News

Putin, Xi Reaffirm 'Unbreakable' Friendship; Kolesnikov: Moscow Can Claim Win in Ukraine Without Advancing Troops Much Farther

May 12, 2025
Plus: Eastern European foreign ministers offer lessons of WWII to prevent WWIII.
Blog

No Perfect Solutions: Jake Sullivan on Policy Making, Strategy for Turbulent Times

Dasha Zhukauskaite, Chris Conway May 09, 2025
Former national security advisor Jake Sullivan spoke on implementing high risk national security policy vis-a-vis Russia and Ukraine in conditions of great uncertainty, along with the critical importance of working with allies to secure vital U.S. national interests.
Analysis

Battlefield Conditions Impacting Ukraine Peace Negotiations

Alex Vershinin April 18, 2025 RM Exclusives
Historically in many conflicts, peace negotiations lasted years, even as the war raged on. Thus, the balance of power—measured in resources, losses and quality of strategic leadership—are critical to the outcome of negotiations.
News
Putin, Xi Reaffirm 'Unbreakable' Friendship; Kolesnikov: Moscow Can Claim Win in Ukraine Without Advancing Troops Much Farther
May 12, 2025
Blog
No Perfect Solutions: Jake Sullivan on Policy Making, Strategy for Turbulent Times
May 09, 2025
Analysis
Battlefield Conditions Impacting Ukraine Peace Negotiations
April 18, 2025
RM Staff Picks
Blog

US Intel Sticks to View of Russia as Adversary Prepared to Pay ‘Very High Price’ to Prevail in Ukraine

Simon Saradzhyan
The 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment put out by the Trump administration names Russia and the growing cooperation between it, China, Iran and North Korea among threats to U.S. interests globally.
Read More
Analysis

Ian Bremmer on Russia-Ukraine, "Reverse Nixon," Iran Nuclear Deal, and Demographic Decline

Dasha Zhukauskaite, Chris Conway
In this exclusive interview with Russia Matters, Belfer Center senior fellow Ian Bremmer answers Russia Matters' questions about Russia and Ukraine, Iran and global demographic decline.
Read More
Blog

Fiona Hill Argues Putin Has No Incentive for Durable Peace in Ukraine

Dasha Zhukauskaite
In conversation with Lucian Kim and Yevgenia Albats, Hill argued that Putin's broader objective in the peace talks is to achieve a rapprochement with the U.S. while deferring substantive negotiations on the war itself.
Read More
Analysis

What Americans Believe About Ending the War in Ukraine

William A. Galston, Jordan Muchnick
The sympathies of the American people are clearly engaged in the struggle between an invading power [Russia] and a country seeking to preserve its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity [Ukraine].
Read More
Blog

Strong Support for Ceasefire in Russia and Ukraine, But to What End?

Simon Saradzhyan
Recent polls held in Russia and Ukraine suggest a 30-day ceasefire would enjoy support by around 50% of respondents or more, exceeding the shares of those who oppose it in both countries by significant margins.
Read More
Analysis

To End the Ukraine War, Trump Should Think Like Ike

Graham T. Allison
Harvard Kennedy School's Graham T. Allison argues that if Trump can repeat Eisenhower's approach to ending the Korean War... Trump will be able to claim that he has achieved the peace “deal of the century.”
Read More
Analysis

Steve Witkoff on Russia and Ukraine

Dasha Zhukauskaite, RM Staff
Witkoff, a New York real estate magnate and long-time friend of Donald Trump, was initially appointed to serve as Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, but is now playing a key role in ending the war in Ukraine.
Read More
Analysis

Comparing Pathways to Peace in Ukraine

Masha Hedberg
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...
Read More
Nota Bene

Click to Subscribe

Russia Matters offers weekly news and analysis digests, event announcements and media advisories.
Choose and sign up here!
whataboutism

2 Decades of Russian ‘Whataboutism’: A Partial Rundown

Check out our collection of statements by Russian officials and state-run media for some insight into the sort of responses Western officials might expect when criticizing the present Russian leadership.
Napolean's 1812 campaign against Russia

Get the Facts

Economy, demographics, military metrics and more—key quantitative data on Russia and its peers around the world.