Institute of Modern Russia

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Event Briefings

Putin’s Next Act

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11 April 2018

Daniel Frey

On April 4th, the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on what can be expected from Moscow as Vladimir Putin begins his fourth term in office. The participants included Vladimir Kara-Murza, Julia Ioffe, Strobe Talbott, and Angela Stent, who touched upon the most pressing issues facing Russia and the U.S. today, including the possibility of a new Cold War, the Skripal case, and the future of Putin’s presidency. Alina Polyakova moderated the discussion. 

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Media Must-Reads

Magomedov Arrest, Kemerovo Aftermath, Putin’s Fourth Term

Russian media roundup, March 30—April 5, 2018

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05 April 2018

In this week’s roundup: the arrest of billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov is another example of the ongoing reshuffling in the Russian elite and an important piece in the current political feuding; the resignation of Aman Tuleyev, the long-term governor of the Kemerovo Oblast that suffered from a devastating fire, was another surprise of the week; discussions of Vladimir Putin’s next presidential term repeatedly come down to the “2024 problem.”

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Media Must-Reads

Diplomatic Fallout, Kemerovo Tragedy, Landfill Upheaval

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30 March 2018

Three stories dominated the news in Russia this week: the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from dozens of Western countries, the horrific fire in the Siberian city of Kemerovo that claimed 64 lives, including 41 children, and the continuing protests to shut down a toxic landfill in the Moscow region of Volokolamsk. Here’s how these stories developed and what they mean in the Russian political context.

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Media Must-Reads

Elections Analysis, Lessons for the Opposition, What’s Next

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23 March 2018

This week’s roundup will be slightly shorter than usual. We are focusing on the results of the March 18 elections—the key takeaways, outlooks for Vladimir Putin’s next presidential term, and lessons for the democratic opposition.

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Media Must-Reads

Russia’s Elections, the “Novichok” Factor, Putin’s Lost Decade

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16 March 2018

On March 18, Russia will hold presidential elections with a pre-determined result: Vladimir Putin is slated to win his fourth term with six more years in office. By then, barring some catastrophic event, he will have ruled Russia for almost 25 years. In the runup to the elections, independent Russian experts discuss the potential turnout, the results of Putin’s almost-two-decade rule so far, and his foreign policy messaging.

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Media Must-Reads

Putin’s War, Miraculous Weapon, Conflict of Uniquenesses

The Russian media roundup, March 3-9, 2018

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09 March 2018

In this week’s roundup, Alexander Rubtsov, Alexander Baunov, Vladimir Frolov and Dmitri Trenin discusses Vladimir Putin’s March 1 speech, focusing on various aspects—PR stunts, military technology, and foreign policy implications. And Mikhail Krutikhin writes about the potential for a new “gas war” between Gazprom and Europe.

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Event Briefings

The Return of Global Russia?

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08 March 2018

Daniel Frey

On March 1st, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a panel event to mark the launch of its Global Russia project—an initiative aimed at uncovering the “whys” and “hows” of Moscow’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy. Notable speakers included Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), investigative journalist Elizaveta Osetinskaya, foreign policy expert Andrew Weiss, and former CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin.

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Media Must-Reads

Cocaine Without Immunity, Threats to Russian Arms, Putin’s Integrators

The Russian media roundup, February 24 – March 2, 2018

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02 March 2018

In this week’s roundup: New Times and Maxim Mironov discuss the recent scandal of drugsmuggling through the Russian Embassy in Argentina; Pavel Luzin analyzes the CAATSA law’s short- and long-term effects on the Russian defense system; Tatiana Stanovaya writes about a new phenomenon in Putin’s system—the so-called “integrators”; and Kirill Semyonov poses the question whether escalation in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta will make it the second Aleppo.

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Putin's Two States, Russia-U.S. Clash in Syria, Whose Regime?

Russian media roundup, February 17-23, 2018

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22 February 2018

In this week’s roundup, Maxim Trudolyubov weighs in on Russia’s “other” invisible state that can be described as a modern-day “oprichnina”; Alexander Goltz analyzes the first clash in 60 years between Americans and Russians; Konstantin Gaaze delves in a dispute over the definition of Putin’s regime in the UN Security Council this week; Andrei Movchan describes the consequences of Communist presidential candidate Pavel Grudinin’s program for the Russian economic and political agenda; Alexei Levinson dissects the recent polls on Russian attitudes to other countries.

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Media Must-Reads

Russians Killed in Syria, Kremlin Censorship, Deripaska and Manafort

The Russian media roundup, February 10-16, 2018

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16 February 2018

In this week’s roundup, Marianna Belenkaya analyzes the consequences of the death of Russian mercenaries killed in a U.S.-led airstrike in Syria; Maxim Trudolyubov discusses the consequences of last week’s investigation by Alexei Navalny exposing shady ties between oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko; Konstantin Gaaze argues that despite scandals, Deripaska continues to receive tangible benefits; Vladislav Inozemtsev weighs in on how the Russian government could manage the “subsidized regions”; and Olga Romanova writes on the similarities between the U.S. and Russian criminal systems.