MenuThis Newlines Institute Contours podcast presents a deep dive into U.S. President Joe Biden’s inaugural visit to Europe, his administration’s commitment to collective defense, and the fragile trajectory of U.S.-Russian relations ahead of the June 16 Geneva summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In this episode, Newlines Institute Senior Analyst and Contours host,
Category Archives: Russia & Eurasia
Meeting Putin: Biden’s Historic Challenge
When Joe Biden confronts the strongman of Russia on June 16th, the global balance of power will be at stake, for the remainder of his presidency and beyond. The responsibility on Biden’s shoulders will be tremendous. The forecast? Grim. Continued
Pipeline Cyber Attack Demands Reevaluation Of U.S. Infrastructure Security
Last Friday, a cyber-attack was conducted against the Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline, which spans 5,500 miles from Houston to the Port of New York and New Jersey and meets 45% of the East Coast’s fuel needs. The ransomware attack is believed to have been perpetrated by criminal hacker syndicate ‘Darkside.’ Even though the breach targeted business rather than
To Deter Russia, Hit Them Where It Hurts
On Thursday April 15, President Biden imposed long-awaited sanctions on Russia, blaming the Kremlin for the SolarWinds hack that breached U.S. government agencies and American companies. The sanctions are aimed at Russia’s disinformation efforts and the occupation of Crimea, along with its recent military buildup and exercises on the Ukraine border. Ten Russian diplomats were expelled as a result.
Space Lasers: The Truth
The idea of space-based laser weapons orbiting the earth has been a part of popular culture and real life government projects for decades, from James Bond’s Goldeneye to Ronald Reagan’s ambitious “Star Wars” program. Recently, the Pentagon began developing a framework to promote the innovation of what it calls Direct Energy Weapons (DEW) designed to weaponize laser systems for
After Impeachment, can America Stand up to its Global Rivals?
Beijing and Moscow assiduously followed former president Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial for the same reasons they followed the first: the United States is China’s and Russia’s number one geopolitical rival. What’s relevant to America’s domestic politics, then, is relevant to its rivals’ foreign policy ambitions. To prevent acts of hostility in a time of tumult—virtual and
Kyrgyzstan gripped by political chaos again: What comes next?
Kyrgyzstan is developing an immunity to authoritarianism. “The third revolution in fifteen years is an indication that Kyrgyz society is developing immunity against corrupt and authoritarian rulers. In an surprisingly fast development, the people swept aside the president, annulled the election, which were broadly viewed as falsified, released a former president from jail, and appointed
Armenia y Azerbaiyán “al borde de la guerra”: la Guerra del Alto Karabaj, el conflicto que dividió para siempre las dos naciones y que sigue vigente más de 30 años después
Una guerra que nunca ha terminado vive su capítulo más sangriento desde la última gran tregua. A más de 30 años del inicio del conflicto del Alto Karabaj (o Nagorno Karabaj), Armenia y Azerbaiyán cruzan otra vez disparos y misiles y dejan muertos y heridos en una de las zonas de mayor tensión del planeta. Continued
RUSSIAN INTERPOL PRESIDENT? ‘LIKE PUTTING A FOX IN CHARGE OF A HEN HOUSE,’ EXPERTS SAY
Widespread public outcry is growing over the possibility that former Russian Interior Ministry official Alexander Prokopchuk could be elected as the president of Interpol, an international organization that facilitates cross-border cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Continued
The American detained in Russia has four passports. That could help him – or hurt him.
Since Russia accused U.S. citizen Paul Whelan of espionage and detained him last week, curious details about the 48-year-old’s personal life have continued to trickle out. He was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 for bad conduct. He has dozens of Russian friends on the Russian social media site Vkontakte. Continued