Russia finally postpones the May 9 Victory Day celebrations as reality sets in. Vladimir Putin’s approval rating craters as new COVID-19 cases increase for six consecutive days, the virus spreads to every region, and Russia now ranks 12th in the world in confirmed infections. And chaotic scenes unfold at the Moscow Metro as the capital’s digital pass system hits a snag.
Russia’s response to the unique coronavirus has left a lot to be desired, but let’s face it, they aren’t alone in that department. But in a highly personalized and highly centralized system, the consequences there could be severe and the stakes are clearly high.
Listen to episode 68 of the Power Vertical Podcast as Brian Whitmore, Maria Snegovaya, and Donald N. Jensen dissect the latest from Russia in a time of infected politics.
Read the report mentioned in this episode here.
Intro Audio Clip: “Message from the President to the Federal Assembly” via the Kremlin under CC BY 4.0.
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.
Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.
