Russia, Lost in Transition
by Lilia Shevtsova
Putin’s relations with the oligarchs is endlessly fascinating because they saw the writing on the wall and they accepted the terms of the trade, which were absolute political non-engagement in terms of criticism plus lining some people’s pockets where required in return for relative security. But they never got total security, which is why most of their money is now kept in London, where it is indulgently laundered by the British government. Shevtsova traces how Putin did this incrementally, and his popularity.
