Analysis

This listing contains all the analytical materials posted on the Russia Matters website. These include: RM Exclusives, commissioned by Russia Matters exclusively for this website; Recommended Reads, deemed particularly noteworthy by our editorial team; Partner Posts, originally published by our partners elsewhere; and Future Policy Leaders, pieces by promising young scholars and policy thinkers. Content can be filtered by genre and subject-specific criteria and is updated often. Gradually we will be adding older Recommended Reads and Partner Posts dating back as far as 2011.
report

Strategic Posture Commission Report Calls For Broad Nuclear Buildup

Hans Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns and Mackenzie Knight October 12, 2023 Recommended Reads
On Oct. 12, the Strategic Posture Commission released its long-awaited report on U.S. nuclear policy and strategic stability. The 12-member Commission was hand-picked by Congress in 2022 to conduct a threat assessment, consider alterations to U.S. force posture and provide recommendations.
policy brief

Advancing in Adversity: Ukraine’s Battlefield Technologies and Lessons for the U.S.

Grace Jones, Janet Egan and Eric Rosenbach July 31, 2023 Partner Posts
Ukraine’s use of modified commercial aerial and naval drones, new satellite and artificial intelligence capabilities and social media has given Ukraine an edge which has implications for current and future conflicts.
debate

Debate: Is US Support for Ukraine Costing ‘Peanuts’ or Too Much?

Yana Demeshko March 30, 2023 RM Exclusives
Western policymakers are asking themselves whether the billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv have been well spent. Two analysts offer opposing assessments in a debate co-hosted by Russia Matters.
policy brief

How Have Sanctions Impacted Russia?

Maria Demertzis, Benjamin Hilgenstock, Ben McWilliams, Elina Ribakova and Simone Tagliapietra October 26, 2022 Recommended Reads
This paper assesses both the immediate economic impact and the likely longer-term impact of sanctions on the Russian economy.
article

What’s Missing from Mearsheimer’s Analysis of the Ukraine War

Joe Cirincione July 29, 2022 RM Exclusives
To make the facts fit his assessment, he must disregard Russia’s own pronouncements, its brutality and the security imperatives of its neighbors.
article

The Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine War

John J. Mearsheimer June 23, 2022 Recommended Reads
The United States has pushed forward policies toward Ukraine that Putin and other Russian leaders see as an existential threat, a point they have made repeatedly for many years.
debate

West’s Quandaries on Russia in Ukraine: Ends vs. Means, Rollback vs. Containment

Nikolas K. Gvosdev June 09, 2022 RM Exclusives
Kissinger's and Soros's very different perspectives and policy recommendations flow from fundamentally different assumptions about the nature of the international system and whether "means" or "ends" should have primacy in the formulation of policy.
debate

On West’s Response to Russia in Ukraine: Confrontation Has Risks, but So Does Appeasement

Melinda Haring June 09, 2022 RM Exclusives
We have a dangerous European war right now, but if Putin’s ambitions aren’t checked, we are likely to end up in a much worse situation that could easily bring about a third world war.
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The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Global Trade and Investment

World Bank May 01, 2022 Recommended Reads
The war has direct effects on the firms operating in Russia and Ukraine and on firms relying on suppliers from those markets. But the shock caused by the war goes well beyond these two countries, as geopolitical risks have increased globally.
multimedia

Negotiating with Vladimir Putin: Video Advice from Five Former US Secretaries of State

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs March 25, 2022 Partner Posts
Based on their personal negotiations with this challenging Russian leader, this compilation delivers highly relevant insights from Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Rex Tillerson for forging a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.
multimedia

The Ambassadorial Series: Deans of US–Russia Diplomacy

Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies January 24, 2022 Partner Posts
The Ambassadorial Series is a one-of-a-kind docuseries from the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies featuring in-depth interviews with former U.S. ambassadors to Russia and the Soviet Union.
multimedia

Where is the Confrontation Over Ukraine Heading?

Center for the National Interest January 05, 2022 Partner Posts
On Jan. 5, 2022, the Center for the National Interest held an event on the conflict in Ukraine.