Politics
A close look at the inner workings of authoritarian power in Russia and beyond, and the forces that could one day transform it: how the Kremlin holds and wields power, why the democratic opposition endures, and what a genuine political renewal would take
Russia’s Crimea Escalations Require a Deeper Look
The Wall Street Journal published an editorial last Thursday arguing that the recent escalation of conflict on the border of Russian-occupied Crimea is “a pretext...to pull out of…
Turkey’s Failed Coup: A practical analysis
The failed military coup in Turkey, regardless of who actually orchestrated it, will likely have dramatic consequences for the Turkish Republic and its people. Ever since Mustafa Kemal…
From Disapproval to Change
Free Russia Foundation and the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies are happy to present our joint report on the sanctions and economic crisis impact on Russian population…
Why is the West so weak when it comes to the Russian mafia?
Putin's cronies. Putin's proxies. Putin is a Kleptocrat. These terms could have shocked us a decade ago, but thanks to recent outstanding investigations and civic initiatives, they have…
Playing Smart With Russia’s Dangers to NATO
Russia expert Dr. Mark Galeotti published an article last Wednesday in which he seeks to calm down a Western foreign policy community anxious over the challenges that Russia…
“We Can Do It Again”. Turning Victory Day Into Its Opposite
The last time I tried to bring my daughter to see the Victory Day celebration was four years ago. It was hell. You could only enter Red Square…
Russia’s Bad Example
This month Russia’s legislative body, the Duma, introduced a draft law that would further strangle the work of Russian NGOs. The Duma wants to broaden the definition of “political activity” that can cause an NGO to be deemed a “foreign agent” to include receiving funds or property from almost any source, making it easier for the government to shut them down.
The Patriarch’s Grand Tour
The Kremlin employed an ancient and underused instrument of Russian soft power in February when Kirill, Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow, conducted an 11-day, four-country tour of Cuba,…
Kadyrov’s threats escalate
On Sunday night, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader and close ally of Vladimir Putin, posted a short video on his Instagram. The video featured Mikhail Kasyanov, the former…
Putin a Victim of His Own Creation
Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, tests the Kremlin with his terror tactics. “I ask Ramzan Akhmatovich for forgiveness and thank him for not yet killing me.” This is an…