Why Protests Keep Putin Up at Night

The Fears of a Strongman

Overview

Despite his solid grip on power, Putin appeared alarmed when, at the end of March, Russian citizens in dozens of cities suddenly appeared in the streets to peacefully protest official corruption. The government responded by having as many as 1,000 of the protestors, including the leader of the opposition, Alexey Navalny, arrested. Why such concern by a political leader who appears to be so fully in control?

Why is this important?

Weaponized narrative is used to strike at the source of power of an adversary. Russia targets democracies by undermining sense of national identity and creating chaos where there needs to be some consensus for policy to move forward. Understanding Putin's problem of power is the first step in analyzing a counter-offensive. -- JK