The Downsides of Crimea for Russia
With apologies to Winston Churchill, the referendum in Crimea on Sunday was a joke wrapped in a farce inside a tragedy. Voting amidst gun-toting soldiers with a rigged ballot and…
Vladimir Putin: Ethnic Russian Nationalist
There are two ways to talk about a Russian person or thing in the Russian language. One way, “Rossisskii,” refers to Russian citizens and the Russian state. Someone who is…
Interview with Andrey Makarychev: Russia and the Post-1991 International Order
Eric Pardo Sauvageot (EPS): Most observers are appalled at the course of events in Ukraine at the time of this interview: how far do you think Russia is ready to…
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
The crisis in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. I’ve written about the fleet in the past, but it may be worthwhile to provide an update,…
Why Crimea Might be Worse Off Under Russian Rule
Next week, if the March 16 referendum on Crimea’s status takes place, the hypothetical scenario of Crimea’s separation from Ukraine might well come closer to becoming reality. Much of the…
Three Scenarios for Ukraine
In two weeks Ukraine has gone through two major shocks. The Ukrainian revolution was one of the most violent transitions to date, and not just in the post-Soviet space. And…
EU & Russia: Competing Realities and Misperceptions
Angela Merkel’s recent characterization of Vladimir Putin as being “out of touch with reality” offers a psychiatric explanation of Russia’s aggressiveness toward Ukraine. Yet the problem is a bit more…
Maps of Russian and Ukrainian Military Forces
Here’s a useful map of the locations of Ukrainian military bases (as of 2008) and Russian forces located near Ukraine’s borders. It’s drawn from a new Russian language blog, and…
Charap: A Deal to Avert Disaster in Ukraine
Events in Ukraine are hurtling towards disaster for all involved. But there remains a glimmer of hope for a diplomatic solution that keeps the country whole. The contours of a…
Do Crimeans Actually Want to Join Russia?
(By Grigore Pop-Eleches and Graeme Robertson) Now that the first shock of the events in Ukraine and Crimea is starting to subside, many in the policy world on both sides…
Why Ukraine’s Crisis Keeps Central Asian Leaders Up at Night
(By Marlene Laruelle and Sean Roberts) The ongoing crisis in Ukraine highlights just how contested and potentially unstable our geopolitical landscape is becoming, but how one interprets the crisis depends…
The Role of the Black Sea Fleet in Russian Naval Strategy
The Russian military analyst Prokhor Tebin has put together a very useful article explaining Crimea’s military significance for Russia. He highlights the Black Sea’s economic significance for Russia: Russia’s Black…