Author

Leon Aron

Leon Aron is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His most recent book is Riding the Tiger: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Uses of War.

10 articles by Leon Aron

What Putin and Xi Have in Common

by Leon Aron

Will China follow Russia into war?

Putin

The Eurasian Judo Master

by Leon Aron

Vladimir Putin uses martial-arts tactics to undergird his dangerous view of the clash of civilizations

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

Novorossiya!

by Leon Aron

Putin and his dangerous ‘new Russia.’

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

How Putin Does It

by Leon Aron

A dull man, a brilliant politician, a ruthless dictator.

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

The Cunningly-Inventive Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

by Leon Aron

He was more than a hero.

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

What Does Putin Want?

by Leon Aron

Russia's democratic revolution has given way to the deep authoritarian tendencies of Russian political culture.

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

Is Russia Going Backward?

by Leon Aron

Grim news notwithstanding, the experiment in liberty and self-government proceeds.

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

Russia’s Revolution

by Leon Aron

Against a backdrop of despotism and penury, the country's recent progress is nothing short of miraculous.

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

Stalin, by Walter Laqueur; Stalin’s War Against the Jews, by Louis Rapoport

by Leon Aron

It did not take the January crackdown in Lithuania, or the reimposition generally in the USSR of a repressive state…

<img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img data-src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" class="cm-post-image-box-default lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img class="cm-post-image-box-default" src="https://www.commentary.org/wp-content/themes/beck-and-stone/assets/img/default-image.svg" />

What Glasnost Has Destroyed

by Leon Aron

Soviet society is in a state of spiritual turmoil for which there is no precedent in its entire history. The…