Here's a short one minute segment from a longer interview between Dalton Thomas (FAI) and Nikolai Boyadjiev.

During the interview, Nikolai offers a distinctly Eastern European perspective of the war in Ukraine and the history leading up to this war. You can view the full interview here:

But I draw attention to his statement about the "beast" nature of the Russian State - how Russia has historically conducted itself in the "family of nations".

It's an interesting choice of words that I believe epitomises the nature of nation states that have gone sideways. These states have an "oppressive" nature about them. They have a history of oppressing their own citizens. And they have a history of "exporting" that oppression onto others.

In the past, dominant democracies have had a "restraining" influence on many of these oppressive states. It seems like this restraining influence has faded to the point now where we have states with a history of oppression amalgamating themselves into a company of nations like the SCO.

Take particular note of the past and present activity of the "state" part of nations like: Russia, Iran, Turkey, China, Belarus, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, and many others.

In the Book of Daniel (Chapter 7), Daniel describes a succession of kingdoms - described as beasts. Each has different characteristics. The final one is the most oppressive:

"it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it..."

But this final iteration, though terrible, is destroyed. Not by human effort but by "One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven".

This cycle of oppression won't last forever.

"In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD
     will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
     and all nations will stream to it..."

Isaiah 2