Publication

This edition of the RAD examines the relationship between foreign policy and ideology in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The first article looks at Moscow’s behavior in Crimea from the perspectives of state politics, sovereignty and biopolitics. The second piece then contemplates a seeming paradox in Russian politics -- i.e., Putin’s high personal popularity ratings and the low legitimacy of state institutions. Next, the third article analyzes how the Russian president has moved away from his informal “social contract” of the 2000s to an ideology now centered on fear and resentment of the West. Finally, the RAD closes by glossing over a range of Russian public opinion polls on Vladimir Putin’s leadership, Russia’s place in the world, the annexation of Crimea and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.