What Happens When Russia is the West’s Ally? Some Historical Geopolitical Regularities
The geopolitical history of balance of power suggests that Russia is simply too big to be the West’s ally in normal times. In a pattern that has held for more…
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United States
144 posts
Separately Together: U.S. and Russian Approaches to Political Settlement in Afghanistan
The sudden collapse of Taliban power in Kabul and other cities in the north of Afghanistan, followed by the liberation of most of Afghanistan from Taliban control, happened much faster…
The Myth of the New Detente: The Roots of Putin’s Pro-U.S. Policy
Over the past year, Russian president Vladimir Putin initiated a stream of diplomatic overtures to probably the most unresponsive and self-centered of U.S. administrations since the U.S. reemergence from isolationism…
Russia and U.S. Policy Toward Iraq Conflict of Interests and Limits of Dissent
Throughout much of the 1990s, the United States could not rely on the support of any ally except the United Kingdon (UK) for its unilateralist military strikes against Iraq. In view…
Nuclear De-emphasizing in Russia’s Military Thinking: Phantom or Reality?
Shortly after coming into power, Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration significantly changed Moscow's foreign and security priorities. These changes were based upon the realization that the real and present danger…
Putin’s Boost-Phase Defense: The Offer That Wasn’t
When President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to work together with the United States on building a missile defense system, it was quite a surprise, to say the…
An Overview of Bush Administration Policy and Priorities on Russia
To provide an overview of Bush administration policy on Russia, in March and April 2001 I interviewed individuals responsible or soon to be responsible for formulating US policy toward Russia.…
The United States and its Unipolar Delusion: Implications for US-Russia Relations
Who would have predicted that 10 years after the disappearance of the Soviet Union, US defense spending would remain at levels characteristic of the Cold War? Or that the United…
Ukraine, Russia, and US Policy
Although Ukraine was briefly independent at the end of World War I and was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, those were the only gaps in the roughly…
What Drives Russia Coverage in the Mainstream American Press?
Foreign affairs coverage in the mainstream media in the United States–centering on the wire services, the newspapers of record (The New York Times, The Washington Post), and the major television…