Russia after 2020: Looking ahead after Two Decades of Putin.

• Author: Cinar, Yusuf

Russia after 2020: Looking ahead after Two Decades of Putin

By J. Laurence Black

Routledge, 2023, 421 pages, [pounds sterling]145.00, ISBN: 9780367745943

Vladimir Putin, the pre-eminent decision maker in Russia from 1999 to the time the book was prepared for publication, is mentioned throughout the book as the author underlines in the introduction. The focus of the book is the constitutional amendment package that Putin put to a referendum in 2020. Specifically, the book discusses the amendment of Article 81, paragraph 3 of the Russian Constitution, enabling Putin to serve as President for two more terms. Through this constitutional amendment, Putin did not only make changes in social and political issues in Russia but also the legal infrastructure. The authors discuss the different dimensions of how Putin's re-election was built. In fact, with this constitutional amendment, Putin will be able to participate, as a candidate, in the presidential elections to be held in 2024 and, if he is elected, he will be able to hold the reins of power, as the President of Russia, for two more terms (twelve years) until 2036.

The author emphasizes that, unlike other studies, this book deals with the subject impartially, without prejudice to Russia and Putin (p. 2). In general, the book has not foreseen any obvious changes in Russia's foreign policy after the pandemic. In terms of trade, investment, and technology, the author argues that Russia's increasing dependence on China and India and its continued isolation from the West could be a major threat to Russia's ambitions to become a global player. In the first part of the book, while it is emphasized that Putin used all of his constitutional powers while governing Russia, it is discussed why there is a need for constitutional amendments. While Putin was needed for the post-Soviet recovery period in Russia which started 18 years ago, 18 years later the question of who, if not Putin, started to be discussed by the Russian public (p. 9). In other words, it can be inferred from this chapter that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's recovery process has not been completed yet.

In chapter 2, the author claims that the 2020 constitutional amendment paved the way for adding new regions to the Russian Federation. Putin is aware that Russia is a multiethnic, multi-cultural nation. In this chapter, the author states that the Putin perspective is behind the steps taken by Russia. He claims that Putin's...