Russia’s ineffective response to the coronavirus reveals the hazards of a system that cultivates self-interest and cronyism over strong state capacity and administration.
Nathaniel Reynolds is no longer with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Nathaniel Reynolds has worked on issues related to Russia and Eurasia for the U.S. government since 2007. He is a senior analyst on Russian politics for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). From 2012-2015 he served as a deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council. Reynolds’ work has earned him several U.S. Department of State and intelligence community awards, including INR’s prestigious Analyst of the Year in 2017.
Reynolds earned his MA in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He received the Christian A. Herter Award for highest academic achievement in his graduating class. He earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after receiving the Morehead-Cain scholarship.
Russia’s ineffective response to the coronavirus reveals the hazards of a system that cultivates self-interest and cronyism over strong state capacity and administration.
Shadowy mercenaries offer Moscow deniability on the battlefield and a cheap way to build influence across the globe.
While Wagner is guided by the Kremlin’s geopolitical aspirations, its actions are shaped by the pursuit of personal power and profit.
It’s likely that Putin’s dip in popularity will mostly prove that he is far more resilient than the West would like to think.