Analysis

This listing contains all the analytical materials posted on the Russia Matters website. These include: RM Exclusives, commissioned by Russia Matters exclusively for this website; Recommended Reads, deemed particularly noteworthy by our editorial team; Partner Posts, originally published by our partners elsewhere; and Future Policy Leaders, pieces by promising young scholars and policy thinkers. Content can be filtered by genre and subject-specific criteria and is updated often. Gradually we will be adding older Recommended Reads and Partner Posts dating back as far as 2011.
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Is Russia Shifting Toward Mobilization Economy or Forming New, Loyal Business Elite?

Andrei Yakovlev May 30, 2024 RM Exclusives
Recent events indicate that the Kremlin has set a course for reviewing privatization deals and, more broadly, for the redistribution of property in the Russian economy.
Clues from Russian Views

The World According to Dyumin—Putin’s Former Bodyguard and His Potential Successor

Olga Kiyan February 29, 2024 RM Exclusives
Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's former bodyguard and governor of the Tula oblast—which Dyumin has called Russia's "weapons capital"—will likely be one of the top contenders to succeed Putin thanks to his proximity to the Russian leader and his versatile experience.
Clues from Russian Views

Devoted to Putin: Volodin's Views on Russia, the West and the Rest

RM Staff January 27, 2023 RM Exclusives
Despite his mastery of reductionist flattery and "unlimited devotion" to Putin, the speaker of the State Duma likely isn't a member of the Russian president's inner-most circle. Still, he may have a shot at the Kremlin when Putin steps down.
Clues from Russian Views

Dmitry Medvedev in His Own Words: From Modernizing Liberal to Hateful Hawk

RM Staff January 04, 2023 RM Exclusives
Analysts believe the public metamorphosis is meant to keep the ex-president/ex-prime minister politically relevant and close to Russia's pro-war ruling elite.
Clues from Russian Views

The World According to Patrushev

Simon Saradzhyan and Angelina Flood October 07, 2022 RM Exclusives
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, often comes up when discussion turns to possible Putin successors. Check out our compilation for some of his views on issues that impact important U.S. interests.
Clues from Russian Views

From Thanking God to Seeing the Abyss: Russians React to Putin’s Mobilization

Simon Saradzhyan September 21, 2022 RM Exclusives
Check out our compilation for reactions to Putin's announcement from both Russia’s pro-war and anti-war camps.
Clues from Russian Views

‘We Fight How We Can’: Russian Views on Ukraine’s Counteroffensive—How It Happened and What Comes Next

RM Staff September 16, 2022 RM Exclusives
The response in Russia’s pro-war camp to Ukraine’s success generally fell into three categories: spin, spleen and silence.
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From Accepting NATO Aspirations to ‘Denazifying’: 20+ Years of Putin’s Changing Views on Ukraine

RM Staff June 16, 2022 RM Exclusives
Our review of 22 years of official statements makes it clear that, typically, Putin has publicly signaled shifts in his views on Ukraine before translating them into policy.
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‘Green Burden’: How Global Climate Policies Could Impact Russia

Danila Bochkarev August 04, 2021 RM Exclusives
European carbon taxes and a broader push for less fossil fuel could cost Russia’s economy billions of dollars, nudging Moscow to adopt new policies.
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Khodorkovsky Marks the Spot: Russia’s Turning Point From Economic Freedom to State Control

Sergei Guriev May 28, 2020 RM Exclusives
Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s sentencing 15 years ago this month signaled the end of Russia's market reforms and the beginning of ever-increasing state control.
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Gangster Geopolitics: The Kremlin’s Use of Criminals as Assets Abroad

Mark Galeotti January 17, 2019 RM Exclusives
Since the worsening of relations with the West in 2014, the Kremlin has increasingly adopted a “mobilization state” approach, turning to any available foreign-policy levers. Gangsters are no exception.
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Russian Nuclear Forces: Buildup or Modernization?

Hans M. Kristensen September 14, 2017 RM Exclusives
Russia is not increasing its nuclear arsenal, though some commentators keep saying it is. What's important, however, is to monitor how Russia is modernizing its strategic nuclear forces.
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