Michael McFaul reflects on the collapse of the Soviet Union, recalling his time in Moscow in 1991 when he witnessed the transition from Gorbachev's reforms to Yeltsin's revolutionary phase. He argues that while the United States rightly supported Yeltsin,

Michael McFaul reflects on the collapse of the Soviet Union, recalling his time in Moscow in 1991 when he witnessed the transition from Gorbachev's reforms to Yeltsin's revolutionary phase. He argues that while the United States rightly supported Yeltsin, policymakers were too complacent, assuming democracy would consolidate organically without significant external investment. This "end of history" mentality led to a lack of political and economic support during Russia's vulnerable early years of independence. McFaul notes that failing to provide robust assistance to liberal reformers allowed for the eventual rise of Vladimir Putin. (3)
1906