The Origins of Putin’s Totalitarianism
The war in Ukraine amounts to a final repudiation of the power of the security-service figures, the siloviki, who gained power during Vladimir Putin’s early years. They have been replaced by faceless security technocrats – the real heirs to the KGB.
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NEW YORK – In late 1999, as the frail Boris Yeltsin searched for a successor among the ranks of the security services, a bleak joke circulated in Russia. “Why are communists better than the KGB?” went the setup. “Because the communists will scold you, but the KGB will hang you.” It was less a joke than a warning. Unfortunately, most Russians didn’t get it.