Russia Under Putin: Fragile State and Revisionist Power

Compelling essays reveal Russia as a declining, fragile power that still harbors imperialist ambitions.

In Russia Under Putin, editor Andrew S. Natsios brings together an esteemed group of scholars to explore the complex duality of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. As they track Putin’s rise from a former KGB officer to one of the world’s most powerful leaders, these essays confront an urgent global question: Is Russia a declining state on an unstable foundation, or is it a dangerous, revisionist power?

The book’s contributors reveal how Russia--despite internal weaknesses that include a shrinking population, corruption, and economic dependency on volatile oil revenues--has become a well-armed state intent on undermining the international order. Through an examination of Russia’s military invasions of Ukraine, its increasing reliance on cyber warfare, and its internal suppression of civil liberties, the authors argue that Russia’s trajectory under Putin is both destabilizing and ominous. Putin has tried to increase the size of the population through pronatalist policies that failed and so has resorted to annexing neighboring states like Ukraine as a solution to the demographic emergency. Meanwhile, Moscow has adopted an extreme, right-wing, ultra-nationalist ideology that dominates discourse among the elites.

As the world watches Russia’s aggressive foreign policies unfold, Natsios and the book’s contributors illustrate how the decline of this nuclear-armed state presents profound risks to global stability. The essays draw comparisons to past authoritarian regimes while offering a stark warning: Even a fragile power can wreak global havoc. Engaging, timely, and thought-provoking, Russia Under Putin provides a nuanced view of a country whose ambitions will shape the twenty-first century--for better or worse.

Contributors Anders Åslund, Alexandra Chinchilla, James S. Corum, Lynn Corum, Nicholas Eberstadt, Raymond C. Finch III, Paul Gregory, Scott Jasper, Todd Lefko, Andrew S. Natsios, Serhii Plokhy, Roger R. Reese, Raymond Robertson, Kathryn Stoner

Andrew S. Natsios is the director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and a professor at The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.