The New Politics of Russia

'In this lucid and important book, Andrew Monaghan argues that the West's capacity to understand Russia has been gravely run down. When Russia started reasserting itself in uncomfortable ways, we seized on Putin's personal role as an over-simple explanation. Our response has inevitably been overexcited and muddled.' Sir Rodric Braithwaite, British Ambassador to the USSR/Russia 1988-92 'After years of less than benign neglect, this study places the Russian question front and center as substantively and objectively as possible. A must read for those interested in foreign policy, experts and laymen alike, but especially for junior and senior policy-makers.' David Glantz, Chief Editor, Journal of Slavic Military Studies 'A timely and sober corrective to the often ill-informed and contradictory analyses of Russia that are dominant today. This book cuts through hysteria and conventional wisdom, and is essential reading for those seeking to understand the challenges of dealing with Russia. ' Richard Connolly, Co-Director, Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies, University of Birmingham 'Finally, the debate has been taken beyond a polarised discussion of the reasons behind the deterioration in Russia-Western relations. Monaghan gets to the heart of the most complex questions as to why many Western policymakers have struggled to understand Russia's actions and do more than simply react. A must-read for Western decision-makers'. Sarah Lain, Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute, London 'Those with an existing interest in Russia should read this book. Those without an existing interest-even more so: you have found the place to start. Dr. Monaghan's excellent book is lucid, accessible and could not have come at a better time.' Megan Edwards, Defence Specialist, Defence Select Committee, House of Commons Russia often dominates the headlines. Yet its political realities are often poorly understood by Western policymakers and observers because their analyses are based on Western terms of reference, particularly Russia's progress - or lack of it - towards liberal democracy and partnership with the West. This highly engaging book offers a robust critique of such an approach, and points to a different way to interpret Russia. Andrew Monaghan places the current crisis between the Euro-Atlantic community and Russia caused by the war in Ukraine into the broader and longer-term context of an increasingly obvious strategic dissonance in relations. He also explores the evolving domestic political landscape, unpicking the nature of power in Russia and introducing readers to both the current leadership and those who may emerge to lead Russia in the future. Andrew Monaghan is an Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford. Previously, he has directed Russia related research at the NATO Defence College in Rome. 'For the most part, I concur with Monaghan's approach. The New Politics of Russia expertly dismantles the way the West views Russia. The book is a refreshing addition to the literature on Russian-Western relations.' Paul Robinson, University of Ottawa, Irrussianality 'This is a masterful book and a refreshing read. It's valuable both to those newer to studying Russia and to anyone who finds it hard to navigate between claim and counter-claim (most of us, including myself!). It has gone straight on my student reading list.' Luke March, FORUM, No. 36, Winter 2017 'A particularly important aspect of the book lies in Monaghan's suggestions for addressing the current problems in the way that Russia is analysed. The book makes the case for greater sensitivity towards linguistic and conceptual differences. His exploration of the development of 'strategic dissonance' between Russia and the West since the collapse of the Soviet Union clearly underlines that point. As Monaghan so forcefully argues, 'getting Russia right' matters so that misunderstandings do not escalate into conflict, and might eventually lead to fruitful cooperation. His book is an important start to a renewed debate on Russia and essential reading for anyone who needs to understand the country.' Alicky Denton is an independent business intelligence consultant whose work focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, The RUSI Journal, Vol 162, 2017 - Issue 1 -- .