Last weekend, events unfolded in Russia that were nothing short of astonishing. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group – a mercenary organization – openly declared his opposition to the country’s military leadership and led a march on Moscow for a remarkable 24 hours. However, these events are not entirely unexpected in a nation like Russia, which has a long history of revolutions, rebellions, assassinations, and coups. What sets Russia apart is that it continues to grapple with these issues even in modern times. Most old nations have experienced similar challenges, but Russia’s struggle with them persists.
In comparison, England faced a significant conflict between the king and parliament more than 350 years ago, while Boris Yeltsin engaged in a battle with the parliament that resulted in tanks shelling the parliamentary building in 1993. There’s a concept social scientists refer to as “Getting to Denmark,” which signifies achieving a modern standard of government. It represents stable, democratic, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, and corruption-free political and economic institutions. Developing countries yearn to transform themselves into a nation like Denmark, be it Somalia, Haiti, Nigeria, Iraq, or Afghanistan, although Russia itself has not been able to attain such a level of governance.
Furthermore, Russia’s geographical proximity to Denmark cannot compensate for its distance from Western standards. This disconnect explains why a country with membership in the UN Security Council and G20 can experience a crisis reminiscent of the Third World. While military leaders vying for power in countries like Paraguay, Ecuador, and Honduras is expected, it becomes a more pressing issue when it involves a nation possessing 6,000 nuclear warheads like Russia. The peaceful transfer of power is a crucial achievement in the modern West, preventing violent conflict and societal devastation.
Sadly, opacity, conspiracy, double-dealing, and lies are inherent in human nature and politics. While the West has made strides to limit these vices through accountable government, the rule of law, and transparency norms, Russia continues to struggle with their prevalence. It may take an exceptionally long time, if ever, to fully uncover the truth behind Prigozhin’s rebellion due to the systemic issues in Russia.
In a speech last year, Vladimir Putin criticized the West’s dominance in global affairs, accusing it of suppressing what it perceives as “second-class civilizations.” One can understand the defensiveness behind this sentiment. Thousands of years after Athens and centuries after the democratic revolution, Russia still operates under a de facto Tsar. Poisonings, which seem like tales from medieval Europe, continue to occur in Russia. Putin’s ability to maintain his dominance does not rely on defeating Prigozhin through elections or disciplinary action but rather eliminating him. The West’s model of stable, accountable, democratic government, despite its flaws, is an extraordinary accomplishment. Without it, we could witness a scenario where Putin flees his capital out of fear, and Prigozhin meets an untimely demise, likely involving a fall from a window.
Russia has only been able to reach the level of Russia itself, and this reality is evident.
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