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.
Clues from Russian Views

Russia's Prime Minister Mishustin: A Quiet Technocrat Who Toes the Line and Gets Results

Yana Demeshko, Natasha Yefimova-Trilling and Ingrid Burke Friedman May 11, 2023 RM Exclusives
Though he’s no warmonger, Mishustin has stayed in his post and not challenged the Kremlin’s messaging on the war in Ukraine.
explainer

How Will the ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Putin Actually Work?

Gleb Bogush April 04, 2023 RM Exclusives
A major legal obstacle will come from his status as head of state, which can pose significant challenges for a state that aims to arrest him under its ICC obligations.
explainer

Can International Law Bring a Measure of Justice to Ukraine?

Kevin Jon Heller March 22, 2023 RM Exclusives
Very few options currently exist for prosecuting the high-ranking Russian government and military leaders who are responsible for the invasion.
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

Remarks at Valdai Discussion Club

Vladimir Putin October 27, 2022 Recommended Reads
Selected quotes from Putin's Oct. 27 speech at the Valdai Discussion Club.
Clues from Russian Views

20 Years After 9/11: The 'Undestroyed Virus' of Terrorism

Andrei Kortunov September 11, 2022
Why has the goal set more than two decades ago not been achieved?
article

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.
Clues from Russian Views

Tested by Ukraine. Third Attempt

Konstantin Zatulin May 01, 2022
"After February 24 ... we have no other choice other than to win," says the Russian lawmaker.
Clues from Russian Views

This War Cannot End in a Victory

Alexei Yurchak April 25, 2022
When reforms start at the top—and they will start because this war [in Ukraine] cannot end in a "victory"—the regime will collapse. We know from our recent history that such changes happen quickly and unexpectedly.
article

Potential Fruits of the Biden-Putin Summit

Simon Saradzhyan June 04, 2021 RM Exclusives
At the Putin-Biden summit, both sides will likely be looking for low-hanging fruits—issues they can easily agree upon that stand to advance U.S. and Russian interests with minimal concessions. In our latest exclusive, Simon Saradzhyan considers low-hanging fruits, like scientific cooperation, and more ambitious topics, such as rules of the road in the cyber domain.
article

Displaced Conflict: Russia’s Qualified Success in Combatting Insurgency

Mark Youngman and Cerwyn Moore April 29, 2021 RM Exclusives
In both Syria and the North Caucasus, Russia claims success in fighting insurgency and terrorism. Closer examination, however, shows this “success” carries major caveats and is more illusory than it first appears.
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