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Don't Blame Putin Alone for Russia's Misdeeds – It's the System

Yes, the Russian system is repressive. But imagining that Putin is behind every headline is an unhelpful distortion of how the system works.

Valery Panyushkin

How ‘Masha and the Bear’ Upset This Putinist Activist

The idea of a little girl living without adults, bossing around a bear and other talking animals, proved too much for this Russian political scientist...

Tatiana Stanovaya for Carnegie Politika

Carnegie Politika: Russia’s System Is Beginning to Eat Its Own

There are no longer any political guardrails on the country’s powerful security agencies, and the number of arrests of officials will only grow.

Tatyana Rybakova

Russia's Central Bank Has Lost What Remained of Its Independence

Russia's budget is impossible to balance. The regulator just made a significant concession to Putin and the increasingly powerful Finance Ministry.

Russia's Nuclear-Powered Missile Test Was More for Show Than Substance

Using the Burevestnik missile would not help Russia win an actual war. But its testing is supposed to warn the West that Russia will fight back.

Why Is the Russian Elite So Keen to Cozy Up to Trump?

The main audience for all these proposals from the Russian elite is not in fact Trump, but Putin, who still seeks an agreement with Washington.

Here's Why Plans for a Tunnel Between Russia and Alaska Are Insane

Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev thinks a tunnel will boost trade and bring peace. It isn't a new idea — and has never been built for good reasons...

Can Russians Be Trusted With Dollars? The Finance Ministry Doesn't Think So.

A proposed law to grant Putin powers over Russians' foreign currency transactions would suffocate personal freedom and the economy.

How the Kremlin's 'Foreign Agents' Law Strangled Freedom in Russia

The "foreign agents" law was never fair. But in recent years, it has been turned into a more effective tool to stifle Russian society.

The Kremlin Bets on Terror Tactics as it Faces Autumn Dilemma

Putin's recent boasts about Russia's supposed progress show how out of touch he is with the reality on the ground.

Arshak Makichyan

A Russian Billionaire Was Fined for Environmental Damage. It’s Fake Accountability.

The Kremlin only cares about the planet when it sees an opportunity to keep the elites and ordinary people in line.

Valery Panyushkin

Meet Russia's Most Harmless Terrorists – The Most Decent People You Could Meet

The FSB has branded the Anti-War Committee a terrorist group.The real threat they pose? Having a conscience.

A Former EU Politician Pleaded Guilty to Bribery. How Widespread Is the Problem?

The EU’s own rules and lethargy make it hard to investigate wrongdoing.

Alexander Baunov for Carnegie

By Sending Drones Into NATO States, Russia Is Repeating the Mistakes of 2022

In 2022, the Kremlin was counting on Ukraine to prove weak and futile. Now it is counting on NATO to be weak, divided and indecisive.

Vladimir Slivyak

How Russia Tried to Con the U.S. Out of Money for Plutonium Disposal – and Why It Didn’t Work

The headline that Russia withdrew from a plutonium disposal agreement with the U.S. sounds very serious, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Why Is Central Asia Buying Trump’s Attention?

The region no longer needs to distance itself from Russia or commit to democratic reforms to court American investment.

Tatyana Rybakova

How the Kremlin Decided to Sacrifice Small Business to Pay for War

Desperate to fund the war as the economy flags, the Kremlin is piling pressure on entrepreneurs. Here's the story of one man pondering his future.

Sergei Vakulenko

Have Ukrainian Drones Really Knocked Out 38% of Russia’s Oil Refining Capacity?

Kyiv’s strike campaign against oil refineries has inflicted serious — but likely not critical — damage to the country’s fuel production.

Alexander Nikitin

How Russia Is Turning a Captured Nuclear Power Plant into a Propaganda Piece

A blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant coincided with World Atomic Week and an IAEA visit, suggesting Moscow is trying to project control.

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