The Morass in Moscow: The Democrats in Disarray

The system of personalized power that has long ruled Russia now faces a new crisis, and it is trying to avert decay through the reassertion of empire.

Despite huge changes, the events of the last ten years raise doubts about the notion of “democratic transition” itself.

Taking advantage of broad global respect for regionalism, authoritarian regimes are using their own regional organizations to bolster fellow autocracies. These groupings offer a mechanism for lending legitimacy, redistributing resources, and insulating…