The False Romance of Russia: Competing in the Gray Zone
Russia has been aiming to destabilize both its “near abroad” — the former Soviet states except for the Baltics — and wider Europe through the use of ambiguous “gray zone”… Read more »
Search Results for: Russia
Ideological ‘grievance state’: Five Faces of Russia’s Soft Power
Russia’s human rights situation is getting worse with each passing year, says Tatanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch. The regime routinely “messes up” because it has destroyed almost all feedback… Read more »
Russia’s New Ideocracy vs. liberal democracy
“Putinism” has long been a hot topic in the West, where the term – describing the policies and practices of Russian President Vladimir Putin – is generally met with… Read more »
Russia’s protest movement: Prospects and problems
The eruption of protests on the streets of Moscow in early August was the culmination of demonstrations the previous month after election officials barred opposition candidates from running for City… Read more »
The Soviet Collapse and the Charm of Hindsight: Misplaced optimism for Russian democracy?
On leaving Moscow in May 1992, I wrote: “I do not think it is an act of mindless optimism to look forward to a future in which Russia has developed… Read more »
How to curb Russian influence in Africa
Autocratic powers like China and Russia are rushing to fill the vacuum left in the wake of the global retreat of the United States and other Western democracies, reports suggest…. Read more »
Fukuyama vs. Navalny: Fighting fear in Russia
Last week, Warsaw hosted the fourth Boris Nemtsov Forum, welcoming dozens of prominent experts, journalists, and activists to discuss “fighting fear in Russia and beyond,” Meduza reports. On October 9,… Read more »
Russia’s maturing opposition confronts ‘calibrated repression’
Russia has declared opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation a “foreign agent”. The move by the justice ministry means the organisation will now be subject to more checks by the authorities,… Read more »
Putin in ‘political desert’: What’s the next step for Russia’s opposition?
Vladimir Putin has now been in power in Russia as president and prime minister for twenty years. The local elections held in September provide an opportunity to evaluate the results… Read more »
‘Gems, Warlords and Mercenaries’: Russia’s sharp power playbook in Africa
Russia lacks China’s muscle when it comes to trade and infrastructure. But it has other assets. One is a shrewd appreciation of the political needs of African dictators, another is… Read more »