"But what about the US torturing prisoners? Gotcha!"

Good point. As near as the artcile says, the main thing that changes is them to not comply with inspections of their prisons. Which - who the hell is doing that anyways, and what exactly would you expect Russia to comply with in terms of human rights? Descent into utter madness and total depraved brutality. On balance - you're probably exactly right. Just performative bluster about how they will be independent from western pussy rules. Even if it's literally to celebrate unrestrained torutre of their own citizens, who will cheer this as RUSSIA STRONK update of the day.

Of course - it's a package deal. This war is about incompatible ways of living. Russia's governing principle is "Do As I Say, Or I'll Hurt You". This permeates every aspect of Russian life - The Strong prey on The Weak. As it should be, that is the natural, old order of the universe. Theft is expected appropriate to your station in life, corruption and abuse of power is precisely the point of having it. There's a saying in Russian life that "The man who doesn't steal, steals from his family". If YOU don't steal, someone else will, so to not steal is naive and idiotic.

And it's been this way FOREVER. Abusive cruelty is a feature, not a bug. Empathy and law are indulgent playthings for feckless Western pussies who can't endure suffering like STRONK RUSSIANS. All that actually matters is power to steal and kill. Since even long before the days of the Mongol Horde. Russian society is a 1,000 year experiment on institutional cruelty smashing the faintest notion of individual rights or a law based society. You get what you take, not the other way around. And if you have the "strength" to hold it, it's yours.

The population of Russia are descendants of passive serfs who DIDN'T stand up to the local warlord for centuries. If your forebears were the kind of people to stand up and say "hey, this isn't right - stop stealing from us", well then they end up with their head on a pole at the edge of town and you never get born. The russians who live today are the meek, submissive, goblin offspring of people who kept a low, obedient profile for centuries. Do as "They" say, or you die. Attacking your neighbors and beating your kids are in the same lifestyle brochure. Cruelty is fine - expected, even - at home and abroad.

Maybe naive, but I kind of find it reassuring that they have to waste time doing these sort of meaningless tantrums precisely because the day to day of the war isn't going very well for them. Yes, Ukraine is suffering, but - that's Russia's doing, and if they could be doing any more or any better than they are....they'd be doing it instead of silly diplomatic gestures like this.