Institute of Modern Russia

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Media Must-Reads

New Macroregions, “Voluntary” Investment, September Elections

Russian media roundup, August 25-31, 2018

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31 August 2018

In this week’s roundup: one of the somewhat overlooked developments this week was an idea, introduced by the Economic Ministry, to divide Russia into 14 macroregions. Some experts view it as a precursor to potential constitutional reform. In the follow-up discussion of the presidential aide’s controversial proposal to seize corporate “superprofits,” the government reframed the idea as “voluntary investment.” Finally, the Moscow election campaign has hit the home stretch, with the incumbent mayor promising Moscovites all kinds of perks.

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Media Must-Reads

20 years of Russian Default, A Plan to Seize “Superprofits,” What Russia Is Doing in Africa

Russian media roundup, August 18-24, 2018

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24 August 2018

Last weekend marked the 20th anniversary of one of the key events that shaped Russian modern history—the 1998 financial crisis and the government’s default. Another major discussion in the Russian political discourse this week revolved around a proposal by Putin’s economic aide to “seize” over 500 billion rubles from industrial companies to relieve the country’s tax burden. Finally, Russian experts try to explain the Kremlin’s expansion into Africa.

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Media Must-Reads

Russian Journalists Killed in Africa, Pension Reform Protests, FSIN Problem

Russian media roundup, July 27 – August 3, 2018

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03 August 2018

This week, the news of the killing of three Russian journalists in Central African Republic caused a great stir, with discussions and speculations spanning across all major publications. On a different front, the debates around the pension reform continue as the protests against it took place in dozens of the Russian cities. Finally, in the light of the recent torture video in the Yaroslavl prison, the Russian officials have floated the idea of a penitentiary service reform.

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The Rundown

What the U.S. Congress Prepares for Putin

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02 August 2018

Olga Khvostunova

The meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on July 17thin Helsinki triggered a wave of public indignation and resentment across the United States. Above all, the outrage was elicited by President Trump’s siding with Vladimir Putin on the crucial issue of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, thus directly undermining the U.S. intelligence’s consensus on the matter. Congress reacted promptly: within days following the Helsinki meeting, both the House and the Senate introduced several bills which, if passed, would add gravitas to the worsening relations between the U.S. and the Putin regime. We have read and summarized the key provisions of these bills below.

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Media Must-Reads

Helsinki Summit on Ukraine and Syria, Putin on Pension Reform, Hypersonic Leak

Russian media roundup, July 21-27, 2018

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27 July 2018

This week, experts continued to dissect the outcomes of the highly controversial Helsinki summit and its meaning for the Ukraine and Syria crises. In the meantime, pension reform is moving forward in Russia, despite Putin’s “disliking” its key provisions. Finally, the FSB is investigating an alleged leak of Russia’s newest hypersonic technology to the West. In a bonus section, we focus on the state of affairs in the Russian civil society.

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Media Must-Reads

Helsinki Summit Results, FSB vs ICR, World Cup Aftermath

Russian media roundup, July 14-20, 2018

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20 July 2018

The Putin-Trump summit in Helsinki and its aftermath dominated this week’s news cycle in the Russian media. Another important development was the arrest of former ICR official Alexander Drymanov, which signifies a new round of the ongoing war between the Investigative Committee and the FSB. Finally, the closing remarks on the World Cup and its implications for Russia shaped a third notable storyline.

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Research Recaps

Modern Political Warfare, GPV-2027, Deterring Russia

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19 July 2018

This recap focuses on the military aspects of Western research into Russia under the current government. RAND analyzes modern political warfare by reviewing cases of Russia, Iran, and ISIS; Chatham House studies Russia’s latest armament program, known as GPV 2027; Atlantic Council assesses the threat of nuclear de-escalation strikes from Moscow.

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Opinions

Andrei Kozyrev: “Democracy Needs to be Fought for Every Day”

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14 July 2018

Olga Khvostunova

The Kremlin’s foreign policy post-2014 has constantly challenged the existing international order. Many experts believe that this foreign policy originates in Vladimir Putin’s anti-Western views. However, according to Russia’s former Foreign Minister, Andrei Kozyrev, the causes of Russian aggression are due to a consensus amongst the conservative elite which emerged as early as the mid-1990s. Kozyrev discussed these and other factors which determine Russia’s current foreign policy with IMR’s Olga Khvostunova.

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Media Must-Reads

When Putin Meets Trump, World Cup Results, Russia in Trade War

Russian media roundup, July 7-13, 2018

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13 July 2018

As the World Cup winds down in Russia, experts are trying to capture its political and social meaning for the country and the regime. Discussions about the highly anticipated Putin-Trump summit are also taking central stage, but expectations are rather low. In the meantime, as the U.S. started the trade war with China last week, the Russian government decided not to stay on the sidelines and raised duties on certain U.S. imports by 25-40 percent.

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Media Must-Reads

Putin-Trump Summit, Unpopular Pension Reform, Moscow Election Filters

Russian media roundup, June 30 –July 6, 2018

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05 July 2018

As the highly anticipated Putin-Trump summit nears, pundits are discussing the main challenges of the meeting and potential outcomes for the U.S-Russia relationship. On the domestic front, as negative opinions about the pension reform persist, the Kremlin prepares to respond. One of the key political developments in the capital was the announcement of the list of candidates who will run for the Mayor’s and the Moscow Region Governor’s offices in the September elections. No member of the liberal opposition passed the electoral filter.