Скачать или смотреть Kremlin’s failed modernisation

Head of Data Science at NEST Centre Sergey Mastitsky speaks with political analyst Nikolai Petrov about the Kremlin’s ongoing struggles with modernisation amid sanctions, war, and limited resources. They examine the widening gap between Russia’s grand development ambitions and its real capabilities, Putin’s growing frustration, and recent shifts in domestic policy, including changes in oversight of national projects and outreach to partners like Iran and Uzbekistan. The conversation is framed by two key events: a tense Council meeting on 6 June, where Putin criticised delays in drone and machine tool production, and the Forum for the Future 2050, which marked a push to reshape Russia’s ideological trajectory while preserving selective ties with Europe.

Read our briefing paper on this topic: https://nestcentre.org/russian-techno...

Key discussion points:
00:02:27 – Modernization dilemma and “Russia 2050” forum.
00:03:11 – Ideological paradox: anti-West, yet pro-Europe.
00:04:12 – Does Kremlin’s view shift post-Munich speech?
00:07:03 – President dissatisfied with progress of national projects.
00:10:01 – Money isn’t enough — resources also lacking.
00:14:45 – Internal competition used to drive motivation.
00:18:33 – Industrial shift eastward supports confrontation goals.

Speaker:
Nikolai Petrov, Head of Analysis of Transformational Processes, NEST Centre

Moderator:
Sergey Mastitsky — Head of Data Science, NEST Centre