Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Image source: kremlin.ru)BESA Perspectives, No. 757, March 2, 2018
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Western-centric expectations of Russian collapse in the face of its recent foreign policy and domestic setbacks fail to consider the Russian mindset, political culture, and “rules of the game,” thus grossly underestimating the regime’s and the country’s resilience.
In discussions of international affairs, it has become a commonplace for Western observers to view Russia as a declining power, destined to succumb to a string of domestic and foreign problems that have beset it for some time.
To begin with, Russia’s 2014 conquest of Crimea and its support for …read more