Russia Matters

There is no shortage of forecasts for when Russia would be able to attack a NATO country (capability) and for when Russia might attack a NATO country (intent).

When recently asked by the Levada Center to name “the most outstanding individuals of all time and peoples,” the top three named by Russian respondents were Josef Stalin (42%), Vladimir Putin (31%) and Vladimir Lenin (28%).

Whether Russia stands to lose or benefit from the conflict depends in part on whether Israel manages to attain a durable end to Iran’s capacity for producing nuclear weapons.

Most pro-Kremlin commentators criticized Israel, while some expressed concern about the disintegration of the Iran.

The latest Levada Center polls reaffirm the proposition that Russians will eventually publicly support whatever major foreign policy decision Putin makes.

Washington needs to decide whether it would benefit more from seeing the Russians forced into the Chinese embrace, or from tempting Russia away from China through political and economic incentives.

The CIA director has expressed concern over North Korea’s growing alignment with Russia and warned that the Russia-Ukraine war continues to devastate the region while heightening the risk of pulling the U.S. into a conflict with a nuclear-armed adver...

How can the war in Ukraine end? Is a negotiated settlement possible? If so, what would it take to achieve it? This review of 25 peace proposals examines the range of options on the table and assesses their viability as effective blueprints for ending...