CDDRL Director, Michael McFaul, speaks on the challenges in Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union

In 1991, after the breakup of the Soviet Union the leaders of Russia had many Herculean challenges to overcome, ranging from defining its new borders to rebuilding its economic and political systems. Michael McFaul presents the progress that has been made in the last decade on these fronts and also provides references to some insightful works pertaining to the current economic and political developments in Russia. While some scholars would argue that the current market system of Russia is flawed, there is no denying the tremendous growth that has happened in Russia in the last years even after the state went bankrupt in 1998. However, in contrast to the promising economic strides in Russia, McFaul remarks that the "one unfinished transformation in Russia lies in the political realm".