Please join the Fletcher Eurasia Club for a lunch seminar with Janis Kluge, Deputy Head of the Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin).

After two years of rapid growth led by the military industry and recruitment, the Russian economy is now stagnating. The costs of the Russia-Ukraine war are becoming more apparent as inflation remains high, real incomes have begun to fall, and pressure on Russia’s budget is increasing. Kluge will frame the conversation around how Russia’s wartime economy has responded to Western sanctions and whether its economy has reached a tipping point in light of the Russia-Ukraine war. He will also examine how relations between Russia and China have shifted over the past three years. You can also check out some of Kluge’s recent analyses about the Russia-Ukraine war, the dynamics of Russia-China economic relations, and whether Russia’s economy has reached a tipping point.

The Eurasia Club at The Fletcher School seeks to promote a cultural, historical, political, and economic understanding of Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds and meeting with experts and practitioners from Russia and Eurasia, the club aims to create lasting connections among individuals, communities, and the region as a whole. Members of the wider Tufts community are also welcome to attend. Please register via the Microsoft Form here to attend the event in person. If you would like to submit discussion questions for the speaker in advance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Lunch will be served following the conversation.

Dr. Janis Kluge is Deputy Head of the Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin). He joined SWP in 2017 after receiving his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. At SWP, he advises the German government and the Bundestag on foreign policy towards Russia and the design of sanctions. Dr Kluge’s research focuses on the Russian economy, particularly the impact of Western sanctions, the Russian government budget, and Russia-China economic relations. His most recent publications are on recent developments and vulnerabilities in the Russian economy, the prospects for additional sanctions, and the economics of Russian military recruitment. Previously, he worked on external dependencies of Russia’s technology sector, Russian economic elites, and Russia’s Arctic policy.