(RAD) Peter Reddaway’s book explains how Putin stays in power by relying on the siloviki. The president has created divisions among two main groups in Russia’s key security and law enforcement agencies and makes himself indispensable by playing them off against each other. While Putin is able to remain in power, these battles have terrible consequences for Russia since they undermine the legitimacy of the government, rule of law, and the country’s ability to create an effective economy. The system is increasingly untenable and change potentially can come from increased power for the military and the rising protest movement organized by Alexei Navalny.
