In an op-ed published by RT, Artyom Lukin, an associate professor of international relations at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia and an expert in Asian affairs, wrote that “As we cross into the second half of 2020, there is little hope left that our misfortunes will end when this annus horribilis goes out. We may be entering one of the most cataclysmic and fateful periods in the history of humankind. There is the growing realization that humanity is in for an extremely rough ride that could last at least a decade.”