... term, but is unlikely to achieve them. Russia is not investing enough in education to enable it to modernise and diversify the economy. The oil and gas sector is too dominant. Structural reforms (such as moving investment from the defence sector to other,... ... late Soviet Union – a system unable to renew itself.
In foreign policy, Putin has had a number of successes, and when the West has pushed back, for example by imposing sanctions after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, his regime has used the external pressure as a unifying force at home. He has ...
... as a Marxist (or liberal Marxist, better to say) should be.
MW:
Putin and his advisers have ambitious goals for Russia’s economy. Yet he has demonstrated time and again a lack of regard for property rights and personal freedoms. Can he achieve the ... ... But real life is more complicated than political and economic doctrines, than traditional liberal mantras.
Interestingly, the Western sanctions have helped in a way. Russians now see the situation in the West as less predictable than at home. So they think it’s ...
... people and government sounded more optimistic. What’s your opinion about Russia’s overall economic situation? Has diversification decided by President Vladimir Putin started to bear fruits?
A.K.:
The fundamental problem of the Russian economy is not in the Western sanctions. It is not even in a sharp decline of the global energy prices. In order to move ahead, Russia has to reinvent its model of economic development. The old model designed and assembled in early Putin’s years, has depleted its potential. ...
... Russian society already dissatisfied with the Russian government, such sanctions are a “bonus” of sorts that adds to their satisfaction over the Crimea annexation—Russia gets Crimea and despised elites are punished too.
Nevertheless, new sanctions on Russia’s financial, energy, and defense sectors in July and September will have growing costs for key companies and the overall economy over time. Moscow’s retaliatory ban on certain Western agricultural imports shows that Russia is ready to engage in a tit-for-tat economic conflict—even though Russian officials recognize the economic asymmetries between their country and the West.
Most importantly, beginning a new chapter is ...
