Russia

Since the dissolution of the USSR on 25 December 1991, Russia has transformed from a fledgling democracy into a highly centralized authoritarian system. Under Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, “shock therapy” privatization caused economic collapse, hyperinflation, and societal chaos, discrediting Western-style liberalism. Vladimir Putin’s rise in 2000 restored state authority by re-nationalizing strategic assets and curbing the oligarchs. His United Russia party now dominates the political landscape. Ahead of the September 2026 State Duma elections, United Russia’s federal list features Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Lavrov, and pro-war figures like military correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny. Other system parties—the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and the New People’s Party—pose no real challenge. Militarily, Russia retains the world’s second-most powerful military (after the US, ahead of China) in the 2026 Global Firepower ranking. However, the war economy is straining: artillery shell production has increased 17-fold since 2022, but falling oil revenue and sanctions mean the 2026 budget deficit may reach nearly three times official forecasts, depleting reserves rapidly.