• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Andrew S. Weiss"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Inside Russia"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Are Russian Protests a Threat to Putin?

While disruptive, the recent political protests are unlikely to immediately destabilize the regime.

Link Copied
By Andrew S. Weiss
Published on Jun 12, 2017
Program mobile hero image

Program

Russia and Eurasia

The Russia and Eurasia Program continues Carnegie’s long tradition of independent research on major political, societal, and security trends in and U.S. policy toward a region that has been upended by Russia’s war against Ukraine.  Leaders regularly turn to our work for clear-eyed, relevant analyses on the region to inform their policy decisions.

Learn More

Source: KCRW’s To the Point

Monday, June 12 marked one of Russia’s most extensive days of political protest in recent history. Police in 200 cities were out in force and at least 700 protesters have been arrested so far. Demonstrators also had to share the streets with people colorfully dressed in historical costumes for a Russian holiday. Carnegie’s Andrew Weiss explained that, while disruptive, the protests are unlikely to immediately destabilize the regime:

“There are a lot of young people who are no longer tuning into state television who get their news through their mobile devices and social media, and there’s a sort of irreverence that comes through in these demonstrations. . . . But broadly speaking, the Russian elite are consolidated at the moment. They’ve rallied around the flag in the wake of the war in Crimea and tensions with the United States. Typically in Russia, problems emerge when the elite is disunified and we just haven’t seen that yet.”

This segment originally appeared on KCRW’s To The Point.

About the Author

Andrew S. Weiss

James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies

Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. His graphic novel biography of Vladimir Putin, Accidental Czar: the Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin, was published by First Second/Macmillan in 2022.

    Recent Work

  • Q&A
    Is the Russia-Ukraine War Vibe Shift Real?

      Dara Massicot, Aaron David Miller, Andrew S. Weiss

  • Research
    Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow’s Influence and Its Limits
      • Nate Reynolds
      • +11

      Frances Z. Brown, Nate Reynolds, Priyal Singh, …

Andrew S. Weiss
James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies
Andrew S. Weiss
Political ReformDemocracyRussia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Vučić’s Downfall in Serbia Is Fatal to Russia’s Influence in the Balkans

    The new Serbian leadership may have promised to keep on cooperating with Russia, but soon they will have to make a choice between fighting corruption and sealing lucrative deals with Moscow. The two are mutually exclusive, even if the new leaders in Belgrade haven’t yet realized it.

      Maksim Samorukov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    How Did Serbia Remove Vučić Without a Single Smashed Window?

    Serbia’s electoral earthquake is an extremely rare example of an entire political system being defeated by street protesters who played by the rules.

      Alexander Baunov

  • Paper
    The Foundations of a Russian Dictatorship: The Kremlin’s New Ideology

    The concept authored by Sergei Kiriyenko and his team can be considered not only an apologia for the Putin regime, but also a blueprint for Russia’s future configuration.

      Andrey Pertsev

  • Wide shot of people standing on a stage
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Can America First Be Exported to Europe?

    The illusion of reproducing the ideology would come at the cost of the continent’s prosperity.

      • Giovanna De Maio

      Giovanna De Maio

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    A New Dawn for Democracy in Serbia

    Excitement is in the air following Aleksandar Vučić’s defeat in Serbia. To build a truly democratic state, the movement that unseated the former president must learn from the mistakes of the past.

      Ivan Vejvoda

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.