As protesters appear on streets in various parts of Russia and the country's economy continues to falter, it has become clear that the Russian political and economic system is unsustainable in the long run. However, little consensus remains among Russia experts on how to transform the system or on broader issues such as how the West can effectively reengage Moscow.
To highlight the divergent opinions on Russia's future path, Carnegie hosted a spirited discussion with three leading experts: Donald Jensen, Lilia Shevtsova, and Dmitri Trenin. Ambassador (Retired) James F. Collins moderated the event- Carnegie Endowment
Bio
Jim Collins
Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies - how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. Having invested over a decade of research into the topic, Jim has authored or co-authored four books, including the classic Built to Last, a fixture on the Business Week best seller list for more than six years, and has been translated into 25 languages.
His work has been featured in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.
Donald Jensen
Donald Jensen is a Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations. From 2002-2008, Jensen was Director of Research and Analysis at RFE/RL, where he oversaw that international news organization's analytical publications, including the daily RFE/RL Newsline.
Jensen also managed the organization's extensive program of conferences and briefings. Jensen writes extensively on Russian domestic politics, foreign policy, security and energy issues, especially the politics of Russian business.
Jensen is a frequent commentator on radio and television in the US, Russia, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, including CNN International and the Lehrer News Hour. He is a regular analyst on Russian affairs for the BBC, Al Jazeera television (Arabic and English), and Iranian television.
Jensen was a consultant and commentator for the PBS program "Return of the Czar," which won the Overseas Press Club's Edward R. Murrow Award in 2001 for distinguished reporting on international affairs.
Lilia Shevtsova
Lilia Shevtsova co-chairs the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Project, dividing her time between the Carnegie offices in Washington, D.C. and Moscow.
Before joining the Endowment, she was deputy director of the Moscow Institute of International Economic and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and director of the Center of Political Studies in Moscow.
She has been a visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley and at Cornell University, and a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Ms. Shevtsova is a member of the Council of the Russian Political Science Association; serves on the editorial boards of American Interest, Journal of Democracy, Pro et Contra and Demokratizatsiya.
Lilia Shevtsova is also professor of political science at the Moscow State Institute of International Affairs of the MFA of Russia; leading researcher at The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatam House, Great Britain); member of the Executive Board of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (Great Britain); member of the Advisory Board of the Women in International Security organization; associate with the Eurasia Program of the Social Science Research Council; member of the Board of the Institute for Human Sciences at Boston University.
Dmitri Trenin
Dmitri Trenin is Deputy Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center where he is co-chair of the center's Foreign and Security Policy Program. He is also a Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is the author of Getting Russia Right.
Dr. Trenin has written extensively on Russia's challenges in its relations with the West. His recent works have included Russia: Back to the Future (2006), Russia Leaves the West (2006) and Russia Redefines Itself and Its Relations with the West (2007).
Trenin received his Ph.D from the Institute of the USA and Canada in 1984, and had previously served in the Soviet and Russian Armed Forces with experience as a liaison officer in the External Relations Branch of the Group of Soviet Forces. He was a member of the delegation to the U.S.-Soviet nuclear weapons talks in Geneva from 1985-1991. From 1993-1997 he was a Senior Research Fellow at the NATO Defense College in Rome, and at the Institute of Europe in Moscow.
I have one sole question. Why does it bother someont back in the USA? Russians do not tell Americans what to do, how to live. That is America which has to change, stop meddling in other countries' business for a start or bombing innocent children.
All that giberish about democracy, dialogs is to gain some influence and deminish ours.
Russia is a failing state...? Really? and I thought I've seen it all from Mrs. Shevtsova.
Unfortunately the Russian liberals are suffering from acute delusion
syndrome, often confusing their wishes with reality. As a Russian, I cant help
but despair in our liberals. They always talk about Russian demise
with a wide-eyed inspiration and mention our successes through
their gnashing teeth. Indeed if Russia was a failing state Mrs. Clinton
wouldn't bother pressing a "reset" button the other day. Mrs. Shevtsova
is working very hard to present a demoralizing picture of her people and
demonize the Russian government at the time of crisis when quite the opposite is needed. Thankfully, as always, her arguments are rather dull, predictable and
based on anekdotal evidence.
member. 
