Tag Russia
We All Are Ukrainians
Europe’s Borderlands and China’s Challenge: Why War in Ukraine Matters
Summons to Appear: NotPetya and the War Exclusion Clause
A Post-Arms-Control World: The United States, Russia, and a New Policy Paradigm after the INF
As this historically significant arms-control treaty unravels, two of the world’s superpowers are heightening the potential for military conflict.
Prisoners of the Caucasus: Protracted Social Conflict in Chechnya
In Pushkin’s 1822 poem, Prisoner of the Caucasus, the epilogue proclaims, “And the violent cry of war fell silent: All is subject to the Russian sword. Proud sons of the Caucasus, You have fought, you have perished terribly.”[1] The political overtones of the poem’s dénouement are jarring compared to the poem’s earlier verses on romance, natural beauty, and the heroism of the Caucasian people. But the poem’s ending reveals the complicated position of the region in Russian history and culture. The Caucasus is simultaneously a place to be controlled, otherized, and romanticized.
Middle Powers to the Rescue?
For seven decades, the United States has prided itself in being a reliable and committed NATO partner, willing to protect all allies at all times. Today such assurances no longer appear rock-solid. ... In this context, one is reminded of Czech-born writer Milan Kundera’s insightful words regarding the fate of small countries: “What distinguishes the small nations from the large is not the quantitative criterion of the number of their inhabitants; it is something deeper: for them their existence is not a self-evident certainty but always a question, a wager, a risk.”
The Geopolitical Variable Called Ukraine
At no point in modern European history have the people of Ukraine occupied as important a role in European geopolitical developments as they do today. Although not yet immediately apparent, the 2014 overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych and the political and economic transformation will have greater geopolitical consequences than European policy makers often assume. If Ukraine’s transformation fails, its example will deliver a shattering blow to those calling for increased liberalization in remaining illiberal states across Eastern Europe.
Can Russia Maintain European Demand of Natural Gas in a Changing World?
In this article, author Joniel Cha investigates current trends in Russian natural gas production and exports, focusing on its role in the European energy markets. He analyzes how Russia uses natural gas production for its geopolitical strategy, the policies of different European countries, the effects of external shocks, and other strengths and weaknesses of the Russian gas sector to assess its future as supplier to Europe.