Putin's Post-Election Dilemma

{
  "authors": [
    "Matthew Rojansky"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform"
  ]
}

In The Media

Putin's Post-Election Dilemma

As he returns to the presidency, Putin must prove to the Russian protestors that he has heard their voices and demands for reform.

By Matthew Rojansky

Published on Mar 5, 2012

Source: Russia Today

In an interview with Russia Today, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky argued that many in the United States see Putin as “a symbol of the past” and someone who stands “on the wrong side of history in backing Bashar Assad.” He added that the “opposition in Russia comes in many different flavors,” including what he called the “moral opposition” that opposes Putin’s system but remains reluctant to organize politically.

Turning to the protests, Rojansky explained that Putin can no longer afford to ignore this increasingly outspoken constituency and must “show them [protestors] that he has heard their voices.” Putin argues that he brought stability to Russia, but Russian citizens “realize that the work of building the Russian state and building the Russian economy was not on Putin’s back alone,” Rojansky concluded.

About the Author

Matthew Rojansky

Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program

Rojansky, formerly executive director of the Partnership for a Secure America, is an expert on U.S. and Russian national security and nuclear-weapon policies.

Recent Work

Paper
An Opportunity for Ambition: Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship
- Matthew Rojansky
In The Media
Presiding Over the OSCE: Challenges and Opportunities
- Matthew Rojansky

Political Reform Caucasus Russia

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 Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Simmering U.S.-Iran Conflict Is Moscow’s Ideal Outcome
Ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East allows Moscow to both increase its influence in Tehran and continue to enjoy the financial windfall of higher oil prices.
Nikita Smagin
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Russian Oil Sector Battered but Not Broken by Ukrainian Air Attacks
If it proves impossible for the Russian authorities to avoid a gasoline deficit, the question then becomes how they will organize the distribution of a scarce resource.
Sergey Vakulenko
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Multiple Wars Are Ruining Central Asia’s Efforts to Diversify Its Trade Routes
This year’s wars have made alternative routes to transit through Russia no less risky for Central Asian countries.
Galiya Ibragimova
Paper
Loyal but Powerless: The Downgrading of Russia’s Elite
The ruling elites in contemporary Russia are not a political class, but a community of managers who are not subject to competition or public accountability. The state is becoming an operating apparatus without any internal autonomy.
Alexandra Prokopenko
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
What Does Pashinyan’s Parliamentary Victory Mean for Armenia’s Future?
Pashinyan’s pro-European party has been re-elected with a decisive victory. But the pro-Russian opposition could still slow Armenia’s progress toward peace with Azerbaijan and rapprochement with Europe.
Mikayel Zolyan

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Simmering U.S.-Iran Conflict Is Moscow’s Ideal Outcome

Ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East allows Moscow to both increase its influence in Tehran and continue to enjoy the financial windfall of higher oil prices.

Nikita Smagin

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Russian Oil Sector Battered but Not Broken by Ukrainian Air Attacks

If it proves impossible for the Russian authorities to avoid a gasoline deficit, the question then becomes how they will organize the distribution of a scarce resource.

Sergey Vakulenko

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Multiple Wars Are Ruining Central Asia’s Efforts to Diversify Its Trade Routes

This year’s wars have made alternative routes to transit through Russia no less risky for Central Asian countries.

Galiya Ibragimova

Paper

Loyal but Powerless: The Downgrading of Russia’s Elite

The ruling elites in contemporary Russia are not a political class, but a community of managers who are not subject to competition or public accountability. The state is becoming an operating apparatus without any internal autonomy.

Alexandra Prokopenko

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

What Does Pashinyan’s Parliamentary Victory Mean for Armenia’s Future?

Pashinyan’s pro-European party has been re-elected with a decisive victory. But the pro-Russian opposition could still slow Armenia’s progress toward peace with Azerbaijan and rapprochement with Europe.

Mikayel Zolyan