Relations between Russia and the political West are at a freezing point. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations – which were already strained – have reached an all-time low and appear to be irreparable in the long term. Nevertheless, a new security architecture that includes Russia is required. Given Russia’s size and geographical location, there is no way round this. Ms Krone-Schmalz offers a ruthless analysis of developments to date. How could things have come to this, given that the East-West confrontation seemed to have been overcome at the end of the 1980s? How can the spiral of escalation be halted? What role can diplomacy play? What prospects are conceivable? What might an exit strategy look like that does not operate within the categories of winners and losers? In a democratically structured society, it must be possible to debate all these existential questions in order to increase the chances of arriving at viable solutions. Media coverage and the use of language also play a part in this. What dangers threaten democratic thinking when, in the perception of a large majority of the population, debates are generally seen as undesirable?