The thawing relations between the Soviet Union and the West in the 1970s opened avenues for espionage, particularly by the KGB, which exploited commercial cooperation to gather intelligence. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, remnants of the KGB persisted, embedding themselves within Western governments. This ongoing intelligence war suggests that the challenges posed by Russia today are deeply rooted and not solely attributable to Putin, as the same aggressive mindset continues to influence the Kremlin's actions.
