Change or Decay

Two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world is still coping with the consequences. The West has yet to fully adjust to the post-Soviet reality, and Russia has not settled on its relationship with the rest of the world. In Change or Decaytwo of the most respected scholars on Russia, Lilia Shevtsova and Andrew Wood, analyze how relations are shifting between Russia and the rest of the world. In a series of lively and candid conversations, the authors discuss how the Russia of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev emerged from the ashes of the Soviet Union as well as the trajectory of Russia's relations with the West. ContentsLetter to the ReaderThe Beginning: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?Enter Vladimir Putin 1999--2004: Consolidation of the New Regime"Russia Is Rising from Her Knees": 2004--2008The Russian Tandem Changes Its Tactics: Modernization as a Way to Preserve the Status Quo from 2008 OnThe U.S.-Russian Reset: How Sustainable Is It?Europe and the Russian System: Acquiescence or Influence?Realpolitik versus Constructive RealismMyths: Why Do People Believe Them?Why Is the West Ready to Pretend?Why the West Won't Poke the BearWhat Can the West Do?Epilogue: Dream or Nightmare? A Concluding Letter to the Reader