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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Expert Survey: Does Russia’s Presidential Election Matter to US and Its Allies?

RM Staff March 15, 2024 RM Exclusives
Some Western Russia experts agree that despite Putin's inevitable victory, the election can still offer clues about the challenges the Kremlin faces, as well as the extent of anti-war sentiment among Russians.
book review

Thomas Graham on Why and How America Should Start Getting Russia Right

Simon Saradzhyan October 19, 2023 RM Exclusives
The U.S. needs to get Russia right, which requires America to see Russia “plainly and without sentiment,” Graham writes in his new book.
Competing Views on Russia

William Burns on Russia

Daniel Shapiro and RM Staff September 19, 2023 RM Exclusives
What has the CIA director said on Russia? Check out our compilation for some of Burns' observations and policy ideas regarding Russia.
explainer

The Origins and Efficacy of the Price Cap on Russian Oil

Benjamin H. Harris September 14, 2023 RM Exclusives
The price cap on Russian oil is achieving its goals of lowering Russian revenue while preserving global supply.
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Expert Survey: Should US Offer Ukraine Security Guarantees?

RM Staff August 04, 2023 RM Exclusives
While some believe the answer is an unequivocal yes, others argue there are no easy answers and call for caution. Check out our survey of some of America’s most prominent experts on post-Soviet Eurasia for more.
Clues from Russian Views

Devoted to Putin: Volodin's Views on Russia, the West and the Rest

RM Staff January 27, 2023 RM Exclusives
Despite his mastery of reductionist flattery and "unlimited devotion" to Putin, the speaker of the State Duma likely isn't a member of the Russian president's inner-most circle. Still, he may have a shot at the Kremlin when Putin steps down.
Competing Views on Russia

Kevin McCarthy on Russia, Ukraine and US Interests

RM Staff January 13, 2023 RM Exclusives
As newly elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the 57-year-old congressman has become much more consequential for U.S. foreign policy.
Clues from Russian Views

The World According to Patrushev

Simon Saradzhyan and Angelina Flood October 07, 2022 RM Exclusives
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, often comes up when discussion turns to possible Putin successors. Check out our compilation for some of his views on issues that impact important U.S. interests.
Clues from Russian Views

The Best Way to Control Nuclear Escalation Is Simply to Not Start It

Fyodor Lukyanov interviews Konstantin Bogdanov October 05, 2022 Recommended Reads
Many volumes have been written on escalation control theories, but no one knows how to manage it.
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Why Is Anti-Americanism in Russia Less Widespread Now Than in 2014?

Denis Volkov October 05, 2022 RM Exclusives
Three factors may help explain: Negative attitudes toward the U.S. have become background noise; young people are getting more news online; and peak anti-Americanism may still lie ahead.
Clues from Russian Views

Bring Back the Fear

Fyodor Lukyanov interviews Dmitri Trenin September 26, 2022 Recommended Reads
Russia's "red line" is absent from the American rule book, which the world is based on. Therefore, the only thing that can stop the United States in this situation is fear—its own fear of the next step.
Clues from Russian Views

Politics and Circumstances

Dmitri Trenin May 20, 2022
It must be understood that the strategic defeat that the West, led by the United States, is preparing for Russia, will not lead to peace and the subsequent restoration of relations.