What do you think?
Rate this book
Russia Under Putin: Fragile State and Revisionist Power
Compelling essays reveal Russia as a declining, fragile power that still harbors imperialist ambitions.
In Russia Under Putin, editor Andrew S. Natsios brings together an esteemed group of scholars to explore the complex duality of Vladimir Putin's Russia. As they track Putin's rise from a former KGB officer to one of the world's most powerful leaders, these essays confront an urgent global Is Russia a declining state on an unstable foundation, or is it a dangerous, revisionist power?
The book's contributors reveal how Russia—despite internal weaknesses that include a shrinking population, corruption, and economic dependency on volatile oil revenues—has become a well-armed state intent on undermining the international order. Through an examination of Russia's military invasions of Ukraine, its increasing reliance on cyber warfare, and the suppression of civil liberties, the authors argue that Russia's trajectory under Putin is both destabilizing and ominous. Putin has tried to increase the size of the population through pro-natalist policies that failed and so has resorted to annexing neighboring states like Ukraine as a solution to the demographic emergency. Moscow has adopted an extreme, right-wing, ultra-nationalist ideology that dominates discourse among the elites.
As the world watches Russia's aggressive foreign policies unfold, Natsios and the book's contributors illustrate how the decline of this nuclear-armed state presents profound risks to global stability. The essays draw comparisons to past authoritarian regimes while offering a stark even a fragile power can wreak global havoc. Engaging, timely, and thought-provoking, Russia Under Putin provides a nuanced view of a country whose ambitions will shape the twenty-first century—for better or worse.
In Russia Under Putin, editor Andrew S. Natsios brings together an esteemed group of scholars to explore the complex duality of Vladimir Putin's Russia. As they track Putin's rise from a former KGB officer to one of the world's most powerful leaders, these essays confront an urgent global Is Russia a declining state on an unstable foundation, or is it a dangerous, revisionist power?
The book's contributors reveal how Russia—despite internal weaknesses that include a shrinking population, corruption, and economic dependency on volatile oil revenues—has become a well-armed state intent on undermining the international order. Through an examination of Russia's military invasions of Ukraine, its increasing reliance on cyber warfare, and the suppression of civil liberties, the authors argue that Russia's trajectory under Putin is both destabilizing and ominous. Putin has tried to increase the size of the population through pro-natalist policies that failed and so has resorted to annexing neighboring states like Ukraine as a solution to the demographic emergency. Moscow has adopted an extreme, right-wing, ultra-nationalist ideology that dominates discourse among the elites.
As the world watches Russia's aggressive foreign policies unfold, Natsios and the book's contributors illustrate how the decline of this nuclear-armed state presents profound risks to global stability. The essays draw comparisons to past authoritarian regimes while offering a stark even a fragile power can wreak global havoc. Engaging, timely, and thought-provoking, Russia Under Putin provides a nuanced view of a country whose ambitions will shape the twenty-first century—for better or worse.
360 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2025
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 14, 2025
Russia under Putin, Andrew S. Natsios, ed., 2025, 349 pages, ISBN 9781421451923, Library-of-Congress DK510.763.R87135.2025
These essays were mostly written 2015, updated with the 2022 Ukraine invasion. p. 1.
Infected with U.S. triumphalism. Academic tone.
The U.S. and UK are the only good havens for a Russian kleptocrat to hide his money: U.S. and UK provide secrecy and big asset markets. Trillions of dollars of U.S. financial assets are owned by anonymous foreigners. pp. 49-50. $1 trillion of Russia's wealth has flowed out of Russia, 1990-2021. pp. 55-57.
Published in 2025, the book speculates "it could be the withdrawal of U.S. support for Ukraine in a second Trump administration leads to its collapse, which will only accelerate Russian aggression against other countries." p. 284.
NATO expansion was an excuse to invade Ukraine, not the cause. p. 9. [Still. Why provoke?]
The authors say that to secure Russia's military defeat would be a Good Thing. pp. 86, 262, 284. Presumably even if it means fighting to the last Ukrainian. To the contrary, for the Russian nation and people to be in worse shape even than they now are would benefit nobody, except plunderers, and them only in the short term.
The authors want Russian wealth transferred to Ukraine's government as war reparations. p. 61. This would further harm Russia's people, who aren't in charge of Putin's military adventures. And it would transfer wealth to the care of Ukrainian officials who are as kleptocratic as Russian officials.
These authors say that many countries are "suffering" from low fertility rates. p. 268. As if the rate of global population increase, 1 billion more people per 12 years, were OK. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=...
The editor thinks there are serious efforts to decarbonize the world economy. p. 2. Not in the western hemisphere.
ERRATA
"a smaller number of brigades" should read, "a number of smaller brigades." p. 71.
These essays were mostly written 2015, updated with the 2022 Ukraine invasion. p. 1.
Infected with U.S. triumphalism. Academic tone.
The U.S. and UK are the only good havens for a Russian kleptocrat to hide his money: U.S. and UK provide secrecy and big asset markets. Trillions of dollars of U.S. financial assets are owned by anonymous foreigners. pp. 49-50. $1 trillion of Russia's wealth has flowed out of Russia, 1990-2021. pp. 55-57.
Published in 2025, the book speculates "it could be the withdrawal of U.S. support for Ukraine in a second Trump administration leads to its collapse, which will only accelerate Russian aggression against other countries." p. 284.
NATO expansion was an excuse to invade Ukraine, not the cause. p. 9. [Still. Why provoke?]
The authors say that to secure Russia's military defeat would be a Good Thing. pp. 86, 262, 284. Presumably even if it means fighting to the last Ukrainian. To the contrary, for the Russian nation and people to be in worse shape even than they now are would benefit nobody, except plunderers, and them only in the short term.
The authors want Russian wealth transferred to Ukraine's government as war reparations. p. 61. This would further harm Russia's people, who aren't in charge of Putin's military adventures. And it would transfer wealth to the care of Ukrainian officials who are as kleptocratic as Russian officials.
These authors say that many countries are "suffering" from low fertility rates. p. 268. As if the rate of global population increase, 1 billion more people per 12 years, were OK. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=...
The editor thinks there are serious efforts to decarbonize the world economy. p. 2. Not in the western hemisphere.
ERRATA
"a smaller number of brigades" should read, "a number of smaller brigades." p. 71.
August 28, 2025
Incredibly interesting read from people who know what they’re talking about, which is a nice change from some of the people I am hearing against my will when it comes to this topic.
I like to judge non fiction books by the number of footnotes (it’s a humanities thing), this one has so many which made my little historian heart very happy.
It’s a long read but a really good one if you want to understand Russia and Russian people better, a lot of it makes it easier to understand Putin’s choices in Ukraine and to predict what may comes next. One thing I didn’t even think about is the demographic aspect, if your country is pretty much dying and you’re not a big fan of non Slavic non Christian immigrants, one solution might indeed be to absorb populations from countries like Ukraine.
So yeah when people say that Putin is doing this because he was provoked by the West or NATO, if you read this book you’ll know it’s not true.
I like to judge non fiction books by the number of footnotes (it’s a humanities thing), this one has so many which made my little historian heart very happy.
It’s a long read but a really good one if you want to understand Russia and Russian people better, a lot of it makes it easier to understand Putin’s choices in Ukraine and to predict what may comes next. One thing I didn’t even think about is the demographic aspect, if your country is pretty much dying and you’re not a big fan of non Slavic non Christian immigrants, one solution might indeed be to absorb populations from countries like Ukraine.
So yeah when people say that Putin is doing this because he was provoked by the West or NATO, if you read this book you’ll know it’s not true.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews