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Tag: Russian politics

Delusions of empires past

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is simply another imperialistic adventure. As history has shown, the end of an empire does not mean the loss of imperial ambitions. Unless Russia faces a complete and total defeat in Ukraine and is forced to contend with its past and current aggressions, there is very little to suggest that Russia will end its imperialistic mindset.

May 26, 2022 - Daniel Jarosak

The “7D Plan” for a post-Putin Russia to ensure global security

The ongoing war in Ukraine has focused minds in the West with regards to helping Kyiv achieve a military victory. However, little has been said in relation to a post-war Russia. The new “7D Plan” offers a model through which a reformed Russia could once again be integrated into the international community.

March 17, 2022 - Andrii Dligach Mychailo Wynnyckyj Valerii Pekar

Russia: stable dictatorship – but for how long?

The ongoing consolidation of Putin's dictatorship has been accompanied by a deepening, though still passive, public dissatisfaction with the political system and the ageing leader. Demands for change are subsequently on the rise. These attitudes may accelerate the erosion of a seemingly stable model of rule.

February 8, 2022 - Maria Domańska

As the dust settles, it’s time to admit: Alexei Navalny overplayed his hand, and has let Russia down

“What is the greatest fear of this toad sitting on the pipe? What are these bunker-dwelling thieves most afraid of? You know very well yourself. People taking to the streets.”

August 2, 2021 - Francis Farrell

Russia’s police state showed its real face in latest protest crackdown

Facing the largest street protests in a decade, Russian authorities responded with an unprecedented wave of repression. The harsh crackdown seems to have had the desired effect: Navalny’s allies were forced to put their protests on hold.

Russian police detained Dmitry Gliuz, aged 30, on Sennaya Square, in the centre of St Petersburg, shortly after he came out from the metro. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong, just standing and looking at my phone, when suddenly policemen grabbed me and punched me in the stomach”. Gliuz was among the thousands of people detained on January 31st during the nationwide protests in support of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

April 11, 2021 - Giovanni Pigni

Everyone understands what is happening

The space for freedom is shrinking in Russia. Many see a repetition of 1937 – a period of the most severe Stalinist terror, when government agents, at any moment, could come to any house and throw you in jail. The reason does not matter and it can happen to anyone. Yet still, everyone continues to stand by and stay silent.

On January 17th this year, the return of Alexei Navalny to Russia was being watched by the entire politically-minded society, or at least a large part of it. People across the political spectrum were equally fixated. I know many leftists (or liberals) who were sincerely worried, and many rightists (or conservatives) who rubbed their hands maliciously. All were watching via the internet livestream or traditional media, and some with one eye closed. The arrest of Navalny at Sheremetyevo airport became the starting point not only for street protests and clashes, but for intra-family disputes.

April 11, 2021 - Victoria Odissonova

Navalny is a symbol of the opposition, not its leader

An interview with Boris Vishnevsky, a columnist and opposition member of the St Petersburg legislative assembly. Interviewer: Linas Jegelevicius

LINAS JEGELEVICIUS: Did you take part in the recent protests in support of Alexei Navalny?

BORIS VISHNEVSKY: No, I did not. I act in a different role. Most recently, there were only two Russia-wide demonstrations in support of Navalny – on January 23rd and January 31st. Instead of marching with the demonstrators, I helped those who, as a result of these marches, ended up in the hands of the militia and security forces. Setting them free takes much longer and requires a lot of painstaking and time-consuming work. My assistance includes various forms, including legal aid in the courts.

April 11, 2021 - Boris Vishnevsky Linas Jegelevicius

Russia: Is jailing the opposition a good way to win?

The Kremlin is facing growing public dissent following the sentencing of Navalny and arrest of thousands of protesters.

March 9, 2021 - Tatsiana Kulakevich

What’s next for Navalny?

The return of Alexei Navalny to Moscow following his poisoning was understood by the Kremlin as a declaration of war.

March 1, 2021 - Maksym Skrypchenko

Life under one leader: Kremlin’s relationship with the Russian youth

When a Kremlin spokesman refuted the claim that President Putin is afraid of Alexei Navalny, he failed to mention that the regime nurses an underlying fear of the Russian youth.

February 24, 2021 - Anastasia Starchenko

Navalny and the Solzhenitsyn dilemma

The democratic opposition in Russia is facing difficult questions epitomised by Navalny’s poisoning and arrest. The Kremlin meanwhile, will have to decide between the line of Brezhnev or Khrushchev.

January 20, 2021 - Cyrille Bret

Navalny’s investigative breakthrough fails to sway Russian public opinion

Despite the toxicological evidence and confirmation from the FSB itself that Navalny was poisoned with the use of a Novichok nerve agent, a majority of Russians believe the propaganda of the Kremlin.

January 18, 2021 - Kennedy Lee

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Agencja digital: hauerpower studio krakow.