Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine further consolidated President Vladimir Putin’s system of personal rule. The regime expanded surveillance, tightened information control and repressed all remaining independent voices. Opposition figures such as Alexei Navalny or dissidents like Yevgeny Prigozhin were killed under politically charged circumstances. Political competition and media freedom are severely restricted, while civil society operates under strict state oversight. The war has become central to state ideology, reinforced by patriotic education and support from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Economic priorities continue to favor geopolitical ambitions over modernization and social development. Elite-driven control of resources persists, and economic reform remains subordinated to the pursuit of great power status.
Russia remains largely isolated from the West, facing comprehensive sanctions that target key sectors and individuals. Nevertheless, it sustains close relations with China, fellow BRICS members and parts of the Global South, seeking alternative partnerships to offset its growing international isolation.
