RSS Feed for Author: Nicolai Petro

Some Orthodox Reflections on the (P)ussy (R)iot Case

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:47:44 CDT

A few remarks based on an interview given to Fr. Chris Metropoulos of the Orthodox Christian Network on August 22, 2012. See http://www.myocn.net

The Orthodox Church and the Struggle for Russia's Soul

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:23:58 CDT

The Russian Orthodox Church has recently come under severe attack in Russia by groups who fear that its public voice is eroding the separation between Church and State. Yet it is precisely the Church's claim that its social vision has relevance for a modern Russia that its most arch critics cannot tolerate, and which makes this an epic struggle for the soul of modern Russia.

Romney's Shot Across the "Reset":'

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:08:29 CDT

What do Romney's recent statements on foreign policy say about his future policies as a Republican president? What do they say about the world view of the Republican political establishment and their ability to fashion policies that reflect the international realities?

Putin's New Old Foreign Policy

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:18:38 CDT

Russia's current foreign policy vision is commensurate with its regional power and influence. At the same time, it is also part of a growing network of nations that seek to fundamentally alter the architecture of international relations. Their ultimate goal is to reinforce international institutions so that they may serve as much to constrain the powerful as to protect the weak.

America: Play Nice with Russia!

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:42:33 CDT

After Vladimir Putin's decisive victory in Russia's presidential elections, the opportunity exists for a truly equal partnership to emerge, but it will require the current administration to set aside its propensity for moralism and respect the choice of the Russian people. The risk in not doing so is that the US, and the West in general, will become increasingly irrelevant to Russia and its long-term global strategy.

From Arab Spring to Russian Winter?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:28:23 CST

The December discontent in Russia is a conservative protest vote of the middle class against modernization. The social agenda of the left won, while the competitive agenda of liberals, a group which happens to include Medvedev and United Russia, lost.

Russia Can't Be Manipulated Through External Pressure

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:18:15 CDT

The West's posturing in Sergei Magnitsky's case can add nothing of benefit to the investigation, for it needs to proceed without external political pressure if it is to have any lasting impact on the Russian justice system.

Twice Lost in Translation

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:49:09 CST

Media reports of Russian Orthodox Church leaders calling for a national dress code portray them as out-of-touch, power hungry misogynists. Alas, these reports are based on quotes that have been egregiously mistranslated, or simply invented. The result is a narrative in which Russia and the Orthodox church are both "lost in translation."

Ukraine Can Have Them and Us

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:53:08 CDT

In half the time it took FDR to pass the New Deal, Ukraine's new president has turned Ukraine's diplomacy 180 degrees. The speed with which Yanukovych has acted has stunned most observers. What options remain for the West? Some hope to fight this rapprochement, while many admit to a sense of resignation. Few see that there is a third option--make Ukraine indispensable to bringing Russia into Europe.

Why FSB is not the KGB!

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:00:48 CDT

Last month amendments were passed to the law codifying the FSB's surveillance of those citizens deemed to be threats to national security. Professor Nicolai N. Petro, unlike some Western commentators, sees these as potentially making Russia's domestic security procedures among the world's most transparent

Russo-Polish Relations: From Tragedy to Forgiveness

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:31:59 CDT

The Katyn massacres have long been a source of friction between Russia and Poland, but the loss of the Polish President's plane has bound the two countries in sorrow. Now their churches are attempting to harvest national reconciliation from tragedy.

What the Tagliavini Report Fails to Consider

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:56:26 CDT

The recently released Tagliavini Commission's report on last year's conflict in Georgia blames Georgia and Russia in equal measure, but fails to consider the Ossetians and Abkhaz.

Conflict Unfrozen: One Year After the Russo-Georgian War

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:03:26 CDT

One year after the Russo-Georgian war, Russia's RIA Novosti News Agency interviews Russian affairs expert and former U.S. State Department policy advisor, Dr. Nicolai N. Petro, about its long term international legal and political ramifications.

Mired in a Yawning Divide

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:50:39 CDT

President Barack Obama's approach to Russia is actually very traditional. At its heart is an old formula, that argues that Washington should settle for technical agreements with Moscow, while setting aside philosophical disagreements. To retain its global leadership role, however, the United States must appeal to the values of the BRIC nations. This cannot happen without learning to see Russia as part of European civilization.

Europe needs Russia and Ukraine together

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:54:06 CST

Western strategies toward Ukraine rest on the false premise that Ukrainians and Russians are antagonistic cultures. Pitting one against each other, however, has only served to undermine Ukrainian nation-building efforts. This rift in Ukrainian society will not be healed until the country's elites acknowledge the populace's deep sympathy and affinity for Russia, and realize that they need to work together.

"Prisoners of the Caucasus unite"

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:09:55 CDT

U.S. and Russian leaders may not see it, but they are in a similar bind. The only way out is for them to work together on a comprehensive settlement for the region. Failure to do so may or may not lead to direct confrontation with Russia, but will surely lead to America getting entangled in the passions of the Caucasus, like the Ottoman, Persian and Russian empires before it.

Mr. Levy and the Magic Media

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:41:59 CDT

It is nice to know that some foreign correspondents in Russia read the local press. That way they can eventually pick up stories that were covered months ago and present them as something novel that they discovered on their own.

Should Moscow Root for Obama?

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:24:06 CDT

When it comes to Russia, the differences among the U.S. presidential candidates are so minimal as to be indistinguishable. The initiative for change, it seems, will have to come from Russia.

Russian Elections -- Affirming Democracy or Confirming Autocracy?

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:32:01 CDT

The most serious complaint against the Russian election is not with the process, but with the outcome. For many Western observers the Russian people simply made the wrong choice by voting for Medvedev, and that is reason enough to condemn the election.

Seizing the Medvedev Moment

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:30:12 CST

The next Russian president's record shows that in office he will be far from Vladimir Putin's puppet, says Nicolai N Petro.

Letter from Russia

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:27:43 CST

Whatever the future may hold, for now at least, Russians are more optimistic about their country and its future than at any time in the past two decades.

Putin: Sourpuss of the Year?

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:47:21 CST

A lot gets lost in the translation of Putin's earthy humor, but it is clearly wrong to call him humorless. Understanding the humor of others, however, does take a conscious effort--the effort of putting one's self in another person's shoes.

Understanding Russia's Elections

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:24:00 CST

Far from indicating a retreat from democracy, the Russian electorate's decisive rejection of the current liberal opposition is a good sign that the country is progressing toward a mature democracy. Over time, Russia's political system will evolve in the same direction that the institutions of the French Fifth Republic have evolved since the presidency of Fran-ois Mitterrand.

An Orthodox balm for Europe: Orthodox Christians can help rebuild East-West ties.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:09:33 CST

"In the current expansion eastward, however, it is inevitable that the values and mores of European institutions and alliances will be shaped more and more by the traditionalist views of Orthodox Christian believers and less and less by the modern, secularized Protestant assumptions of Western European democracies."

Russia at the crossroads

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:43:06 CDT

As it embraces globalisation and capitalism Russia is also rediscovering a pre-1917 religious and cultural heritage that is often at odds with both communism and capitalism.

Russia and Britain: Condemned to Cooperation?

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:19:18 CDT

Both Russia and Britain have much to lose by letting their relations deteriorate, only Britain does not quite seem to realize how much it has at stake.

Surkov's Vision for Russia

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:44:49 CDT

Vladislav Surkov, deputy chief of staff to Russian president Vladimir Putin, gave an important speech to Russia's leading intellectuals on June 8, laying out a what he sees as the distinctive characteristics of Russian political culture. His speech, entitled "Russian Political Culture: a View from Utopia," tells us a great deal about the vision that underlies Putin's agenda for Russian democracy.

Russia's New Cyberwarriors

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:06:04 CDT

Russia's new cyberwarriors are putting Western pundits and journalists on notice-your free pass when writing about Russia is coming to an end.

Putin's Proposal: A Deal Too Good to Pass Up

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:56:33 CDT

President Putin's proposal to jointly run the early warning radar site at Gabala in Azerbaijan has several advantages for the United States. Indeed, it is a deal too good to pass up.

Needed: Better Western Coverage of Russia

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:26:08 CDT

Recent western media coverage of Russia reveals omissions that call its journalistic objectivity into question.

Russian Rights and Estonian Wrongs

Thu, 31 May 2007 07:26:25 CDT

The very Western institutions that were supposed to help safeguard minority rights in the Baltic States have been complicit in their loss.