Publication

This edition of the RAD examines recent developments in Russia and their impact on governance. In the first article, Ben Aris analyzes the US’s Magnitsky Act and its impact on Russia’s relationship with the West. He concludes that the Kremlin views the act as a politically-motivated attempt to interfere in Russian domestic affairs, and that the original case has not significantly impacted either Russian domestic governance or political debates. In the second article, Bill Bowring looks at the new Russian law that requires externally funded NGOs that are supposedly engaged in “political activities” to register as “foreign agents.” Bowring concludes that most NGOs are still trying to decipher the vague concepts embedded within the law, but it seems clear that it is aimed at those NGOs deemed to be a political threat to the Putin regime. In the final article, Jonas Grätz examines the recent Rosneft-TNK-BP deal. He argues that it is unlikely that the takeover of TNK-BP by Rosneft will bring efficiency gains to the Russian oil industry. Instead, the deal seems to be driven by a desire to ease systemic tensions in Russia by expanding the regime’s influence over external markets.