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Articles by Leonid Bershidsky

opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Puts Russia Inc. Under New Management

The appointment of a new government doesn't necessarily signal growth.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Biggest Surprise: Seeking a Strong Successor

The amendments don’t say who will head up the State Council, but they do make it clear it is to be formed by the president.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia’s New Prime Minister Is a Bureaucratic Superman

Mishustin is a new kind of Russian prime minister suited to Putin’s evolving political goals.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's New Plan to Hold Power Forever

Russia’s real constitution is in Putin’s head. That’s where the missing details will come from, too.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Latest Obsession: A New World War II Narrative

Russia’s global power is still based on some important spoils of World War II. 
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Now Needs a Plan B on Iran

Qassem Soleimani’s death may force a change in the Russian calculus involving Syria, Iran and Turkey.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Grand Gas Project Makes Sense Now

But not exactly in the way the Kremlin wanted.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Showed He’s the Anti-Putin in 2019

He’s the only kind of threat Russian President Vladimir Putin has any reason to fear.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

In 2019, Putin Couldn’t Win Back Russia’s Love

It was a year in which the Russian leader increased his influence abroad while losing it at home.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russian Artist Puts $150,000 Banana to Shame

This plaque from a bench in New York City's Central Park is art as political protest, tabloid journalism and charity all rolled into one.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

4-Year Doping Ban on Athletes Should Scare All Russians

Russia may lose three world championships it’s set to host — volleyball in 2022, ice hockey in 2023 and water sports in 2025.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Facebook Just Can’t Seem to Beat the Russians

Social media companies' defenses are routinely bypassed by an entire manipulation industry, largely based in Russia.
3 Min read
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is Seeing ‘Foreign Agents’ Everywhere

I'm only one step from becoming a Russian "foreign agent."
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

I Just Translated ‘1984’ Into Russian. I’m Gasping for Air

Reading “1984” closely is both sickening and cathartic because so much is instantly recognizable.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The West Needs to Measure Russian Election Meddling. Here’s How

Techniques that once quantified the impact of political advertising don’t work for internet propaganda.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Russia Is Struggling to Build Putin’s Grand Dream

It has the money, but bureaucrats are too scared to spend it on the 12 “national projects.”
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Bolivian Politics Suddenly Matters to Putin

An authoritarian leader’s rule ended when citizens tired of him and the military refused to intervene. Could the same thing happen in Moscow?
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Macron’s Vision of Russia's Future Is Half-Baked

Macron thinks Russia has no choice but integration with Europe. Putin has other ideas.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

For Russia, Even the Language Can Be a Weapon

Putin says there’s a war against the mother tongue in the Russian-speaking world outside the federation’s borders.

Where Russia’s Foreign Investment Really Comes From

No, it's not from Cyprus.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Grumpy Eastern Europeans Aren’t as Gloomy as They Seem

A survey by George Soros’s charity found a lot of disenchantment about life after Communism. Here’s the good news.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The U.S. Dithered Too Long on Russia's Nord Stream 2 Project

Denmark has lifted its block on the Russian pipeline, and now it’s too late for sanctions to work.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

‘BRICS’ Is About Geopolitics, Not Economics

BRICS no longer makes much financial sense. But the idea is more politically relevant than ever.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Putin-Erdogan Deal Poses a Challenge to the West

The Kremlin offers authoritarians a brokerage service based on cynical principles of mutual gain rather than values and allegiances.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Ukraine Peace Talks Get Some Help From Putin

Russia is letting Zelenskiy lay out “red lines” to convince voters he can compromise without capitulating.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Turkey and Russia Show That Land Grabs Can Pay Off

Erdogan and Putin are shredding the myth that countries no longer tear other countries apart.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Russia Is a Middle Eastern Country

After centuries as the dividing line between Europe and Asia, Russia has found its natural place among the oil dictatorships.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Want to Insult Putin? It Will Cost You $462

Russia’s new lèse majesté law helps turn the president into a laughingstock.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Even Putin Is Now Worried About Climate Change

Russia has dropped its doubts about joining the Paris accords.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Plays a Cruel Game of Catch-and-Release

A journalist and an actor are arrested then released under similar, mysterious circumstances.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Wants to Be the Middle East's Go-To Problem Solver

Putin’s trolling of Trump isn’t just about missiles.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Was This Man the Prized U.S. Asset in the Kremlin?

If a midlevel Kremlin official was indeed the agent the U.S. pulled from Russia in 2017, he couldn’t have known much about covert election interference...
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Kremlin Won — and Proved It Can’t Win Fair

In local elections, frustrated Muscovites voted for Communists and oddballs to keep out pro-Putin candidate.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Germany Is Ignoring Its Own Russian Spy Scandal

The murder of a Chechen rebel in Berlin looks like a Russian operation, but the Merkel government is not making a public fuss about that.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

A Prisoner Swap With Russia Tests Ukraine’s President

Whether Zelenskiy decides to give up a key MH17 witness will shed light on his policy toward eastern Ukraine.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Eastern Ukraine Isn’t Really That Separatist

The way to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine is to arrange a credible people’s vote in the Donbass.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Plays a Game of Nuclear Strip Poker

This is a game Russia also played after annexing Crimea: First, flat denials, then hints, then a straight admission.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Needs to Bury This Relic of Stalin

Russia can't let go of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, 80 years after it was signed. Until it does, eastern European leaders are right to be nervous.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Democrats Should Care More About Russia

Not Russiagate, but the real foreign policy issues.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Stop Comparing the Moscow and Paris Protests

The fundamental difference between them stems from the state of the basic freedoms in France and Russia.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Has Failed Another Nuclear Test

A nuclear-powered missile’s explosion is less important than the government’s failure to tell the whole truth about it.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia’s Burning! Climate Change Is to Blame

Summer wildfires are nothing new in Siberia, but bigger environmental changes are afoot.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

A Bloody Raid Shows Why Post-Soviet Leaders Hate to Hand Off Power

In Kyrgyzstan, an ex-president is fighting off special forces trying to arrest him. In Ukraine, the former leader is a figure in 11 criminal cases.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Ukrainian Villain Is Now Cracking Heads in Moscow

A police commander whose savagery helped spur the 2013 Ukraine revolution is now practicing his art in central Moscow.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Can’t Afford to Speed Up Russia’s Economy

The Russian president would rather sit on his hands than risk disturbing the fragile political balance that ensures his power.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russiagate Is Deader Than Ever

A judge has ruled it was actually fine to publish material stolen by the Russian intelligence — even if the Trump campaign had done it.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Here’s Why Russia Won’t Make an Honest Chernobyl Movie

New research shows a 2017 radiation cloud resulted from a mysterious accident in the Urals.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Reminds Russians He Can Do Suppression

A record crackdown on protests in Moscow is a warning to voters tempted to protest their increasingly hopeless situation.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Gets Stronger When Creators Censor Themselves

Western writers and filmmakers shouldn’t censor themselves to reach Russian audiences.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

In Ukraine’s Election, Zelenskiy Looks Like a Winner Again

Ukraine's parliamentary election results give Zelenskiy a shot at near-dictatorial powers. What he will do with them is up for debate.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Populist Voters Don’t Mind Putin’s Help

Matteo Salvini and other populist leaders are learning that Russian “interference” may not be a vote-killer.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Putin Sounds Alt-Right Though He Really Isn’t

In a world Putin believes to be fractured and adrift, he is looking for transactional relationships with people who hold similar views.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Big Bet on Gold Is Paying Off

Russia has been the biggest sovereign gold bug for years. Now others are following in its footsteps.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Domestic Comeback Isn’t Working

Putin made a valiant attempt to show he cares, but he ultimately failed.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Playing Dumb: The Kremlin's Denials on the Downing of MH17

The first charges in the case of the jetliner shot down over Ukraine highlight the vast body of evidence against Russia.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Are Putin and Xi Going Soft on Protest?

The Russian and Chinese regimes are doing something new: Not escalating in the face of protest.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Moldova Is the One Thing Russia and the West Agree On

Europe has its own Venezuela now: Its poorest or second poorest nation, depending on how you count, has two governments.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia's Power Grid Is an Easy Target for U.S. Hacking

The real message U.S. officials are sending to Moscow is that Russia can be attacked without White House authorization.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

A Framed Reporter Suddenly Matters to Putin

Ivan Golunov is an unlikely central figure for such a potentially momentous story.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

What Russia After Vladimir Putin Might Look Like

The country's future might not be so dull as its present, according to the Free Russia Foundation.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Should Have Made HBO's ‘Chernobyl’

Creating a compelling drama about the nuclear disaster would be one way for post-Soviet nations to show they’ve learned its lessons.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Arctic Plans Are a Climate Change Bet

Russia has launched its third new nuclear icebreaker as part of a massive effort to control shipping routes before the ice melts.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Modern Russia Is Putin Deciding a Park Use Dispute

A protest against building an Orthodox church in the Russian hinterland reveals a lot about the country’s power structure.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Trump and Putin Have Nothing to Discuss

Mueller wasn’t the main problem between Trump and Putin.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia’s Plane-Making Ambition Exceeds Its Competence

The Sukhoi Superjet that crashed on Sunday was an assertion of post-Soviet industrial might. It ended up exposing Putin-era weakness instead.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Belarus Seizes a Chance to Hit Russia Where It Hurts

Lukashenko is happy to play hardball over contaminated oil in an important pipeline to Europe.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Thanks, Putin, But Ukrainians Won’t Want Russian Passports

A provocative citizenship offer from the Kremlin challenges Ukraine’s new president to work on making all citizens feel welcome.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

How Zelenskiy Beat Ukraine's Establishment

His presidency could be a wasted chance — or it could finally free up the creative energy Ukraine needs for a leap forward.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

In Libya, One of Putin’s Many Bets Is in Play

The Kremlin doesn’t have the luxury of choosing allies: It has to go with adventurers and risk-takers.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

A Comedian as President? Time to Be Serious

Zelenskiy is emerging as the winner of Ukraine's election.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The U.S. Needs a Post-Mueller Reality Check

Certain political agendas want to see Russia as a mighty adversary.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

R.I.P. Russiagate. Here's What We Learned

It’s important now to be clear-eyed, no matter if you bought the conspiracy theory or not.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Kazakh Autocrat Shows Putin How to Keep Power

Both Russia and Kazakhstan have been run by the same leader, continuously “re-elected.”
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The U.S. College Admissions Scandal Is So Post-Soviet

Academic corruption is typical for Post-Soviet countries because of the power of informal networks.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Trump Is Winning, Putin's Losing in Global Arms Sales

Russia's arms sales are on the decline, a sign that Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical bets aren’t turning into long-term influence.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Turns Swathes of Russia Into Flyover Country

A major part of the country will be treated as a social and economic liability.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Troika Laundromat Shows How Not to Combat Money Laundering

Focus on shady transactions, not the banks themselves.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russian Generals’ Biggest Fear? Ordinary Russians

What General Gerasimov and the Kremlin are really scared of is their own people.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

New Russian Emigres Aren’t All Dissidents

The bulk of Russians moving to the West aren’t anti-Putin exiles.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

U.S. Cyberattacks May Be Doing Putin a Favor

If America is changing its tactics by going on the cyber offensive, Russia can be expected to take countermeasures that would hurt its own citizens.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Can't Get Europe's Nationalists to Bite

Russian money is too toxic even for Europe's far right.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is Finally Ready to Look Homeward

The social program looks like the most ambitious one Putin has ever outlined.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Russia Can Afford to Jail U.S. Investors

Michael Calvey had become a legend in the Russian market, in part because of his reputed aversion to any kind of foul play.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Trump Can’t Drive Europe Into Russia's Arms

Despite cracks in Europe-U.S. relations, Russia remains too untrustworthy a partner.

Russia’s Economic Growth Seems Too Good to Be True

Rosstat has a clear incentive to massage numbers. Putin’s approval is down, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s numbers are suffering even more.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Maduro’s Collapse Would Be a Defeat for Putin Too

If Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime falls, Vladimir Putin will have to write off yet another costly geopolitical bet.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Can’t Decide If It’s Rich or Poor

Is Russia a poor country or a rich one? Members of the elite are arguing about it, and the answer is important for the country’s direction after the...
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Doesn’t Have Clout to Get Deal With Abe

Putin’s fading domestic political magic makes it doubtful that he can create it in time for Abe to claim the win he craves.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Sanctions Must Be Removable to Be Effective

Arguments, which portray the Deripaska deal as a meaningful achievement by U.S. sanctions technocrats, apparently have fallen on deaf ears.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Retirement Plan Depends on Belarus

To retain power, he is positioning himself as the leader of a closer union between Russia and its dependent neighbor.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Europe Should Woo Russia When Putin's Gone

Whenever and however Putin may leave, any successor will need to revise Russia’s geopolitical choice.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Had a Bad 2018; Next Year Will Be Worse

Without the emotional highs of re-election and a major sporting event, Putin will face a hard struggle against a completely alienated West next year.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Yes, Russia Abused Facebook, But Did It Work?

It’s still unclear whether the Russian influence campaign worked as intended.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russian Rappers Are Giving Up on Putin

Putin never thought he’d have a problem with Russia’s youth culture.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Yellow Vests Aren’t Imported from Russia

Faced with a version of the Yellow Vests, any nation’s elite must look inward.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

INF Is Just Another Unenforceable Treaty (Op-ed)

The question is what kind of threat could bring the leaders of this fractured world to start making binding deals again.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Who Are Russia’s Heroes? It May Surprise You (Op-ed)

Russians prefer local heroes, people of courage and larger-than-life figures – like Pushkin or Peter the Great – who have transcended the changes in...
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Needs a Better Post-Putin Vision (Op-ed)

When I think about Russia after Putin, I’m looking for a credible vision that doesn’t replicate Putin’s great-power ambitions.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin and Poroshenko Don't Want All-Out War (Op-ed)

Russia has been quick to point out that the escalation benefits Poroshenko domestically.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia and Japan Could Finally End WWII (Op-ed)

Putin’s interests are economic and geopolitical, while Abe needs a win to ensure his place in history.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Dissident Wins Bittersweet Victory Over Putin (Op-ed)

The Kremlin has been playing an unpredictable game with Navalny.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia's Sham Elections in Eastern Ukraine (Op-ed)

The vote essentially tells the world that Russia is moving on from the notion of a peacekeeping force and even from the Minsk agreements.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

There's No Escape for Russian Billionaires (Op-ed)

In the current political climate, the West won’t be as welcoming of Russian oligarchs' money, as it once was.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Trump Is Blundering Into a New Arms Race With Russia (Op-ed)

Trump has a point, but unfortunately for him, it's no longer the 1980s.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Deja Vu in Europe as Trump Quits Nuke Treaty (Op-ed)

Donald Trump’s decision to quit the INF has clear advantages for Putin too.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is Living in a World Without Rules (Op-ed)

Putin is tired of any and all discussion. He’s already made all his decisions.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Vladimir Putin’s Tough-Guy Act Is Getting Old (Op-ed)

His Teflon coating appears to be wearing thinner.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is Baiting the West to Bring Russian Money Home (Op-ed)

As much as $1 trillion is estimated to be held by Russians abroad.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Shouldn’t Feel Too Good About Russians in the Baltics (Op-ed)

So, has a pro-Russian party won the Latvian election? Not really.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

No, Mr. Putin, the Bungled Spying Won’t Blow Over (Op-Ed)

Putin can’t afford to look fallible, but he increasingly does.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Jeremy Hunt's Soviet-EU Comparison Is Absurd (Op-ed)

The Soviet Union was centralized; the blood had to run through the heart, which was Moscow.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Vladimir Putin Is Losing Russia's Far East (Op-ed)

The Kremlin has a problem in the Far East that it can’t solve by its customary methods.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Real Point of Russian (and Soviet) Jokes (Op-ed)

Jokes in Russia have have long illustrated the huge gap between the ruling elite and the people.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Putin Has Suddenly Turned Dovish on Syria (Op-ed)

The change should probably be credited to President Donald Trump.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Must Own Up to Stalin-Hitler Romance (Op-Ed)

An unconditional admission of Stalin’s guilt in carving up eastern Europe with Hitler would be a powerful move on the part of a Russian leader.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

How the Kremlin Is Poisoning Itself (Op-Ed)

The scandals and failures are the biggest downside to using poison in assassinations.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Putin is Rethinking Russia's Crackdown on Social Media Memes (Op-Ed)

The Kremlin wants to look scary, but jailing people for silly social media posts it calls “extremist” makes it look ridiculous.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin’s Swashbuckling Spies Are Hurting Him (Op-ed)

Russian President Vladimir Putin should be as concerned as Josef Stalin was in the 1930s about the GRU's excessive appetite for risk.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Master Class in the Art of Survival (Op-ed)

The Kremlin isn’t completely unresponsive to popular opinion.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

It’s Time for Russian Oligarch Abramovich to Sell Chelsea FC (Op-ed)

In today's political climate, there’s little point in prestige investments.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Needed an Opponent Like John McCain (Op-Ed)

The clarity of McCain’s stance on Russia will be missed by everyone, including Kremlin propagandists.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Won't Be Swayed by Hunger Strikes (Op-ed)

Oleg Sentsov lacks a flexible opponent or even an empathetic one.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Don’t Bother Ordering Russia’s Tesla Rival (Op-ed)

Yet there is a serious story behind the surprising recent turnaround of Kalashnikov.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

No, the U.S. Can't Bring Russia to Its Knees (Op-ed)

Russia's economy continues to grow, despite the fallback of sanctions.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Soviet Union’s Collapse Gets Revisionist View (Op-ed)

Nostalgia for the Soviet Union and Russia’s imperial past are now part of the official Kremlin ideology.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Hates You? Then Put Less Data Online (Op-ed)

Good old paper-based and oral communication works fine and requires much more effort to spy on.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia and Other Anti-Dollar Mavericks Can't Win Just Yet (Op-ed)

For now, Turkey, Russia and Iran are powerless against the dollar’s dominance, even with China’s help.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Wants Modern Weapons, Not a Modern Russia (Op-ed)

The president's key speech was full of unfunded promises and thinly veiled threats
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Cocaine Bust Is the Latest Sign of Putin's Weakness (Op-ed)

A foiled cocaine shipment from Argentina helps build Russia's reputation as a mob state
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Has to Find a Way to Raise Incomes (Op-ed)

In a government-dominated economy, only the state can help increase what Russians earn
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

President Trump, I'm Russian and I'm Not Laughing (Op-ed)

I fear the indictment of Russian internet trolls may lead to less freedom for both Americans and Russians
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is Struggling to Keep His Wars Separate (Op-ed)

The troops who died in Syria are called mercenaries, not heroes. Will the Russian people buy that?
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Estonian Spies Understand the Russian Threat (Op-ed)

Finally, a comprehensive look at Putin's ambitions backed by real expertise.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

How Elon Musk Beat Russia's Space Program (Op-ed)

The upstart billionaire's private passion enabled SpaceX to achieve things the Russian industry has given up on.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Real Lesson of the Russia Doping Scandal (Op-ed)

Let athletes use performance-enhancing drugs that don't damage their health. Putin will find other ways to embarrass himself
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Wants Syria Talks to Last Forever

It's the only way for Russia to build a long-term military presence in the Middle East
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The U.S. List of Russian Oligarchs Is a Disgrace (Op-ed)

The Treasury list, copied uncritically from a Forbes Russia list, shows the Trump administration isn't serious about sanctions.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Release the Dutch Evidence of the Russian DNC Hack (Op-ed)

If the Dutch intelligence service watched the Russians breach the Democratic National Committee, there's no more reason to hide the evidence
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Gets Love in Italy, But Not Much Else (Op-ed)

Major Italian political forces appear to be strongly pro-Kremlin, but that's unlikely to mean the end of Russia sanctions in Europe.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Real Opposition Is a Collective Shrug (Op-ed)

Putin has no official opposition, but voter turnout will be the real key to his popularity
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Why Russians Are Choosing Malta Over Putin (Op-ed)

A controversial passport-selling scheme is proving irresistible to business elites
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin Is 'Unwolffable.' That's Not a Compliment (Op-ed)

Michael Wolff's incendiary book would have been impossible in Moscow, and that's something for Americans to appreciate
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Goals in Syria Went Beyond Saving Assad (Op-ed)

A Russian general's post-mortem reveals that the conflict was used to test weapons and gain combat experience.
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's New Style Keeps the Powerful Guessing (Op-ed)

The trial of a former economy minister showed that the Russian leader is less interested in micromanagement these days
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Story Behind Putin's Mistrust of the West (Op-ed)

A collection of declassified documents regarding a broken NATO promise explains a cornerstone of Putin's worldview
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Russia Takes a Step Into the Post-Putin Age (Op-ed)

The nation's course will be charted after the election, but Putin won't necessarily be steering
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

The Olympic Ban on Russia Is a Design Triumph (Op-ed)

Countries trying to develop an effective format for sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Military Revival Is Low on Casualties (Op-ed)

As Russia has worked to convince the world that its military power is growing, it has concealed its costs in terms of blood and treasure
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Patriotic Frenzy Is Turning on Him (Op-ed)

'We're sorry, Adolf' — that's how Russian social networks reacted to a student's conciliatory WWII speech
opinion Leonid Bershidsky

Putin's Pantheon of Heroes Is Too Good to Be True (Op-ed)

In Putin's search for heroes, historical accuracy takes a back-seat