Is Russian Democracy Doomed? The Ascent of the Inflationists

In East-Central Europe, neither physical proximity nor memories of Soviet domination have united countries in their response to the war in Ukraine. What matters most is who stands to benefit.

Despite huge changes, the events of the last ten years raise doubts about the notion of “democratic transition” itself.

Today’s Russian protest movement in many ways resembles past civil-rights and civil-resistance efforts in other parts of the world, from its commitment to nonviolence to its key demands—a vote that…