What do Russian people think of Putin?

Today we invite you for a black coffee morning session with Samuel Greene, co-author of “Putin v. The People – The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia” and Russia-expert. The session will be chaired by ECFRs own Russia-expert Kadri Liik.

Guests

Samuel Greene, Director of the Russia Institute, King's College London

Chaired by

Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR

What do ordinary Russians think of Putin? Who are his supporters? And why might their support now be faltering? Alive with the voices and experiences of ordinary Russians and elites alike, we sit down to talk with Samuel Greene, who has – together with Graeme Robertson – crafted a compellingly original account of contemporary Russian politics that sheds new light on why Putin's grip on power is more fragile than we think. Their work Putin v. the People – The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia was published this summer and includes fascinating new information on how Putin is perceived in his country and how challenging it is for the Kremlin to keep him where he is now. The authors who are both experts on Russian politics back their revelations  with interviews, leaked documents, as well as surveys and social media data. 

The discussion will be chaired by our in-house expert on the topic, Kadri Liik, who has looked into the attitudes of the young foreign policy making elite in her recent policy brief and presents the portrait of young Russians with a pragmatic attitude towards the West.