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Articles by Konstantin Sonin

opinion Konstantin Sonin

Why Pavel Durov's Detention Shook Both the Russian Opposition and Putin's Regime

In fact, nobody knows what Telegram shares with which governments and under what conditions.
4 Min read
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Vasily Utkin – Dead at 52 – Revolutionized More Than Just Football

The late pundit pioneered a new ethos of Russian journalism. But Putin’s Russia had no space for exceptional people like him.
4 Min read
opinion Konstantin Sonin

How the Putin Phenomenon Happened by Accident

The result of the Russian state solidifying around an individual as unremarkable as Putin was always going to be tragic.
6 Min read
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Why There Will Be No Negotiating with Putin

Not only does Putin not understand the global image of the war, he also lacks the ability to make any meaningful binding commitments.
5 Min read
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Stop Victim-Blaming Russian Refugees

Telling Russian refugees they are not victims is like telling a woman who has been beaten up by her husband: “It’s OK, he didn’t kill you.”
4 Min read
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Sputnik V Vaccine Gives Russia a Whopping Soft-Power Boost

After the successes of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Russia has found a new way to promote itself.
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Belarus Needs to Learn From Russia’s Flawed Privatization

A quick change in the economy will prove to be disastrous without a professional state.
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Russians Need to Be Less Fearful

Minorities have always faced a common danger at all times and in all countries: If your nationality, skin color, sexual orientation, political views...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

The Limits of Change

So many changes have occurred in Russia in recent months that the stability of state institutions and policies have come into question. Some of the...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Crimea Makes Economic Crisis Worse

It is no simple task for economists to calculate the costs of Russia's current foreign policy course, the losses resulting from frightened investors...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

No More Cheap Money

Why did most economists conclude that events connected with Ukraine would have a negative impact on the Russian economy?
opinion Konstantin Sonin

The Forgotten Victory Day

Sunday marked the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Paris, when Russian, Prussian and Austrian troops took control of the French capital and forced...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Why Economic Growth Needs a Free Press

Several major events involving freedom of the press occurred last week. First came news that the head of Lenta.ru, a leading media website, was fired...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Crimean Invasion Is Worse Than a Crime

It is said that after Napoleon committed a particularly shocking and amoral blunder, Foreign Minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord remarked...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Central Bank's War for Independence

Central Bank officials have recently spoken of the threat of "stagflation" in Russia. But critics quickly pointed out that economists first coined the term...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

When Flexibility Is Better Than Stability

In the last month, the ruble depreciated by almost 10 percent against major world currencies. This has focused attention on how the exchange rate...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Precarious Pessimism

It is a simple truth that optimism is fundamental to economic development. If a businessperson lacks confidence that today's investment will bring profit...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

My Muted Optimism For Change in Russia

Although there was more bad news than good for Russia in 2013, the year unexpectedly ended on a positive note. For the first time in many years,...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Trade Barriers Do More Harm Than Good

Economics commentators have very little "wiggle room." The general reader has no desire to go into the finer points of economic theory, and so the writer...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Yesterday's News

It is becoming increasingly difficult in this "information age" for journalists to present news in a form that will immediately attract attention.
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Migrants Are Not the Problem

From the standpoint of economics, the unrest in Biryulyovo has reignited the same old debate over whether Moscow needs migrant workers.
opinion Konstantin Sonin

New Trade Wars Are a Bad Idea

A fierce debate is raging in Russia over whether Ukraine should become an associate member of the European Union or join the Customs Union with Belarus...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

A Chance for Progress in Russian Science

After the turbulent events of the summer and protests by the academic community, reforms to the Russian Academy of Sciences were finally signed into law...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Navalny's 27% Is a Win for Entire Nation

It rarely happens, but there was more than one victor in the Moscow mayoral election on Sept. 8: opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin...
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Why Putin Might Want Navalny as Mayor

The debate over how many votes opposition leader Alexei Navalny will garner in the Moscow mayoral elections Sept. 8 seems pointless to me.