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…
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…
The Myths About Unilateral Nuclear Arms Reduction
The idea that unilateral reduction of nuclear arms is preferable to the traditional but slower process of negotiated formal arms control treaties that dominated US Soviet/Russian relations for three decades…
Central Asia’s Stability and Russia’s Security
In August 2000, as in 1999, Islamic rebels tested the strength of Central Asian government forces. Kyrgyzstan was badly hit again; what is more, Uzbek soldiers struggled to battle the…
Why the United States Should Cede its Russia Policy to Europe
The usual criticism of American policy toward Russia is that it is somehow wrong or misguided. I argue the problem is far more fundamental than that: the United States would…
The Limits of US Influence on Russian Economic Policy
When the Soviet Union broke apart nine years ago, Western observers voiced dire predictions about Russia's fate. Some warned that a quasi-fascist or military dictatorship would seize power; others spoke…
Russia’s Views on Cruise Missiles in the Context
The abysmal state of Russia's conventional forces has caused Moscow to rely on nuclear weapons to ensure its security. This reliance was formalized in Russia's military doctrine, which states that…