MenuPutin, in his Götterdämmerung moment, is fearmongering. In Stalinist propaganda language, he claims that the West “took off their masks and showed their true nature” … “for centuries [the West] wanted to colonize Russia, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union dreamed, but failed, to shatter it into pieces, set off ethnic groups against each other,
Category Archives: Russia & Eurasia
A Tale of Good Intentions and Unexpected Consequences
Despite Francis Fukuyama’s infamous opinion, history certainly did not end. The imperial collapse was an unintended consequence of Gorbachev’s desire to humanize socialism and save the USSR. He utterly failed in both tasks, but Russia and other Soviet republics were liberated from the Communist nightmare, and the world gained 30 years of relative peace, which is
India, The Rising Power, Is Seeking Oil From The Middle East And Russia
The world’s most populous democracy is searching for ways to satiate its oil hunger, and it has decided to follow the well-worn path of engagement with the Middle East. Continue reading here..
Pariahs And Pals: Emerging Russo-Iranian Energy Cooperation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met for a much-heralded meeting in Tehran on July 19th to discuss energy policy, maritime security, and Syria. Many are eager to portray the meeting as a convergence of principled anti-western leaders who will challenge the international system. Read the full
The Roots of Putin’s Strategic Fiasco in Ukraine
From many conversations held with Russian policymakers, we know that the vision which denies Ukraine peoplehood, and the Kremlin’s resulting aggressions, are nothing new. This war’s atrocities flow from the dark misapprehensions held by many Moscow elites concerning Russia’s destiny, history and geopolitics. Read the full article…
Is a Marshall Plan right for Ukraine?
Even before battlefields are silent, the battle for billions in Ukrainian reconstruction budgets has already begun. Top U.S. policy makers, including Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen championed the initial assistance package to Ukraine, which passed (86-11) in the Senate on May 19. Read the full article…
Kazakhstan Needs Stability And Economic Institutions To Develop Energy Resources
To understand the international agonies and opportunities that rising energy supply costs, exogenous shocks, increasing interest in renewables, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine present, there is no better example than Kazakhstan. It is singularly damaged by the current crises while simultaneously having so much potential to benefit from the global need for energy. Read the
Viktor Orban’s Goulash Energy Policy Makes Hungary Putin’s Trojan Horse In Europe
On Wednesday, Hungary demanded that shipments of Russian oil be exempt from the European Union’s proposed sanctions. This statement comes amidst tense negotiations between Budapest and Brussels over the EU’s sixth round of penalties against Moscow. Budapest has proven the most skeptical of the plan, which requires the unanimous consent of member states. Read the full article…
Energy-Driven Ruble Rebound Won’t Rescue Russia
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin claimed that Western sanctions imposed against Russia have failed in a televised address. He said the strategy of economic blitzkrieg did not provoke an immediate meltdown of the economy as expected. Instead, he touted the strength of the ruble, Russia’s currency. Read the full article here…
The U.S. Can Win Over Russia’s Neighbors
Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has provided the U.S. with a critical opportunity to diminish Russia’s influence over its neighbors by giving them technical assistance, economic development, and security that neither Moscow nor Beijing can. Read the full article…