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Why Ukraine will be one of the key topics at the Biden-Putin summit

Details: 15 June 2021; Mykola Vorobiov

On June 16, U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Geneva for the first time, and Ukraine could be one of the critical issues on the agenda. However, despite the White House’s aspirations for a more stable relationship with Russia, the Kremlin has already made clear that it will defend its “red lines.” Thus, the likelihood of a new “reset” in bilateral relations remains very low.

Details

Opinions

Ivan Kurilla: “Russia and the U.S. have defined themselves through opposing each other for almost a hundred years”

Details: 08 June 2021; Olga Khvostunova

December 26, 2021, will mark 30 years since the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. As such, the Institute of Modern Russia is launching a series of interviews with experts to discuss the post-Soviet decades and identify the key issues of the Russian transition and their impact on Russia’s political system and society today. In the second interview of the series, Professor of History and International Relations, Dr. Ivan Kurilla discussed the deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations, mutual demonization, and the need for a new discourse to replace the outdated language of the Cold War..

Details: Human Rights

May 2021: Activists of the Perpetual Protest, Nikolai Platoshkin, Daria Polyudova

Details: 06 June 2021; Diana Fishman

In May, the Russian state continued to put pressure on civil society activists, as several cases against them ended in guilty verdicts on trumped-up charges. The Perpetual Protest activists Olga Missik, Ivan Vorobyevsky, and Igor Basharimov were convicted of vandalism; the opposition politician Nikolai Platoshkin of inciting mass riots and spreading false information about the coronavirus; and the Left Resistance movement leader Daria Polyudova of public justification of terrorism.

Details: Analysis

New books offer insights into power, narratives, and opposition in Putin’s Russia

Details: 04 June 2021; Liya Wizevich

On May 21, the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia) hosted an event titled “Putin’s Strengths and Vulnerabilities: Three New Books.” The authors, Regina Smyth, Timothy Frye, and Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, shared new perspectives on Russian society, opposition, and Putin’s presidency in the last twenty years, taking academic concepts and putting them in context for a broader audience. IMR has summarized these three authors’ arguments, highlighting new perspectives on existing narratives and the reasons why these books are relevant to understanding Russia today.

Details: Analysis

How the Russian government uses anti-extremism laws to fight opponents

Details: 04 June 2021; Igor Slabykh

The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), and other organizations established by opposition politician Alexei Navalny, have recently fallen victim to attacks by the Russian government and will no doubt be recognized as extremist. The Putin regime has been using anti-extremism legislation against its opponents—ranging from religious organizations to journalists—for years. The latest attack, however, could affect thousands of Navalny’s supporters.

Our newsletter delivers a digest of analytical articles and op-eds published on our website, along with the latest updates on the IMR activities on a monthly basis.