Category Archives: Dispatches

NY Dispatches: the newfound assertiveness of regional leaders

Posted on June 2, 2020 by

The former head of the Republic of Chuvashia is suing Putin over his dismissal. This might seem outlandish but, along with other recent developments, it highlights a very real disturbance in Moscow’s relationship with regional political elites.

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NY Dispatches: Sechin’s moves

Posted on May 22, 2020 by

Requests of tax breaks, aggressive moves against two business-focused publications and his reappointment to head Rosneft for another five years have led to renewed speculation about Igor Sechin’s position in Russian politics. But perhaps we have seen this before?

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NY Dispatches: COVID-19 and governors

Posted on April 6, 2020 by

Having left business owners to their own devices, the Kremlin now wants governors to come up with plans to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Without more fiscal autonomy this will be a tall order. But high uncertainty means that governors can … Continue reading →

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NY Dispatches: COVID-19 and Russia – part 2

Posted on March 28, 2020 by

This week, following a warning from Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin, the number of registered COVID-19 cases in Russia has surged as the country stepped up testing. The government now encourages people to stay home and has sought emergency powers. Vladimir … Continue reading →

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NY Dispatches: Russia and COVID-19

Posted on March 19, 2020 by

The Russian government is slowly acknowledging the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and takes appropriate steps, all while trying to maintain the semblance of stability and normality. Keep an eye on the policies that will be introduced … Continue reading →

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NY Dispatches: Putin – president for life?

Posted on March 11, 2020 by

With today’s constitutional amendment that will set the number of his presidential terms back to zero, Vladimir Putin shocked Russian citizens, Russia-watchers and created even more ambiguity about his post-2024 plans. But this will come at a cost.

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NY Dispatches: Russia’s territorial integrity and the constitution

Posted on March 4, 2020 by

Vladimir Putin presented his amendments to his own constitutional reform bill yesterday. At the first sight the proposals seem to be worded to drive turnout in the constitutional referendum scheduled for April. But there is more to this text than … Continue reading →

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