Power Vertical Podcast Ep. 38

They were the largest protests in Moscow in years. And they were followed by the harshest Kremlin crackdown in years.

It all happened in the wake of rising unrest in Russia’s far-flung regions. And it all happened with Vladimir Putin’s approval approaching an all-time low.

The conventional wisdom since last weekend’s demonstrations is that Russia has reached a critical turning point. But we have, of course, been in this place before. And the Putin regime has time and time again proven to be ruthlessly resilient.

Listen to episode 38 of the Power Vertical podcast as Brian Whitmore and Donald N. Jensen consider if these protests will spark a turning point or fade away as another data point in Moscow’s summer of discontent.

Audio Clips: (1) Clips of Moscow protests – “В Москве прошла акция в поддержку независимых кандидатов в Мосгордуму” by RTVI. 

Photo: Via Pexels under CC0.

WP Post Author

Brian Whitmore

Brian Whitmore is Director of the Russia Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Before joining CEPA he was Senior Russia Analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He also worked as a foreign correspondent for The Boston Globe in Moscow and Prague; as a graduate instructor in the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina; and as a visiting lecturer in the History Faculty at Mechnikov National University in Odessa, Ukraine and the International Relations Faculty at St. Petersburg State University.

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August 2, 2019

The Power Vertical is a CEPA podcast covering the Kremlin for Kremlin watchers. All opinions are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.