The new iron curtain, by Cyrille Louis: journey to this Europe worried by the Russian ogre

The clash of arms has echoed for almost five years in Ukraine, but Western Europe now only hears distant echoes. We are moved by a report from the front, we listen more or less attentively to Volodymyr Zelensky who asks for additional help to stand up to Moscow, we listen to the promises of support from his European counterparts as winter approaches, and life goes back to normal.

The perception is completely different as we approach Russia. In Finland, Poland and Norway, via the Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – the borders once open to traffic and trade have bristled with walls lined with sensors, punctuated by anti-tank ditches and bunkers. The dried up swamps have been refilled with water, the border guards are looking at each other like earthenware dogs. A new iron curtain has fallen over more than 3,000 kilometers of borders between Europe, Russia and Belarus.