PUTIN PLAYS THE PYONGYANG CARD
In the week since Vladimir Putin’s summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, two opposing narratives have emerged. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Russia
RUSSIA THE COLONIZER
Russia’s war against Ukraine and Ukraine’s spirited defense of its sovereignty and independence have been framed in various ways over the years, including as a battle between democracy and autocracy and a geopolitical showdown between Russia and the West. Continue reading
GEORGIA ON THE BRINK
Despite weeks of protests that brought tens of thousands of Georgians onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi in protest, the government has enacted a controversial Russian-style law that would effectively neutralize independent civil society organizations. Continue reading
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
After centuries of neutrality, Sweden this year became the 32nd member of NATO, a decision triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In addition to adding a highly capable military force to the transatlantic alliance, the move fundamentally changes the security equation in the Baltic Sea region and northern Europe.
It also adds a new member state that has been a leading force in supporting Ukraine’s defense, resisting Russian aggression, and assisting democratic forces in Belarus.
So how does the West’s standoff with Russia look from Stockholm as Sweden becomes NATO’s newest member? Continue reading
PUTIN’S NEW POLITBURO
Vladimir Putin is reshuffling his war cabinet, reassigning both his long-serving defense minister and his top security advisor.
A government shakeup has long been expected following Putin’s inauguration for a fifth term as Kremlin leader, and more changes are apparently looming on the horizon. Continue reading
PUTIN’S POLITICAL PRISONERS
When the Pulitzer Prizes were announced this week, one in particular stood out.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, the Russian opposition figure and human rights activist was awarded the Pulitzer for commentary.
Vladimir is no ordinary Washington Post columnist. His columns for Post, each of them scathing critiques of Vladimir Putin’s autocratic regime, were all written from a Siberian prison cell. Continue reading
THE MYTHS OF WAR
Like all politics, war is based to a degree on myths. And Russia’s war against Ukraine is no exception. It is based on Russian myths about itself, myths about Ukraine, and myths about the West.
Likewise, the Western response to Moscow’s aggression has also been constrained and limited by a series of its own myths – about Ukraine, about Russia, about NATO, and about the post-Cold War order. Continue reading
PUTIN’S IMPERIAL GURUS
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s efforts to restore Moscow’s imperial might have their roots in a series of deep seated – and deeply flawed – myths about history. Proponents of these myths include early 20th century White Russian thinkers such as Ivan Ilyin and contemporary Eurasianists like Aleksandr Dugin. Continue reading
THE WAR GRINDS ON
Ukraine tries to hold off Russian gains on a stalemated front in the east amid manpower and artillery shortages. A defiant Ukraine continues to strike at energy infrastructure inside Russia despite U.S. objections. And a waiting game continues as a vital $60 billion in U.S. defense assistance to address Ukraine’s vital needs finally appears to be moving in the House of Representatives. Continue reading
TERROR IN MOSCOW, DELUSION IN THE KREMLIN
Russia suffers its deadliest terrorist attack in two decades after ignoring a warning from U.S. intelligence – a warning that Vladimir Putin dismissed at the time as “blackmail.” Continue reading