 figures, “overall life expectancy at age
fifteen in the Russian Federation appears in fact to be lower than for
some of the countries the UN designates to be least developed (as
opposed to less developed), among these, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and
Yemen.” Male life expectancy at age fifteen in Russia compares
unfavorably to that in Ethiopia, Gambia, and Somalia."
Read Masha Gessen's exploration of Russia's century-long demographic catastrophe
here. The phenomenon is one of the things careful observers are likely to have in mind when they say that Russia's assertiveness is indicative of weakness, not strength.
