Russia: Superpower or House of Cards? - Main contents
Podium De Balie, donderdag 1 juni, 20:00 uur
Since the Ukraine crisis West and East have resumed their former fight for spheres of influence again. Putin’s Russia feels humiliated and tries to retake its place on the world stage. The United States of Trump threatens to become unpredictable. A weak Europe is squeezed in between the two.
What is Russia up to? Do we have to fear its policies or is it a case of imperial overstretching. As hybrid warfare, old school espionage, desinformation and fake news still dominate the headlines in 2017, forum Raam op Rusland and De Balie invited three eminent experts on Russia to shed light on these issues: Mark Galeotti, Alexei Levinson and Han ten Broeke.
Mark Galeotti (Prague) is a specialist on Russian security affairs and organized crime, who taught in Moscow and is now senior researcher at the Institute for International Relations in Prague. His most recent book is ‘Hybrid War or Gibridnaya Voina: getting Russia’s non-linear military challenge right’. He is a regular contributor to Raam op Rusland.
Alexei Levinson (Moscow) is a sociologist and works as a researcher at the Levada Center in Moscow, the only independent opinion research institute in Russia. Levada for 25 years collects and studies data on what Russians think on politics, society, history and corruption. Since last year they are labelled ‘foreign agent’, according to the law on ngo’s. As a columnist Levinson contributes to numerous Russian newspapers.
Han ten Broeke (Netherlands) is member of parliament (Tweede Kamer, lower house of the Dutch parliament) on behalf of the liberal party VVD since 2006. Ten Broeke is chairman of the permanent committee for foreign affairs. Taking into account that the VVD will probably be leading in the new governing coalition, his political role will increase the upcoming years.
Laura Starink, co-founder of Window on Russia, will kick off the evening with a column about her recent stay in Moscow. She has been working as a journalist (for NRC Handelsblad, now as an independent publicist), specialised in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Her last book ‘The shadow of big brother’ shows how Central Europe struggles with the nazi and communist past.
Moderator: Lennart Booij
Language: English