The author's first interview with Russia's ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Andrey Kelin, reflected a stark global picture of the country's situation following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The interview, which took place at the Russian Embassy in London, took place during a time when Russia was heavily sanctioned and ostracized by the West and at odds with the West in Ukraine. The author had previously been a regular visitor to Russia and witnessed its integration into the global system post-Soviet. However, after the Crimean invasion, which saw cooperation between Russia and the West diminish after the Crimea invasion, the relationship between Russia, Ukraine, and the west was at a high level of distrust. Despite this, the author acknowledges that this is not the first time that Russia has faced scrutiny from the West for inflicting the greatest conflict on European territory since World War Two.