Summary: <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <p class="MsoNormal">Over the past decade and a half, Vladimir Putin’s Russia has<br> been an economic dynamo and <span style="font-size: 10pt;">a basket case, an imperfect democracy and a tightening<br> tyranny, a constructive diplomatic actor and a serial military<br> aggressor—sometimes all at once. The only constant has been surprise, as the<br> zigging and zagging has left outside observers, and even many Russians,<br> scratching their heads.</span></p><br> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><br> <p class="MsoNormal">Today on the podcast, we’re discussing Putin’s strategy of<br> repression, the real state of the Russian economy, and whether Putin really has<br> a clear foreign policy. Featuring<br> interviews with authors Maria Lipman, Sergei Guriev, and Daniel Treisman. </p><br> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Podbean, and Stitcher.<br> Visit ForeignAffairs.com for a full transcript.</span></p><br> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><br> <br>
