Putin
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Russische economie: een doos van Pandora
De oorlogseconomie van Rusland herbergt talrijke raadsels. De cijfers over de toestand van de volkshuishouding zijn zo tegenstrijdig
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Putin’s new social justice
The formation in Russia of a new concept of 'fairness' is testament to how long the war in Ukraine is expected to continue. The
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'Prigozhin considered himself indestructible'
Current and former Wagner mercenaries tell Lilia Yapparova what they think will happen to the Wagner Group now that its leader has been killed. The general consensus is that Prigozhin personally controlled most of Wagner Group’s activities and that without him, the private military company seems likely to crumble.by Lilia Yapparova -
Reply to Navalny's political statement from prison
Navalny's attack on the Russian liberals who under and with Yeltsin paved the way for Putinism was met with scepticism, sometimes derision. Some doubt if his articles are written by the prisoner himself. At the request of Raam op Rusland economist Vladislav Inozemtsev wrote the serious reply Navalny is entitled to.by Vladislav Inozemtsev -
Who was Prigozhin counting on to back his failed mutiny?
During his march on Moscow, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was counting on solidarity from senior army officers. Considering the fact he came close to reaching the capital without encountering any particular resistance, he might not have been completely mistaken.by Mikhail Komin -
Prigozhin’s coup attempt exposes Putin’s vulnerability
The war has gradually revealed Putin to be an ’emperor without clothes’. Even his inner circle will soon be forced to admit that. Though Prigozhin’s coup lasted less than 24 hours, it’s likely to have major consequences for Putin’s system of power in the foreseeable future. -
'It has become unsafe for everybody'
In her final statement on May 29 Chanysheva called Russians to take action against low wages and pensions and rising prices. 'My political rights and the rights of my fellow citizens have been consistently violated.'by Lilya Chanysheva -
Putin’s neo-totalitarian project
Putin's former repressive authoritarianisme since the invasion of Ukraine has morphed into a new form of government: neo-totalitarianism. Public discourse is captured by warmongers, pluralism in the ruling elite is wiped out and the population is politically mobilised for a long war, based on a war economy.by Maria Domańska -
Sociologist Grigory Yudin: ‘The war is now forever’
Sociologist Yudin doesn’t expect the war will end as long as Russia’s resentful leader Vladimir Putin is in the Kremlin: 'They’re preparing the country for a long and difficult war.’by Margarita Liutova -
What could Ukraine have done to avoid the war?
Economist Tymofiy Mylovanov, director of the Kyiv School of Economics, one year after the Russian invasion answers the question what Ukraine could have done to avoid the war.by Timofiy Mylovanov -
Deeper Troubles for Russia’s Economy in 2023
In the beginning of the war the economic sanctions against Russia didn't have the huge impact, that was foreseen in the West. But
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What’s behind Putin’s appointment of Kudrin at Yandex?
Putin's appointment of the former Finance Minister and Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexei Kudrin, long ago known for his liberal views, as the head of Russian search giant Yandex is strange. A strategic move?by Andrey Pertsev -
Peace talking versus peace making
Now Ukraine continues to succesfully regain occupied territories Putin seems willing to negotiate. In the West the clamour of 'peacemakers' also is growing. But as long as Putin denies Ukraïne's existence there is nothing to talk about.by Mykola Riabchuk -
What does Russia's martial law entail?
On October 19, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a ...
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Russia’s elites are starting to admit the possibility of defeat
With attacks on the centre of Kyiv and lots of other cities last night it is clear Putin will never back down. He seeks revenge for his humiliation. The elites have so far supported him, be it grumpingly. That might change if he goes for all-out victory in a war many think he can never win.by Tatiana Stanovaya -
Some legal advice to escape mobilisation
On 21 September Vladimir Putin declared a 'partly mobilisation' for 300.000 Russian men. In reality the numbers could be much higher.At last the war has come home to the Russians. During mobilization, escaping the draft is a legal problem for many Russians. Meduza spoke with a military attorney from the Russian Human Rights Defenders’ Coalition on how to defend yourselve if you don't want to fight. -
Putin's address to Russia
In his address to the nation on Wednesday Putin announced ‘partial mobilization’ for the war in Ukraine. He also supported the
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Putin cannot sell defeat to his country
How to read Russian society's response to the war? According to sociologist Greg Yudin there are three distinct groups in Russia: 'radicals, dissenters and laymen'. Yudin believes Putin will not be able to sell a defeat in Ukraine as a victory. But a full military mobilization seems equally unlikely now.by Greg Yudin -
The banker’s dilemma
Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, the Central Bank of Russia played a crucial role in stabilizing the Russian economy by monetary means. How did Elvira Nabiullina and her team try to save Russia’s economy amid war and sanctions?by Svetlana Reiter and Margarita Lyutova -
Putin’s archaic war: how will Russia's outlawed professional class return?
On 24 February, also in Russia everything changed. Putin’s war in Ukraine imposes an agenda on Russia that is deeply archaic. His
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Real Fascism to combat fake Nazism: Patrushev’s dreams of a warfighting Russia
Chief of Russia's Security Council Nikolay Patrushev is the person closest to Putin, and the most sinister figure in Russia's
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'Brotherly’ genocide by your neighbour state
The French president Macron refused to define Russian aggression in Ukraine as genocide. How then can we define the Russian
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Russia's catastrophic geopolitics: Putin is late by a century
International scolars on gepopolitics like the American professor John Mearsheimer don't seem to understand that their
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Brainwashing at Russia’s universities: how teachers have to present Putin’s policy
Soon after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine started, university teachers all over Russia were ordered to teach their
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Putin’s last stand: how to lose a war simply by starting one
How did this war with Ukraine even become a possibility? Maxim Trudolyubov, editor of the Riga-based Russian
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Patriarch Kirill and Vladimir Putin’s two wars
The Kremlin is fighting two wars at once: a major war against Ukraine and continued a war against Russia. In this wars,
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War of obsession: Why Putin is risking Russia’s future
By invading Ukraine Putin has shown that he has put his obsession with this neighbour above the national interest of Putin. As
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High noon in Ukraine: who blinks first
The Kremlin doesn’t understand the quintessence of Ukraine. Therefore Putin’s interventions since Euromaidan backfired:
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Excluded from talks, Ukraine prepares to fight
With US-Russia talks underway on the future of Ukraine’s security, and with Ukraine absent, the population can only hope for peace and get ready to fight. Ukraine’s anxiety that its destiny might be decided in its absence, despite reassuring statements from the allies, is palpable.by Olga Tokariuk -
Putin promises 'adequate military responses'
During a meeting at the Ministry of Defense on 21 December Putin promised 'adequate military and technical responses' if the West continues its 'clearly aggressive line' of NATO expansion. Accepting means 'a fundamental overhaul of the current European security order in favour of Russia'. But refusal gives Russia the pretext for military action against Ukraine.by Marek Menkiszak -
Ukraine crisis: a case study in modern Kremlinology
Putin has loaded the gun. But will the trigger also be pulled? The West cannot know for sure what is intended. The Ukraine crisis is a kind of quantum politics.by Mark Galeotti -
Russia supports Lukashenka's migration war as long as it lasts
The migration crisis, organised by Aleksandr Lukashenka, for the time being is in the interests of the Kremlin, as this aggravates the situation on the EU border and tests the resilience of the Polish security system, Poland’s armed forces and NATO as a whole. But Putin's support is not unconditional.by Piotr Żochowski -
Putin’s Labyrinth: Career Stagnation in Russia’s Corridors of Power
After the parliamentarian elections this time the usual upward mobility switches in the elite are conspicuously absent. The path of career progression within the power vertical has stopped being predictable.Putin stopped the carroussel. It is total stagnation. This never bodes well in politics.by Andrey Pertsev -
Pandora Papers expose secret wealth of Aliyev and Zelenskiy
A massive new leak of financial documents has exposed how the presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, as well as hundreds of other politicians and billionaires around the world, are linked with companies that use offshore tax havens to hide wealth. -
Poetin herdenkt begin Grote Vaderlandse Oorlog met aanval op VS en EU
In een artikel ter herdenking van de aanval van nazi-Duitsland op de Sovjet-Unie, op 22 juni precies tachtig jaar geleden, heeft
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Biden meets Putin: the return of diplomacy
Expectations were low, but the Geneva summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin on June 16 was good, argues Kadri Liik, senior policy fellow of the European Council on Foreign Relations. It was not so much the concrete deliverables, but the restoration of the power of old-fashioned diplomacy and working patiently away at difficult problems. The presidents found the start of a modus vivendi for managing their mutual relationship.by Kadri Liik -
Purges and professionals: the transformed Russian regime
The constitutional, political and social changes of 2020–2021 have proven so sweeping and profound that the Russian regime is undergoing a renaissance. An abyss opened up: you are either pro-regime or anti-regime. In the last case you are criminal.by Tatyana Stanovaya -
Lukashenko in survival mode: an international problem
After de meeting of the presidents Putin and Lukashenko, the 28th of May in Soch, it remains crystal clear: Russia is the only country that can truly influence the behavior of the Belarusian regime. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time before Western pressure is transferred from Minsk to Moscow.by Artyom Shraibman -
Treason trial against Kremlin ally is trip wire for president Zelensky
By persecuting tycoon, political leader and Putin pal Viktor Medvedchuk for treason the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is taking a big risk, says Todd Prince for RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty.by Todd Prince -
Ukraine, Russia, and United States make use of Donbas tension
Tough rhetoric, preemptive escalation, and the announcement of new sanctions were necessary for Biden to start the inevitable conversation with Russia. For Russia, the deployment of huge amounts of troups was meant to show that Putin decides which red line shouldn't be crossed. Both Ukrainian and Russian leaders used the tension 'to make contact with the new U.S. administration'. This is, obviously, not 2014.by Alexander Baunov -
Sticks and carrots in Biden’s Russia strategy
So far it is two cheers for Biden's approach to Russia, Some of the sanctions will be more effective than others. By calling Putin a 'killer' with respect to Navalny, but at the same time inviting him for a meeting, he shows he has sticks and carrots to offer.by Matthew Sussex -
Biden called Putin a killer. Will that change anything?
In an interview president Biden affirmed that he considered Putin 'a killer'. Russian pundits reacted ferociously, but Putin rather made fun of him. Biden punished Putin for trying to damage his reputation by smearing his Ukrainian connections. What is worse, though, is that the Kremlin will use the quote against what's left of political opposition at home.by Vladimir Frolov -
Korolev’s coronation and the rise of the ruthless in the FSB
Colonel General Sergei Korolev, appointed as the new First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), is connected with organised crime in Russia. This was probably a deciding factor in finally elevating him.by Mark Galeotti -
Russia’s unsustainable business model: going all in on oil and gas
The challenge to maintain Russia’s oil production at its current high level is becoming greater. How does the Russian oil and gas industry, and the Putin regime, deal with these challenges and what are its prospects?by Jilles van den Beukel and Lucia van Geuns -
How professional is the FSB: 10 burning questions
Over the past two months several agents of the Russian Federal Security Service, who tracked and possibly tried to murder Alexey Navalny, are identified because of some basic errors inside the FSB. Is the main intelligence agency really so amateurish?by Andrei Soldatov -
First woman wins elections in Moldova, but the battle is far from over
On November 15 the young reformer Maia Sandu convincingly won the presidential elections in Moldova. By defeating the Moscow-oriented Igor Dodon she became the country's first female president. Putin congratulated her, but Dodon tellingly immediately left for Moscow. It is the start of an uphill fight.by Stanislav Secrieru -
Rusland verliest 'vriend Trump' en moet zich met 'snoeiharde Biden' verstaan
Trump bracht zo'n ontwrichting teweeg in het westers bondgenootschap, dat het Moskou kansen gaf 'de vijand stuk voor stuk te
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How Russia is winning at its own game
Russia witnesses worrying developments in what it sees as its 'Near Abroad' or sphere of influence, like the Caucasus and Belarus. But war and revolution are not inimical to Moscow if they follow paths Russian policymakers understand and even support.by Kadri Liik -
National Guard adopts ideological training without an ideology
The political commissar in the Russian armed forces seems back. In September, President Putin signed a decree to introduce
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Lukashenko is becoming a toxic asset for the Kremlin
Lukashenko's weakened position after the presidential elections of August 9 seemed an opportunity for Russia. At last Putin could force him to accept total integration in the Union State he has been dreaming of. But now the Belarusian president seems unable to crush the protests and the West has turned him down Belarus is becoming a problem for the Kremlin as well. It can lose the sympathy of the last Slavic brothers left after the Ukraine crisis.by Artyom Shraibman -
Putin rules the waves in Russia's sphere of influence
Putin's first public reaction to the crisis in Belarus ultimately proves that countries in Russia's so called 'sphere of influence' are not allowed to have an internal political agenda of their own. If protests in Belarus lead to more independence from Russia and inclination to the West they will be stopped.by Alexander Baunov -
Can Russia-West Divide Save Lukashenko?
Both Russia and the West may be sick and tired of the mercurial Belarusian autocrat, but up till now they still saw him as the lesser evil, writes Maxim Samorukov of Carnegie Moscow. Outdated regimes can prove extremely resilient if favored by broader geopolitics.by Maxim Samorukov -
Germany-Russia: from 'strategic partnership' to alienation
After the unification of Germany hopes were high that a new phase of cooperation between the Bundesrepublik and Russia would start. But in stead of the hoped for strategic partnership relations quickly soured. Why did the dreams not come true? Russia says the West is guilty as it refused the open hand offered. But according to analyst Hannes Adomeit Russia already during Yeltsin's reign refused cooperation as it didnot fit in to its security strategy.by Hannes Adomeit -
KGB chief Andropov still Russia’s mythical man
The birthday of KGB chief and shortlived General Secretary of the CPSU Yuri Andropov, on June 15, tempted many Russian commentators to muse on the question: what if he had not passed away in 1984?by Mark Galeotti -
Is Putin losing grip on reality?
In his address to the nation on April 2 Putin extended the economic lockdown with three more weeks and promised salary compensation
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Two cheers, maybe, for Putin’s ‘January Revolution’?
Putin's proposals to change the constitution and the powerstructure puzzle all analysts in East and West. According to Mark Galeotti, to leave the position of super-president to someone else is a very dangerous legacy. So maybe trying to diversify power, willingly or un-willingly, might in the end be a step forward for Russian politics.by Mark Galeotti -
Putin models Russia to his future ambitions
proposals to change the constitution and the powerstructure puzzle all analysts in East and West. Window-dressing, shrewdness, securing his political future as and clinging to power, it is all that and more.by Andrei Kolesnikov -
The Iran crisis can be a boost for Russia
Can Russia cope with its new role as mighty power-broker in the Middle East, asks Marianna Belenkaya from Carnegie Moscow.by Marianna Belenkaya -
United Russia’s Rehabilitation Means a Tightening of the Screws
Russia's ruling party United Russia has lost most of its credibility by now, after the highly impopular pension reform and the
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Putin doesn’t want to kill liberalism, only optimism
In his interview with the Financial Times Vladimir Putin buried liberalism. Our columnist Mark Galeotti, author of the sobre book 'We need to talk about Putin' puts things in perspective. Putin is a man with many masks, who easily adapts to different audiences. His main goal is stability for his regime and for the world, in the interest of Russia. And of his business friends. -
'The future of Russia is evolution to a European parliamentary democracy'
In a hall with over 400 (mostly) students at the Campus The Hague, Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke about the future of Russia. Khodorkovsky declared himself a staunch supporter of evolutionary change in Russia, from a presidential system to a fullfledged democratic parliamentary republic.by Raam op Rusland -
Can Tsar Vladimir Morph into Uncle Vova?
Putin's annual address to parliament and the people differed from last year's. In spite of an obligatory threat to target the US with missiles, the speech was meant to appease his angry people. So Putin morphed from Tsar Vladimir to Uncle Vova. According to our columnist Mark Galeotti that will not be enough. There are no more quick fixes and easy answers, but Putin budges to act decisively. -
Tensions between Kremlin and Minsk rise after 'Integration Ultimatum'
Four sacks of potatoes and a piece of lard were the Christmas gifts president Lukashenko brought for his meeting with Putin on December 29. But tensions about sovereignty of Belarus have risen again. It's an old power play between Minsk and Moscow. Arseny Sivitsky analyses the concerns from the point of view of Belarus. -
The Twilight of Putin’s Political Monopoly?
Political fragmentation, fights between the elites and a total absence of a positive domestic agenda. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya signals three key domestic risks of the year 2019 for those in power. -
Putin is passé for populists
After twenty years in power, Putin's presidential office can barely offer anything promising. Trump is the new autocrat populists of the world look up to. The Kremlin is more and more turning into an ancien regime, ready to be swept away, argues sociologist Maxim Trudolyubov on the Russian website Riddle.by Maxim Trudolyubov -
Appeal to the West: Stop Alienating Ordinary Russians
Be it at the end of Putin's presidency in 2024 or before, things will inevitably change in Russia. But in which direction? The West cannot stay aloof, as what happens in Russia is a matter of concern for the world as well. At the end of the Cold War the West offered a positive alternative, but now it is alienating ordinary Russians, writes Russian journalist Leonid Ragozin.by Leonid Ragozin -
State, space and society. Public participation in the development of the Zenit Arena
The World Cup 2018 in Russia appeared to be flawless and therefore a success for president Putin. But to what extent did civil society participate in the organization of the tournament? In his master thesis Luuk Peters, student at Leiden University, sheds light on this question.by Luuk Peters -
‘Everyone Likes Naturalness and Sincerity’: Sincerity Rhetoric in Contemporary Political Discourse in Russia
In the Russian presidential election of 2018, the concept of sincerity played a central role in the political language of various candidates. Putin, Sobchak, and Navalny, all employed the notion of sincerity as a tool for political legitimization and projected a negative image of hypocrisy onto a constitutive ‘Other’. This rhetoric can pose a significant threat to deliberative democracy, writes Barbara Roggeveen in her BA-thesis.by Barbara Roggeveen -
Kremlin calculus seems driven by dreams of war
We can keep laughing at the Russian military intelligence service, says our columnist Mark Galeotti, but we should
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Why Putin's system can't be reformed
Public discontent over a plan to raise Russia’s pension age showed the weakness of Putin's rule. The governing elite is paralized
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The Russian Public’s Wish List for the Putin & Trump summit
Opinion polls and focus groups show that, despite intense anti-American feelings in Russia, Russians do pin hopes on the Putin-Trump
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Does identity building in Nazarbayev’s Kazakhstan mean an exit from the Russian world?
With roughly 21 percent ethnic Russians, Kazakhstan inhabits the largest Russian minority of the five Central Asian republics. But
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Russia’s alienation from the West: who is to blame?
In a
Will the World Cup see Putin in the net?
Column On June 14 the World Cup starts in 11 cities in Russia. It's about sports, money, prestige,
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German-Russian Rapprochement? Not likely to Happen Soon
Do we witness a ‘reset’ in German-Russian relations? On Iran and Nord Stream 2 a rapprochement between Putin and Merkel is possible, writes
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Russia will stand strong and rely on itself
On May 18 Dmitri Trenin, director of think tank Carnegie Moscow, presented his views on the tensions between Russia
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Can Russia Save Iran From Itself?
The survival of the Assad regime lies entirely in the hands of its two main supporters: Russia and Iran. Therefore Netanyahu was in
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Russia Is Offering an Olive Branch, Not Nuclear War
President Vladimir Putin’s recent address to the Federal Assembly about boosting Russia’s defense capabilities made quite a
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Speaking out or remaining silent: engaging with the legacy of Stalin
(English translation of Kessler's start of the debate)
For more than a quarter of a century Joseph Stalin ruled over Soviet
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US-Russia policy shaped by war in Washington
The incoherence in US-Russian relations has many causes, from mutual misunderstanding to Trump’s own spur-of-the-moment style. But a
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Russia’s dual response to the West creates confusion
Russia’s survival logic is based on duality: being both with the West and against it. Western misperceptions of this duality
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Navalny’s real nemesis is corruption, not Putin
With an exposé on Putin's corruption Alexei Navalny targets the Man at the Top directly. Navalny is not in jail and Putin is
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National Guard: the watchdog that could break the leash
With one of Putin’s closest henchmen as commander and 400,000 armed men on its payroll, the National Guard, created in 2016, is a
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Сталин при Путине
Не так давно Левада-центр опубликовал ответы россиян на просьбу назвать, кого они считают «наиболее выдающимся деятелем всех времен
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Gas and oil interests split Europe and US in sanction policy
As Trump and Putin met for the first time during the G20, they apparently didn't speak about a very sensitive issue: the economic
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Politics is over for Russian citizens
This year’s tv call-in show with Vladimir Putin revealed that politics has been entirely removed from the public sphere in Russia.
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Putin the eclectic historian
Putin’s administration, in its quest for historical legitimacy, seeks to synthesize disparate elements of Russia’s different ‘pasts’
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American obsession with Russia helps Putin's reelection
The allegations against Russia interfering in the American elections are still murky. After the elections contacts between Russian
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Putin's message: make Russia great again
Is Russia a superpower or a house of cards? This was the subject of a debate organised by RaamopRusland in De Balie in Amsterdam.
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Russia has no grand plans, but lots of ‘adhocrats’
Late Putinism is not working with a long-sighted grand design, as people who believe the Trump-dossier seem to think. Relentless hollowing out of
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Why Putin won’t get tough on Kadyrov
The persecution of gay people in Chechnya may point to a profound weakness in the Kremlin’s power in the republic. President Putin apparently has
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U.S-Russian Relations: Back to Square One - Part II
After Donald Trump took power a ‘reset’ of U.S.-Russian relations wasn’t even attempted. Why was a ‘grand bargain’, being so far
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U.S.-Russian relations: back to square one - Part I
A mere two and a half months after his inauguration Donald Trump acknowledged that ‘we’re not getting along with Russia at all, we
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Een megadeal? Nee, bedankt
De relatie Moskou-Washington kan alle kanten op gaan. Escalatie is denkbaar of verder overleg. Maar een doorbraak zit er niet in.
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Torn between the EU and Russia, Belarus is rife with conspiracy theories
Last Monday, April 3, Lukashenko and Putin met in Saint Petersburg to overcome their controversies. After the meeting they announced
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Protests show: corruption in Russia remains Putin’s biggest threat
Corruption is one of Russia's biggest problems. But it is not the street-level bribe, but institutionalised nepotism, that
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Red October: a matter of national security
De Russische revolutie van 1917 was een keerpunt: voor Rusland zelf, en voor de rest van de wereld. Al honderd jaar zijn oorzaken en
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Russian survival in Trumpian World: Bad Romance
The belief that it was the Kremlin’s dream to see Trump in the White House is an exaggeration. The Trump/Bannon/Leninist urge to destroy the
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Трамп как герой русских сказок
'Такое впечатление, что Трамп руководит Россией. Почему все здесь о нем пишут?' — задает вопрос в русском сегменте фейсбука человек,
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Macho talk has become cool politics
Populists use macho talk to show their disrespect to the elites and their closeness to the lower strata. Putin and Trump, though very different
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Why do the West and Russia fear each other?
In december Dmitri Trenin, director of Carnegie Moscow Center, published the book 'Should we fear Russia?' He warns the West
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Добро пожаловать в Парк Юрского Периода!
Можно гадать, означает ли последнее послание президента Путина Федеральному Собранию примирение с Западом, а вернее с Америкой,
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Not every election is about Russia
The West is inclined to interpret and explain national politics by referring to Russia or Putin. However, the recent electoral
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Европа — назад к сферам влияния?
Владимир Путин требует для России положения сверхдержавы, и избрание Трампа может сыграть ему на руку. Но на чем основаны
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Why Trump’s victory has closed Russia’s road to change
The message that Donald Trump’s sudden triumph sends is very clear: the U.S. political system has failed at its core. The bulwark of liberal
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Stop NATO blame game, East and West must urgently talk to ease tensions
After the NATO summit in Warsaw, West and East should stop blaming each other and immediately start negotiations to eliminate the
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