Carnegie Moscow Center
Despite the Kremlin's need for domestic and international legitimacy, there was widespread irregularity and fraud in Russia's recent presidential elections.
Putin's return to the Kremlin may be good news for Dmitri Medvedev and Russia's oligarchs, but the middle class, especially the younger generation, is less optimistic about his re-election and the country's future.
Western governments have the opportunity to demonstrate to the Russian elite that its ability to prosper in the West depends on its behavior inside Russia itself.
Following the Duma election in December, the political situation in Russia changed fundamentally. Social activity has sharply increased, and the new Russian middle class has awakened.
As China's power continues to grow, Russians need to rediscover themselves as a Euro-Pacific nation and strengthen ties to East Asia in order to avoid becoming Beijing's junior partner.
It is in both Moscow and Washington’s interests to find realistic ways to improve bilateral strategic relations.
Russia has entered a new period in its political history and protests are likely to continue long after the election results are in.
The problem with Putin’s vision for modernizing Russia’s military is that it rests on the misplaced belief that the United States is still the country’s principal adversary.
Vladimir Putin cannot survive a sustained, nonviolent protest movement unless he creates a regime change by changing himself and addressing corporate influence on politics.
Russia has been in a post-empire state for the last 20 years. There is no way back to an empire now—Russia has passed the point of no return in this respect.