May 08, 2020
A Strongman Brand Others Can Emulate
For the past 20 years, Putin has been driven principally by his desire to maintain power. To this end, he has weakened the state, eliminated competition, and personalized Russia’s political system. While an older generation of Russians credit Putin for helping Russia overcome the turmoil of the 1990s, in reality he has turned the country into a kleptocracy that does not work for ordinary Russians. As he has grown more paranoid about threats to his power—internal and external, real and imagined—Putin has suppressed the freedoms of Russians, increasingly through an arsenal of digital tactics.
Read the full article in Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
Navigating Sino-Russian Defense Cooperation
Commentary
Cooperation between China and Russia has grown. The alignment of their interests and convergence of their efforts is amplifying the challenge they pose to the United States....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, David Shullman & Dan McCormick
-
Putin’s Rise to Power, with Catherine Belton
Podcast
Catherine Belton joins Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss her new book, Putin’s People, and what she has learned from her reporting into Vladimir Putin’s rise t...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Catherine Belton
-
Polish Democracy After Duda’s Re-election, with Melissa Hooper and Dalibor Rohac
Podcast
Melissa Hooper and Dalibor Rohac join Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the results of Poland’s presidential election and the prospects for democracy in Pol...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Carisa Nietsche, Melissa Hooper & Dalibor Rohac
-
Vladimir Putin and the Future of Russian Politics, with Michael McFaul and Vladimir Kara-Murza
Podcast
Ambassador (ret.) Michael McFaul and Vladimir Kara-Murza join Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss recent anti-democratic developments in Russian politics and U.S...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Michael A. McFaul & Vladimir Kara-Murza
