Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Russia and Eurasia Program

Grading Obama

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

On the anniversary of President Obama’s election, relations with Russia have become a bright spot among the president’s ambitious foreign policy efforts, while other central international goals remain unachieved.

Missile Defense Could Be the Silver Bullet

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

U.S. plans to build a global missile defense system have caused consternation in Moscow, where a potential U.S. first-strike capability is still viewed as the most serious external military threat to Russia.

Russia's Search for an Identity

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

The perception of Stalin and his crimes has more to do with the nature of Russian statehood than with the monstrous actions of the man himself. A statehood based on the specter of Stalin as the embodiment of the great state is, however, incompatible with modernization.

Regional Dimensions: Fresh Faces in a Stale System

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

A new system has been implemented for naming the candidate for a gubernatorial post in Russia, and the fate of 10 percent of the governors hangs in the balance.

NATO and Russia: Partnership or Peril?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

The West and Russia need to embark on a long, tortuous, and potentially rocky path toward creating a security community in Europe that would include both NATO members and nonmembers.

Russia Reborn

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

The current Russian model—growth without development, capitalism without democracy, and great-power policies without international appeal—cannot hold forever. Russia's foreign policy requires a new strategy and new policy instruments and mechanisms to implement it.

The US and Russia: Iran and Nuclear Weapons

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

At the top of Secretary Clinton's agenda during her visit to Russia is a discussion of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Conflicting messages from President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov leave the outcome of that discussion in doubt.

Digging Their Own Graves at the Polls

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Municipal elections held in Russia on October 11 proved that most Russian voters seem to feel that elections have no direct bearing on their lives and that the authorities feel no impetus to institute change in the current Russian party system.

Worldwise: Russian Relations

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Russia and the United States are not likely to come to agreement on the best way to approach Iran’s nuclear ambitions any time soon. This issue is likely to be at the top of Secretary Clinton’s agenda during her time in Moscow.

A Small Step on the Road to Reconciliation Between Turkey and Armenia

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Turkey and Armenia signed historic protocols on October 10 to restore diplomatic ties and open shared borders. Although the deal must still be ratified by their respective parliaments, it marks the first step in resolving tensions stemming from the killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in 1915.

So Far Purely Economic, G20 Could One Day Cover Security Too

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

The key to success in the security field is not a combination of individual players like the G20, but rather sustainable joint leadership working together in tailor-made coalitions.

U.S.-Russia Relations on the Eve of Clinton's Trip to Moscow

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Secretary Clinton will be in Russia this week to discuss nuclear disarmament, Iran, Afghanistan, and human rights with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and President Medvedev. The US has made a good beginning with the Russians but the relationship is still very fragile.

Untangling Iran's Nuclear Web

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

The United States and Russia need a coordinated approach to Iranian nuclear ambitions, where sanctions and opportunities become incentives pushing and pulling Iran toward a solution beneficial for both global security and Iran’s national interest.

The Virtual President

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Under Russian President Medvedev, the Kremlin’s efforts to develop and execute concrete solutions to Russia’s many challenges have been replaced by a constant stream of polemical sound bites and vague slogans.

Losing the Caucasus

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Despite the official end of Russia’s counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, armed clashes and terrorist attacks continue to plague North Caucasus. Open conflict is on the verge of becoming inevitable.

Russia's Spheres of Interest, not Influence

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Russian interests remain present throughout the entire post-Soviet space, but Moscow’s influence, although considerable, is nowhere dominant.

Russia: Free Fall is Over, But…

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

The economic crisis has devastated the Russian economy, where GDP is expected to contract by nearly 10 percent in 2009. Despite optimism among government experts, ballooning debt and plummeting revenues threaten the recovery effort.

Moving beyond strained relations (II)

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

When Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO's secretary-general, addresses an audience at Carnegie Europe on Friday, 18th September, he will speak about the possibility of a new dialogue between two former foes – NATO and Russia. Dmitri Trenin suggests that these discussions could initially take place through the NATO-Russia Council of 2002, but in time, that they might spawn a new framework altogether.

Go Medvedev!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Medvedev still subscribes to the Soviet-era belief that scientific and technological progress will lead to improvements in the political realm. It apparently does not occur to him that the economy cannot be effective if the political system is insufficiently free.

The Children of Stalin

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Stalin’s growing popularity in Russia is less a function of an organized state propaganda effort to promote him than it is a result of the government’s lack of interest in setting the historical record straight on Stalin. Attention is increasingly focused on the greatness of the country and its achievements under Stalin’s rule.

When Thief Stole From Thief

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Tensions over Europe’s troubled past have increased with the approach of the 70th anniversary of the start of WWII. Prime Minister Putin’s upcoming visit to Poland can help turn a new page in history.

Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: Improving the Western Track Record

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As the twentieth anniversary of the independence of the Central Asia states approaches, the international community's track record in Central Asia is mixed at best. The adoption of new strategies offers Western institutions a chance to achieve some measurable successes in the region.

Where Violence Flourishes

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The upsurge of violence in Russia's North Caucasus region is the result of the incompetence of local authorities and the Kremlin’s failure or reluctance to seriously address the issues of the region.

Unrest in the Caucasus

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As violence in the North Caucasus surges, Kremlin policies and its loyal, but brutal, local leaders have played a critical role in causing the situation.

Violence in Ingushetia

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Ingushetia’s corrupt officials and extreme Islamists may be behind a suicide bomb explosion at a police station in the capital of Nazran.