Generation Putin

Belgium has to decide how to proceed amid calls for sanctions against Russia’s diamond industry. The Belgian city of Antwerp plays a big role in the global diamond trade, and would have much to lose. Hans Merket, of the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), joined the World’s host Marco Werman from Antwerp to discuss the situation.

Victoria Obidina was among a group of women who were taken as prisoners by the Russian military from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in May. Obidina was held captive for six months before being released last month as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.

Latvia, like the rest of European Union countries, has closed its border to virtually all Russians — even those fleeing conscription into the army. These days, it’s desperate Ukrainians who are crossing into Latvia from Russia, most notably young men fearing they might be drafted, too.

Russian businessman and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky recently released a new book, “The Russia Conundrum: How the West Fell for Putin’s Power Gambit — and How to Fix It.” He spoke with The World’s host Marco Werman about Russia, President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.