Rule of Law

Russia after Putin: How to rebuild the state

By Anders Åslund and Leonid Gozman

We do not know when and how President Putin’s regime will end, but there are signs that it is struggling and the end could come in the foreseeable future. We need to start discussing now how a new state should be built on the ruins of the old system.

Belarus dictator Lukashenka seeks to silence the media

By Vladislav Davidzon

A Minsk court sentenced journalists Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova to two years in prison on February 18 in a case that highlights the war against free speech that is accompanying Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s crackdown on the country's six-month pro-democracy uprising.

IMF puts Ukraine on pause over corruption concerns

By Anders Åslund

A recent IMF mission to Ukraine ended without reaching any decision on a new tranche. IMF concerns over Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts will increase the pressure on President Zelenskyy.

State of the Order: Assessing January 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

How the US should respond to the coup in Myanmar

By Andrea R. Mihailescu

The Biden administration’s announcement that it will freeze one billion dollars of Myanmar government funds held in US banks will squeeze military leaders. But sanctions cannot be the only tool that the United States deploys.

Here’s how Trump’s parting acts have improved Biden’s shot at history

By Frederick Kempe

The past days’ events have greatly improved Biden’s chance of being the sort of transformative president who comes along only every generation or so.