Vladimir Putin and Russia's Oil Policy

Abstract:

In this newly translated report Martha Brill Olcott, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, analyzes shifts in Russian energy policy under President Vladimir Putin. The author argues that the reorganization of the energy industry in this period was aimed largely at enhancing the power of the state. She also believes that President Putin, while recognizing the significance of market forces as well as the need for the state to protect private property, nonetheless believes that property rights cannot take precedence over the interests of the state. A significant portion of the report looks at the president's dissertation, which dealt with strategic planning in the energy sector.