The second of my two essays on Russia:

“Westerners must appreciate the abandon with which the Kremlin lies and stop being surprised by it. From the perspective of the Power Civilization, words are another weapon, and the tenancy to believe them and, even more so, act on them, is an exploitable weakness.”

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/a-look-at-russian-civilization-power-truth-trust-and-war