7. Western Advisers and Foreign Influence
Western economists and international organizations played a prominent role in designing Russia’s economic reforms. Guided by free-market principles, many advocated for rapid privatization and deregulation. However, some policies—though well-intentioned—unintentionally smoothed the way for oligarchs to seize control of major assets, bypassing broader public benefit. This foreign influence on Russia’s transition remains a subject of heated debate among historians and economists (via Harvard Magazine).
