Russian Opinion Leader: Russia is Dangerous to its Citizens, not Europe

„Russia invests money in the West to win over Germany and other European countries. And Europe is happy – surely one will never attack the bank where one keeps his money,” Latynina explained. According to her there is no thaw in Russia’s relations with the West, instead Russia is simply trying to buy Europe.

The other speaker at the forum, young civil rights activist Oleg Kozlovsky said that Europe will always put economy and security before democratic values when developing relations with Russia. He said that it is the responsibility of Russian civil society to demand democracy. “But it is also important that European civil society organizations communicate with their colleagues in Russia,” he added.

Discussing Russia’s future prospects, Latynina highlighted the recent emergence of an educated and politically aware middle class: “These new managers and small owners are not politically active but understand the political situation extremely well and have no illusions about it.” Latynina also marked a paradox in Putin’s regime: “As a rock on top of the mountain the system is relatively stable and has no apparent threats but once it starts rolling down hill, nothing will be able to stop it.”

As another positive trend, Latynina and Kozlovsky emphasized the increasing internet coverage in Russia that has created an important alternative to the mass media controlled by Vladimir Putin. Kozlovsky noted that the internet is also helping citizens movements to emerge and grow, fuelling grassroots-level social activism.