Russian President Vladimir Putin has based his domestic support on economic growth and restoring the “Russian World.” With the Russian economy in a nosedive, the Kremlin looks increasingly likely to attack a former Soviet neighbor to revive its imperial credentials. Twelve years ago, Russia invaded Georgia to divert public attention from the 2008 financial crisis, and in 2014 it invaded Ukraine to help quash growing protests against Putin’s rule. A confluence of factors will make the next few months especially dangerous for Russia’s neighbors, but also for Russia itself.
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Janusz Bugajski: How Russian imperialism could bring down Putin
People protest against the results of July 1 national vote which approved reforms to the Russian constitution, including a reset for President Vladimir Putin's constitutional term limit that allows him to run two more times and remain in power until 2036, in downtown Saint Petersburg on July 15, 2020.
