A Disappearing Trick
Russian foreign policy may seem to follow a clear strategy to restore the country’s position as a global superpower. In reality, it is merely an extension of its domestic weakness. © Sputnik/Mikhail...
View ArticleStress Test
It’s long been clear who will win Russia’s presidential election. But the campaign is laying bare the flaws within the system Vladimir Putin has created. © REUTERS/Eduard Korniyenko In today’s Russia,...
View ArticleSochi Thaw
Accentuating the positive at their recent meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin seem ready to let bygones be bygones and go ahead with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline...
View ArticleIt’s Not Just Trump
Trump’s provocations and bullying grab the headlines. But there are also structural factors—including the EU’s growing economic and regulatory power—that have been causing transatlantic tension for...
View Article“Putin Has a Plan”
Russia’s president has played a weak hand quite cleverly on the global stage, says Russia expert Angela Stent. Change will only come after Vladimir Putin’s departure. © REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Vladimir...
View ArticleMacron Dusts Off the De Gaulle Playbook
French President Emmanuel Macron has turned to an old strategy: leveraging France’s budding rapprochement with Moscow to boost its role on the global diplomatic stage. The aim is to regain clout in...
View ArticleThe Big Handover
All wealth in Russia is first generation—and that generation is getting old. How can the regime ensure continuity for the future? The Kremlin has found only partial solutions. © REUTERS/Tatyana...
View ArticleAfrican Comeback
Russia has deliberately expanded its relationships with African countries in recent years. And its latest key interest is Libya. © Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS When the “family photo” was taken at...
View ArticleRussia’s Coronavirus Drama
Vladimir Putin’s handling of the coronavirus crisis has produced a paradox: instead of using the pandemic to further strengthen his personalized power, Russia’s president has refused to take tough...
View ArticleThe Political Motives Behind Russia’s Coronavirus Aid
The Kremlin was quick to send military medical aid to Italy, Serbia, and the United States. The shipments were part of a larger, multi-dimensional Russian influence operation aimed at getting Western...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....