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Kitsune, if you have got the second thematic word, try having that in your mind when reading each of the seven letters, in turn, left to right.

Thank you, smithsax. The second part of your second sentence was the bit that I was concerned about, but I take comfort from the fact that you also believe that it is not a completely faithful representation.

In any case a lovely puzzle so thank you Karla!

I think I have this, in that I have seven cells highlighted in one colour and then another seven highlighted in another colour, and, if I interpret the grid correctly, these give a somewhat bizarre representation of something relevant. But I am bemused as to the point of it all.

Given the theme of this week's Spectator and the setter of this week's Listener, perhaps we should be even more worried about the Russian Federation than we already are.