Become a Patron! The Russian Imperialist Project After more than twenty years nobody has provided a clear explanation for what some call Putinism. Its dependence upon public opinion and mass mobilization resemble fascism. At the same time, Russia's economic dependence on state owned firms resembles socialism or even a shift back toward communism. Yet Putin... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Soldiers Surrender at Azovstal Over the past week about half of the soldiers at the Azovstal steel plant have surrendered. Most of the soldiers belong to the Azov battalion whom Russia has demonized as Nazis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at a prisoner exchange, but Russia has not made similar overtures. Instead,... Continue Reading →
Scott Radnitz is an associate professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington and the director of the Ellison Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies. He is the author of Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region and coeditor with Harris Mylonas of the forthcoming... Continue Reading →
Sing a Song for the Heroes of Azovstal Russia has given up a final assault upon the Azovstal Steel Mill. It's simply too dangerous. Instead they have engaged in siege warfare planning to starve them out of their position. It's an old tactic, but a taxing one. It will commit Russian soldiers to watch over... Continue Reading →
Putin Says "Think Twice" After the successful test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Vladimir Putin warned those "who are trying to threaten our country in the heat of frenzied, aggressive rhetoric to think twice." Putin's audience was not just the Russian people. He also directed his comments towards the United States and its allies.... Continue Reading →
Why Putin Needs this War A recent article from Maria Snegovaya argues Putin will survive his war. Regardless of its final outcome, she argues, Putin will remain in power. Her case makes a lot of sense. For example, popular support for the invasion is strong among Russians. Moreover, Putin's approval ratings increased after the war... Continue Reading →
Why Don't Russians Revolt? As sanctions continue to devastate the Russian economy, some have hoped the Russian people might rise up in revolt. However, Vladimir Putin's approval ratings have remained high or even increased. Of course, it's difficult to ascertain the genuine level of support in such a repressive environment. But plenty of anecdotal evidence... Continue Reading →
Eastern Ukraine Under Assault As Russia makes a strategic pivot toward Eastern Ukraine, the challenge goes beyond the battlefield. A divide has long existed between Eastern and Western Ukraine. The most notable difference between the regions is linguistic. Russian is more widely spoken in Eastern Ukraine as opposed to Ukrainian. However, Eastern Ukraine has also... Continue Reading →
Joshua Yaffa joins the podcast to discuss his new book Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia. He is a correspondent for The New Yorker based primarily in Moscow, Russia. ‘What would you prefer? Would you prefer that this boy, Vasya, die because he couldn't get dialysis? Would you prefer that this girl,... Continue Reading →
Compromise and Ambition Where do we draw the line between politics and the other parts of our life? It’s funny how anybody focused on politics distinguishes only between the political and everything else. The compartmentalization does not extend into economic, religious, and other social aspects of the world. For the political thinker the line is... Continue Reading →
