Moscow - Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions

What Would It Take to Restore a Peace Order in Europe?

Dmitri Trenin, Marc Pierini, Andrei Kolesnikov — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:37:31 +0000

Western leaders’ recent attempts to assure a diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis may come to no avail. Is it possible to restore the peaceful, European status quo amidst such rapidly growing East-West animosity? Eurasia Outlook asked Carnegie’s experts to share their thoughts.

Does Russia Need the Council of Europe?

Alexei Arbatov, Andrei Kolesnikov — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 10:34:55 +0000

If Russia follows through with its threats to leave the Council, though, how will its place in the world be impacted? What would that decision's ramifications be for normal Russians? We asked Carnegie's experts to share their thoughts.

The Survival Paradigm

Lilia Shevtsova — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:56:36 +0000

The war in Ukraine has given Russia a pretext for the military and patriotic consolidation and militarist survival paradigm.

Putin Has Fought His Way Into a Corner

Lilia Shevtsova — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:29:54 +0000

By turning Russia into a war state, President Putin has unleashed a process he cannot stop and made himself hostage to suicidal statecraft.

Putin Ends the Interregnum

Lilia Shevtsova — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:50:15 +0000

Vladimir Putin’s increasingly reckless interventions in Ukraine should force the West to reevaluate everything it thought it knew about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the past two decades of Western policy on Russia.

Blurred Lines Between War and Peace

Lilia Shevtsova — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:18:00 +0000

Allowing Kiev to restore the country’s territorial integrity is the best way to bring real peace to Ukraine. At the same time, pressuring Kiev to declare a new ceasefire that will give the rebels another break will only prolong the conflict.

How Long Russians Would Believe in Fairy Tale?

Lilia Shevtsova — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 07:57:16 +0000

Russian state and national identity are still based on the search for the enemy. However, the patriotic euphoria that followed Crimea has begun to wear off. As the Kremlin attempts to understand what to do next in Ukraine, it has become clear that Russians are not prepared to pay for it with their lives.

Crowning a Winner in the Post-Crimea World

Lilia Shevtsova — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:02:47 +0000

Does liberal democracy depend on the existence of ideological and civilizational rivals to spur it into cycles of reinvention and renewal?

Russia Day—Independence From Itself?

Lilia Shevtsova — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:09:29 +0000

On June 12, Russia is celebrating its national day, but the date continues to confuse Russians. It is on this day that Russia tries to celebrate its sovereignty without raising the uncomfortable question: sovereignty from whom?

Obama Blinks

Lilia Shevtsova — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:12:28 +0000

Barack Obama’s recent remarks at West Point show that he doesn’t understand the rules of the game he’s playing with Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

Bravo, Ukraine, Bravo!

Lilia Shevtsova — Mon, 26 May 2014 08:23:27 +0000

The elections in Ukraine demonstrate that Ukrainians have decisively chosen to turn toward Europe.

Military-Patriotic Mobilization and How It Will End

Lilia Shevtsova — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:49:12 +0000

The worse the situation becomes in Russia, the better it looks in the eye of the people. This can be explained by mass self-deception and people’s desire to believe in a fairy tale. However, Russia is approaching a moment of truth when people will realize how serious the country’s problems are.

Putin Rides the Tide

Lilia Shevtsova — Thu, 15 May 2014 17:10:54 +0000

Putin looks like he will continue to ride the tide he has set into motion for the time being. But amidst his tactical successes the signs of a looming strategic defeat can be already seen.

Interregnum: Russia Between Past and Future

Lilia Shevtsova — Tue, 13 May 2014 08:44:57 +0000

After the end of the political protests of 2011–2012, Russia has found itself in the troubled time which can be described as “time out of time,” or a break between two eras. This is a time of conservatism, which in Russia has morphed into a gloomy, almost medieval archaism.

Don’t Be Fooled: The Kremlin Isn’t Backpedaling

Lilia Shevtsova — Thu, 08 May 2014 16:31:03 +0000

Putin’s current conciliatory tone and his support of the Ukrainian “dialogue” should be interpreted not as a change of his doctrine but a change of tactics.