My piece w/ @kath_stoner from a year ago: "Russia now ranks a dismal 138 out of 180 countries on the Transparency International Corruptions Perception index, a drop from its rank of 60 in 2000 when Putin became president."
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/01/21/chinese-dreams-russian-realities-a68984 THREAD 1/

"The lack of significant improvement in the rule of law has stifled the engine of economic development, the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises, and suppressed investment and innovation, especially in Russia’s high-tech sector." 2/

"Putin’s adventurous, belligerent actions abroad ... triggered new international isolation and economic sanctions and further hindered economic development. " 3/

"After 20 years in power, Putin has demonstrated clearly that he is no Lee Kwan Yew or Deng Xiaoping. ... Russians are richer today than they have ever been in their thousand-year history." 4/

"But Mr. Putin’s 20-year legacy of gradually hardening autocracy in no way measures up to the steady economic growth and efficiency of government in Singapore that Lee Kwan Yew could claim by his death in 2015, or decades of double-digit growth in China under Deng." 5/

"Instead, Putin’s establishment of a system of crony capitalism that benefits the very few at the expense of the many, has held his country back, not produced a great developmental leap forward for Russia." 6/

"Positive changes in Russia’s economic environment have come despite Putin’s long rule, not because of it. More years of Putin in power, however configured institutionally, will further stifle economic development, not accelerate it." 7/ END THREAD.