On-line Intelligence Bulletin of the European Press Agency
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
As Vladimir Putin enters his fourth presidential mandate, the question is “What will Vladimir IV be like?”. Part of the answer emerged from his body language and the 7 May ritual. The contrast with 2012 was striking. Continue reading “Putin for ever”
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
For Russians, the word ‘oligarchs’ is out of touch with reality and adversarial. Especially since they are nominally targeted by Western sanctions. In August 2017, President Trump signed Russia sanctions’ bill into law and in April 2018 extended the so-called “Kremlin-List” to 210 of people “close to president Putin”. The criteria for selection were obscure and they often reflect a worrying lack of knowledge concerning Russian power circles and the undercurrents of the Russian society. Continue reading “Oligarchs vs businessmen”