Republic every day releases the texts of journalists, experts and politicians. But sometimes the brightest thoughts are born not in the columns, but in the comments of subscribers. In order not to hide them at the bottom of the pages and by e -mail, we launch the “I ask words” section - your best letters and replicas will be published here.

Journalist Barry Levin began to investigate the activities of the financier and sexual criminal Jeffrey Epstein in the mid-2000s. He wrote the book “Spider: inside the criminal network, Jeffrey Epstein and Gisley Maxwell” about what he managed to find out. Since the Epstein case returned to the news agenda from the filing of Trump and his supporters, Levin wrote an article for The New York Times - “9 questions that we really need answers.” We publish the translation of this article.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President in Anchoridge, August 15, 2025 Reuters / Kevin Lamarque / Scanpix “That's when you get half or two -thirds of what you did not have, then you can consider yourself a diplomat,” - so, according to his colleagues, Andrei Gromyko summed up his experience, who had been the USSR Minister of Foreign Minister for almost 30 years.

The meeting of Putin and Trump in Anchorida did not bring a truce, but changed the tone of the American president: instead of the demand for a ceasefire, he spoke of "final peaceful agreement." For Andrei Okun, this does not look like diplomacy, but by successful psychological processing by the owner of the Kremlin. For the first time in ten years, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United States.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at the summit in Anchorida Zumapress.com/scanpix The confrontation of Putin and Trump in Alaska, it seemed, was not quite as planned: the agreement was not reached, and the conversation took only 2.5 hours instead of the expected 6–7. After the negotiations, the presidents did not arrange a joint dinner, and at a press conference, reporters were not allowed to ask questions. Nevertheless, both leaders stated that they were “very pleased” with the results.