Russian Organized Crime and Corruption: Putin's Challenge (CSIS Reports)

Following up on its highly publicized report of 1997-Russian Organized Crime-the CSIS Global Organized Crime Project has taken a new look at the issue and found that the Russian Federation is dominated by a blend of corrupt officials, shady businessmen, and criminals. Organized crime continues to strangle legitimate business practices and Russia's prospects of embracing true democracy and free-market economy now seem remote. Genuine democratic reforms may be threatened by the Putin regime in the name of order. These factors degrade the image of democracy in the eyes of Russians and the beginning of Putin's presidency offer two stark choices: he can either consolidate or dismantle the kleptocracy.