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
A Case for Supporting Free Democratic Russia
The paper argues that Russia’s democratization is based on genuine bottom-up public demand for democracy
Russia’s Friends in Turkey
Political and Military Factors Behind the Russo-Turkish Rapprochement
The Changing Demographics of The State Duma
Alexander Kynev’s Follow-Up on the Duma Elected in 2021
Saying “Nothing Will Ever Change in Russia” is not Only Unhelpful, It is Wrong
Russia’s Shifting Eras from Brezhnev to Putin
Why the West Must Provide Urgent Support to Pro-Democracy Russians
Blame is increasingly aimed at Russians who have long opposed the Kremlin
Russian-Chinese Military Cooperation in the Time of COVID-19
A 2019 Peak, a Pandemic Slump, and a Partial Recovery in 2021
The Asymmetry of Russian-Sino Relations
Beijing now dominates economically and increasingly militarily, leveraging pressure from the “fish war” to oil pricing and foreign-policy concessions
The Kremlin and the 2021 Bundestag Elections
Attempts to Influence the Outcome and Create Instability
2021 in review: Is there any reason for optimism?
Everything Is Working Against Putin, but Expect More Repression in 2022
Putin’s Annual Press Conference
Fakes and Anti-Western Tirades at the 2021 Year-End Press Conference