"Divided We Stand: Can Western Diplomacy Split Russia's Elites and Reunite the Middle Class? As the war in Ukraine rages on, Western leaders are grappling with the question of how to bring Russia back from the brink of isolation. A growing chorus of experts is now advocating for a bold new approach: offering Russians a way out. The idea is to create a pathway for both individual and collective exit from the Putin regime, allowing local elites to defect and the Russian middle class to reintegrate into Western society, economy, and culture. By sowing divisions among Russia's ruling elite and reconnecting with its disillusioned citizens, the West may be able to create a more stable and predictable Russia, one that is less inclined to pursue aggressive foreign policies. But can this strategy work, and what are the risks and rewards of trying to 'divide and conquer' Russia's ruling class?"
The West must offer Russians ways for both individual and collective exit in order to split the local elites and reincorporate the Russian middle class into Western society, economy, and culture, thus creating an opportunity for a more stable and predictable Russia to emerge.
