Russian Power and Purpose in the 21st Century

The Project on Russian Power and Purpose in the 21st Century is dedicated to understanding and responding to the Kremlin’s actions and influence through a combination of actionable policy solutions and a scholarly approach to the interests that shape Kremlin strategy.

Under President Putin’s leadership, Russia has consolidated power and exerted influence in its neighborhood and farther afield, with the apparent purpose of reasserting its global status and sowing discord among its rivals. From cyber and military interventionism to the export of soft power messaging and disinformation campaigns, the actions of Putin’s administration have had serious impact in disrupting democracies outside of Russia as well as changing the economic, social, and political playing field within the country. 

Through 2019-2020, The Project on Russian Power and Purpose in the 21st Century invited speakers to address three key themes: Russia’s Political Order Under Putin; Economic and Social Policy; and Russian Security and Strategy. Each speaker also produced a policy memo on their area of expertise. These memos are a key part the Project’s objective of analyzing the strategies and interests that have defined Russia’s resurgent place on the international stage, and formulating responses that can guide policymakers in 2020 and beyond. 

Personality and Power in Russian Foreign Policy - Brian D. Taylor

Authoritarian Legitimation through Consolidating Collective Identity - Gulnaz Sharafutdinova

The Co-Construction of Putin's Power: Implications for Western Policymakers - Samuel Greene and Graeme Robertson

Russia as a Failed Developmental State: Economic Policy and Predation under Sanctions - David Szakonyi

Health and Human Capital in Putin's Russia - Judy Twigg

Drivers of Russian State Strategy and Military Operations - Michael Kofman

Countering Russian Cyber Operations - Scott Jasper

The Wagner Group: Untangling the Purposes of a Russian Power Tool - Kimberly Marten

• February 28, 9am-10:30am: Dagmar Rychnovská and Michal Smetana, "From Fake News to Hybrid Warfare: The Militarization of Disinformation Debate in the Czech Republic." Sponsored by ESI and CISAC.
• February 28, 12pm-1:15pm: Mikhail Shishkin, "Poets and Czars: From Pushkin to Putin, the Sad Tale of Democracy in Russia." Sponsored by CREEES.
• March 2, 12pm-1:15pm: Alena Ledeneva, "Global Corruption versus National Isolationism." Sponsored by CREEES.
• March 3, 12pm-1:30pm. William B. Taylor. "US-Ukraine Relations: Strengths and Weaknesses of US Policy Toward Ukraine with Recommendations for Future Initiatives." Sponsored by ESI.
• March 6, 12pm-1:15pm: Emily Margarethe Haber, "Germany, Europe, and Russia." Sponsored by CREEES, CISAC, and The Europe Center.
• March 17, 12pm-1:30pm: Michael O'Hanlon, "Beyond NATO: A New Security Architecture for Eastern Europe." Sponsored by CISAC.
• April 3, all day: The Annual Stanford-Berkeley Conference on Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Sponsored by CREEES and UC Berkeley's Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

Spring Series on Russian Security and Strategy:

• Scott Jasper, “Countering Russian Cyber Operations: At the Boundaries of Conflict” (April 7, 2020)
• Michael Kofman, “Drivers of Russian Strategy” (May 21, 2020)
• Kimberly Marten, “The Wagner Group: Untangling the Purpose behind a Russian Power Tool” (May 26, 2020)

Winter Series on Economic and Social Policy:

• David Szakonyi, "Russia as a Failed Developmental State: Economic Policy and Predation Under Sanctions" (January 14, 2020)
• Judy Twigg, "Health and Human Capital in Putin's Russia" (February 4, 2020)
• Samuel Greene and Graeme Robertson, "Putin or the People? The Surprising Politics of Authoritarianism in Russia" (February 18, 2020)

Fall Series on Russia's Political Order Under Putin:

• Evgeniya Chirikova, "Russian Grassroots Activism for the Environment and Beyond" (October 25, 2019)
• Brian Taylor, "Putin, Putinism, and US-Russia Relations" (November 4, 2019) — watch on YouTube
• Kathryn Stoner, "Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in A New Global Order" (November 21, 2019; sponsored by CISAC)
• Nigel Gould-Davies, "Russia, the West, and Sanctions" (November 22, 2019)
• Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, "Authoritarian Legitimation and Insecure Collective Identity: Lessons From Putin’s Russia" (November 22, 2019)