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opinion Artyom Shraibman

Embattled Lukashenko Loses Friends in East and West

Instead of its status as a peacekeeper between East and West, Belarus may soon find that it lacks a good relationship with either side.

Michele A. Berdy

Getting Out the Vote the Russian Way

People were voting by rules set in the Constitution they were voting on. How's that again?

The ‘Talibangate’ Claims About Russian Bounties Still Don’t Add Up

A story that raises serious probability questions is being accepted by many as proven.

It Wasn’t About Putin — Until It Was

By flipping the rhetoric in blatant contradiction of so much of what was said before the vote, the Kremlin has shown its contempt for voters.

Tatyana Stanovaya

The Taming of the Elite: Putin’s Referendum

The Russian president is banning his associates from looking around for a successor.

Michele A. Berdy

Ten Ways to Be Tired in Russian

Being tired is just so exhausting I feel like a squeezed out lemon. Really.

How Russians Are Reading Bolton and Trump

John Bolton suggests that Putin can play Trump like a fiddle. The truth is that the bilateral relationship with Russia is now as bad as at any time since...

This Year’s Victory Parade Was Both Impressive and A Little Sad

The limits of Russia’s present strength were evident in the supporting cast Putin could assemble.

Putin Wants You to Think He’s Not Going Anywhere

The Russian president is leaving himself room for maneuver. It remains to be seen, however, how much longer Putin can afford to keep people guessing.

Andrei Kolesnikov

Putin’s Majority 3.0

Putin is using the upcoming public vote on changing the constitution to make ordinary people his accomplices in the process of extending his rule.

Michele A. Berdy

When Time and Place Meet in Russian

Тут is such a simple, sweet-sounding word... and if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon

George Floyd, 'Brat 2' and Russian Depictions of African Americans

The recent 20th-anniversary showing of the cult film "Brat 2" included footage from the American BLM protests. It demonstrates the more significant issue...

The Kremlin Is Working Overtime to Promote the New Constitution — Just Not the 'Putin Forever' Part

What should have been a triumphant usurpation of power has turned instead into a timid attempt to write the onerous terms of a contract in letters so small...

Spy Cases Map Contours of Kremlin Geopolitics

The recent spy scandals expose once again Russia’s transactional approach to international politics.

Andrei Kolesnikov

Why Putin’s Rating Is at a Record Low

The autocratic personalized model Russia operates in has worked out badly for Vladimir Putin during the pandemic.

Despite Its Complicated Past, Soviet Antiracism Was Ahead of the Historical Curve

Its successes, failures, and mistakes can still serve as crucial bases for historical reflection and political action.

Coronavirus a Mixed Blessing for Russia’s Underworld

The more serious the economic slowdown, the more likely that this will lead to a redistribution of underworld power.

Vladislav Inozemtsev

Russia’s Quarantine Is Over, But the Pandemic Isn’t

Public health indicators all point to it being far too early for the end of lockdown, but politics prevailed.

Michele A. Berdy

Flying Objects and Other Horrors of Russian

Russian paronyms - летучий, летящий, летательный, летающий and лётный - are horrible.

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