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War and gas

Is Russia provoking tensions to boost gas prices?

Details: 14 February 2022; Vladislav Inozemtsev

Is the surge in natural gas prices in Europe this winter related to the escalation in Ukraine following Putin’s ultimatum to the West and threat of war? According to economist Vyacheslav Inozemtzev, director of the Center for Research on Post-Industrial Societies (Moscow), the answer to this question is not as straightforward as it might appear.

Details: Opinions

Smoke and mirrors: Western misperceptions of Russia in Ukraine

Details: 11 February 2022; Ofer Fridman, Vera Michlin-Shapir

The consensus among Western politicians and experts is that the Kremlin is gearing up for war, which could be prevented by either deterrence or negotiations. However, recent research shows that policymaking discourse in both Russia and the West is “full of mutual misperceptions, mirror imaging, and attribution of non-existent intentions and capabilities.” One of the main reasons for possible misinterpretation of the Kremlin’s intentions in Ukraine is rooted in differences between the U.S. and Russian strategic cultures.

Details: Human Rights

January 2022: Zarema Musayeva, Pavel Krisevich, “palace case” anniversary

Details: 11 February 2022; Diana Fishman

The beginning of the year was marked by outrageous lawlessness on the part of Chechen security forces who virtually kidnapped Zarema Musayeva, wife of a retired federal judge and mother of outspoken Chechen activists. Artist and activist Pavel Krisevich remains illegally held in a temporary detention center for his performance against political repressions. After a year of several large protests in support of Alexei Navalny, Russian courts continue to sentence people in the so-called “palace case.”

Details: Opinions

How the Kremlin is preparing for war

Details: 09 February 2022; Michael Wasiura

Since March 2021, when the first reports of a military buildup at the Russia-Ukraine border appeared, the Kremlin has continued taking steps to shape the battlespace, both in physical reality and in the information sphere. While Western observers seem to view a Russian invasion as almost inevitable, Ukrainian officials call for a toning down of the incendiary rhetoric. In his op-ed for IMR, Michael Wasiura, a U.S. political analyst based in Moscow, explains why there are reasons to believe that the Kremlin is preparing for war.

Details: Analysis

How to establish a state ideology incognito

Details: 06 February 2022; Ekaterina Mishina

In January, a draft document titled “Foundations of state policy on the preservation and strengthening of Russia’s traditional spiritual and moral values” (to be confirmed by presidential decree) was released for public discussion. Legal scholar Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the document and notes that its authors attempt to establish a state ideology in Russia by manipulating terminology in the hope that their efforts go unnoticed.

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