Perfect Storm: Russia's Failed Economic Opening, the Hurricane of War and Sanctions, and the Uncertain Future

The story of Russia's historic opening to the West (1992-2022), where it succeeded and why it has failed, the impact of war and sanctions, and the prospects for Russia's future.Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought a tragic close to a thirty-year period of history that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the reopening of Russia to the West after six decades of Soviet isolation. The opening lasted for three tumultuous decades and ended with a new closing, driven by the Ukrainian war, the imposition of Western sanctions, and the Russian responses to them.In Perfect Storm, Russia analyst Thane Gustafson reinterprets the story of Russia's failed opening to the West, focusing on its economic, technological, and social aspects, and the role they played in its ultimate failure. These parallel events are essential for understanding what happened and what went wrong. Yet they have received much less attention than the military and geopolitical aspects of the current conflict. Gustafson tells the story of the West's entry into Russia, the arrival of Russians into the West, and the conflicting emotions and responses these aroused on both sides, contributing to the ultimate breakdown of relations and the unprecedented hurricane of Western sanctions. The book concludes with an examination of possible futures under a new generation of leaders.A measured and nuanced account of the evolution of Russia's economic relations with the world, Perfect Storm illuminates the longer history of Russia's opening to the West, from its achievements and disappointments to the complexity of the post-invasion sanctions regime and Russia's responses to them.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part One: Russia's Failed Opening Chapter 1: Through the Cracked Looking-Glass: The West Arrives in Russia Chapter 2: Two-Step: The Russians in the West Coda: Reflections on Russia's Failed Opening Part Two: Perfect Storm: Sanctions and Responses Chapter 3: Putin and the Opening of Russia Chapter 4: The Hurricane of Western Sanctions Chapter 5: Dancing in the Rain: The Russian Responses to Sanctions Chapter 6: The Great Western Quasi-Exodus Chapter 7: The Balance Sheet: The Band Plays on Part Three: Looking into the Future Chapter 8: Russia 203x: Around the Corners of History Notes Index

About the Author :
Thane Gustafson is Professor of Government at Georgetown University. He is the author of many books, including Klimat (2021), The Bridge (2020), and Wheel of Fortune (2012).

Review :
Vladimir Putin's clash with the West, and his embrace of China, is often cast as a story of grand strategy imperial ambition. This wise and timely book by Thane Gustafson, a world expert on the geopolitics of energy, shows that it is a human tragedy too: the failure of a 30-year dream of Russian opening to Western businesses, technologies and ideas of what makes a good society. Thane Gustafson offers a detailed appraisal of how Russia's complex relations with the West ruptured under Vladimir Putin and a clear-eyed assessment of how they might be restored beyond Putin. This deeply insightful book is a 'must read' for anyone seeking to understand the current Russian challenge and its prospects. And Gustafson proves again why he is one of the most astute and accomplished observers of modern Russia. Russia's brief opening to the West and how it came undone by war and sanctions is a complex story of social and economic ties that now lie in ruins. Thane Gustafson masterfully explains this period with nuance and depth, and he argues that Russia's future, despite all that has happened, still one day lies with an eventual return to Europe and the West. Thane Gustafson contributes insightfully and eloquently to the debate over Russia's estrangement from the West by emphasizing political economy, and not the usual set of security variables. He also comes around to a guardedly hopeful prognosis for Russia after Putin which will surprise some readers. Thane Gustafson's insightful book is 'an attempt to tell the broader story of Russia's flawed opening to the West in its economic, technological and social dimensions, and the roles these played in its ultimate failure'. Gustafson's book is an illuminating account of the recent history of the economic relationship between Russia and the West and a valuable addition to the literature.