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.
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Trump Deserves a Chance to Deal with Russia over Syria

Nikolas K. Gvosdev March 15, 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to work with Russia to combat Islamic extremist movements in the Middle East. Despite the potential complications, such cooperation should be explored.
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The Coming of the Russian Jihad: Part II

Leon Aron December 19, 2016
Lack of security in the North Caucasus region, the return home of Russian Islamic State fighters and increasing numbers of Russians joining ISIL all indicate that the Russian jihad continues to remain alive and dangerous.
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Islamic State and the Bolsheviks: Plenty in Common and Lessons to Heed

Simon Saradzhyan and Monica Duffy Toft December 16, 2016 RM Exclusives
Some scholars say if IS is recognized or contained its “state” will “normalize” like the Bolsheviks’. But IS will not abandon its expansionist agenda or stop mass killings unless it is defeated outright.
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Russia’s Role in the US Elections: The Case for Caution

George Beebe December 16, 2016
Despite Moscow’s clear preference for the Republican presidential candidate and forensic data traceable back to Russia, the U.S. must act with caution in order to avoid falling into the same traps it found itself in over a decade ago.
white paper

Russia and Cyber Operations: Challenges and Opportunities for the Next U.S. Administration

Ben Buchanan and Michael Sulmeyer December 13, 2016 Partner Posts
Highly potent Russia-linked cyber operations indicate that the U.S. will face an increasingly sophisticated and increasingly aggressive Russian cyber force, one that the incoming U.S. presidential administration should address as a key concern.
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America's Awesome Military

Michael O'Hanlon and David Petraeus September 30, 2016 Recommended Reads
U.S. defense experts call to maintain, if not increase, U.S. military budget while diverting funding to areas with most need.
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The Cold War Is Over. The Cyber War Has Begun.

David Ignatius September 16, 2016 Recommended Reads
The United States must develop a new cybersecurity strategy to defend against an increasingly aggressive Russia.
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When All You Have Is a Hammer: Strategic Nuclear Forces and the Ukraine Crisis

Andrew Szarejko and Kingston Reif May 09, 2014
While an American response is needed to Russian aggression in Ukraine, it should not include the expansion or acceleration of nuclear facilities in Central and Eastern Europe.

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