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Snapshot,
February 9, 2012
What the Russian Protests Can -- And Can't -- Do
Maria Lipman and Nikolay Petrov

The current protests in Moscow are too weak to radically change the country's politics by themselves. Nevertheless, they will continue to erode Putin's legitimacy. Even if he wins the March 4 election, he will not enjoy the same monopoly on power that he used to.
Snapshot,
February 5, 2012
Russia's Line in the Sand on Syria
Dmitri Trenin

Russia vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council to end the violence in Syria because it feels burned by last year's international intervention in Libya, and it harbors suspicions about the motives of the United States.
Snapshot,
December 9, 2011
Vladimir Putin's Cyber Warriors
Andrei Soldatov

In the wake of Sunday's contested parliamentary elections, the Russian security services have made obvious and clumsy efforts to shut down independent news sources. But controlling information online will prove impossible, and continued attempts to do so will only backfire.
Snapshot,
December 8, 2011
A Warning Shot For Putin
Kathryn Stoner-Weiss

With its entrenched advantages, the Kremlin's United Russia party should be safe for now -- but if Vladimir Putin doesn't acknowledge the widespread dissatisfaction with his rule, he may soon find that force is the only way to preserve his regime.
Essay, Nov/Dec 2011
The Dying BearPremium Article available to subscribers and site license holders.
Nicholas Eberstadt

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has been gripped by a devastating population crisis. The country's demographic decline will undermine the Kremlin's plans for economic and military modernization -- and could make Moscow more dangerous in the international arena.
Essay, Nov/Dec 2011
Counterrevolution in Kiev
Rajan Menon and Alexander J. Motyl

President Viktor Yanukovych has led Ukraine, no stranger to crisis, into another round of turmoil. He has rolled back democracy while failing to take on corruption or take the country closer to Europe. Now, much of the public has turned against him -- and the country could be headed for more unrest.
Snapshot,
October 3, 2011
The Temporary Return of Putin Co.
Lilia Shevtsova

Russia's ruling security-services clan, which has usurped power over the last decade, needs Vladimir Putin to return to power. Putin and this close-knit group plan to rule the country for life -- but economic stagnation and rising social unrest means they may be in for a shock.
Snapshot,
September 30, 2011
The Hinge that Holds Russia Together
Vladislav Inozemtsev

The Russian state is devoid of institutions that can exist outside of the personalized power structure that Vladimir Putin has built inside the Kremlin. And that is a foremost reason he's returning to the presidency.
Snapshot,
September 29, 2011
Putin's Return and Washington's Reset With Russia
Andrew Kuchins

With Vladimir Putin now set to retake the Russian presidency, many are arguing that Washington's reset with Moscow is in jeopardy. Not so, as a rising China, cheap oil, and a need for international partners will force the Kremlin to play nice with the Obama administration.
Review Essay, May/June 2011
What Is Totalitarian Art?
Kanan Makiya

Igor Golomstock's encyclopedic tome on the art produced in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and communist China makes a good case that totalitarian art is a distinct cultural phenomenon. But a new postscript on art under Saddam Hussein is less compelling, writes a former Iraqi dissident.
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