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New Russian Positivity

Details: Analysis

New Russian Positivity

Details: 10 January 2020; Olga Khvostunova

According to Levada Center polls, 2019 was perceived by the Russians as slightly better than the previous year. Confidence in the president and the government has increased, as well as the feeling that the country is going in the right direction. However, according to Levada head and sociologist Lev Gudkov, this registered positivity is rooted in the people’s low expectations and a powerful propaganda campaign aimed at “reconciling people with reality.”

Russia’s Game in Africa

Details: Analysis

Russia’s Game in Africa

Details: 12 November 2019; Ksenia Svetlova

As the United States continues its retreat from the Middle East and Africa, Russia’s increased influence in these regions is creating a new geopolitical reality. A case in point is the Russia-Africa summit held in Sochi a few weeks ago. While some experts point to the Kremlin’s lack of a long-term African strategy, it is a political vector worth watching.

Protected: Russian Youth in the Moscow Protests

Details: Analysis

Protected: Russian Youth in the Moscow Protests

Details: 28 October 2019; Olga Khvostunova

Summer protests in Moscow saw a significant number of young faces—up to two-thirds of participants in the largest August 10 demonstration, according to some estimates. This trend that has been gaining momentum since 2017 has many experts wonder: are young Russians breaking away from the Kremlin’s clasp?

As the U.S. Withdraws from the Middle East, the Road to the Region’s Heart Lies Open for Putin

Details: Analysis

As the U.S. Withdraws from the Middle East, the Road to the Region’s Heart Lies Open for Putin

Details: 21 October 2019; Ksenia Svetlova

The Trump administration’s recent decision to move U.S. troops out of Syria, effectively abandoning the Kurdish fighters, Washington’s long-term military partners in the region, sent ripples across the world. While the White House was slammed in the media for the move—largely seen as a major betrayal of an ally, the news was met favorably in Turkey and Russia. Moscow is playing a long game in the Middle East and moving to fill the power vacuum.

A Tale of Two Russias

Details: Analysis

A Tale of Two Russias

Details: 16 October 2019; Olga Khvostunova

Shares of the Russian tech giant Yandex dropped by over 18 percent on October 11 after it was reported that the Kremlin had backed new legislation aimed at limiting foreign ownership of the tech firms to 20 percent. This development came only two weeks after the annual Moscow Exchange Forum in New York at which top managers of the largest Russian companies, most of whom were from the West, praised the low-risk, high-value opportunities of the Russian market, naming tech as one of its key attractions.

Abandoning Russia’s Imperial Pursuit

Details: Analysis

Abandoning Russia’s Imperial Pursuit

Details: 26 September 2019; Dmitry Shlapentokh

Historian Dmitry Shlapentokh reviews Boris Akunin’s recent books—a novel and a historical treatise—that reflect the writer’s thinking about Russian history and thinly-guised allusions to the present and future. Seeing no good model for the Russian state in both the national and the European tradition, Akunin ponders the question: is Russia doomed?

How Putin’s Russia Works

Details: Analysis

How Putin’s Russia Works

Details: 16 August 2019; Olga Khvostunova

In his most recent book Anders Aslund details the current state of affairs in Putin’s Russia and provides an overview of the system that he defines as “crony capitalism.” The book serves as a good primer of the subject, offering a useful meta-analysis and integrating points.

Why Russia Needs a “Sovereign Runet”

Details: Analysis

Why Russia Needs a “Sovereign Runet”

Details: 25 July 2019; Diana Rossokhovatsky, Olga Khvostunova

The official goal of the “sovereign internet” bill signed by Vladimir Putin into law on May 1 is to secure the uninterrupted operation of the Runet in case of disconnection from the global infrastructure of the World Wide Web. In reality, this law allows the Russian government to gain centralized control over the Runet and, if need be, to shut down internet services in entire regions of the country.

Trump-Putin Meeting at G-20: All Talk and No Action

Details: Analysis

Trump-Putin Meeting at G-20: All Talk and No Action

Details: 26 June 2019; Olga Khvostunova

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, which opens in Osaka on June 28. Despite overwhelming media attention, no “new deal” is in the cards, but both leaders will use the opportunity to score political points.

Un-Freedom of the Press

Details: Analysis

Un-Freedom of the Press

Details: 20 June 2019; Olga Khvostunova

Over the last month, two events have shaken up a small corner of the Russian media landscape, which continues to strive for integrity and independence. A Meduza reporter got arrested on bogus charges of drug possession, but was eventually acquitted. Prior to that, Kommersant’s entire political desk resigned over the owner’s interference in its editorial work. The fact that such events, which have become routine in Putin’s Russia, can still cause a stir and galvanize people to fight back, is a rare sign of hope for the Russian civil society.

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