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.
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.
article

US-Russia Strategic Stability Dialogue: Purpose, Progress, Challenges and Opportunities

Leonor Tomero December 15, 2021 RM Exclusives
A serious and good-faith dialogue with Russia about the risks to strategic stability is necessary to understand the changing nature of those risks and the direction new arms races may take and to reduce the risk of unintended escalation.
survey

Survey: Experts Weigh In With Expectations for Biden-Putin Summit

RM Staff June 15, 2021 RM Exclusives
Thomas Graham, Nikolas Gvosdev, Paul Kolbe, Olga Oliker and Angela Stent share their thoughts on stabilizing the U.S.-Russian relationship, low-hanging fruit, concrete steps and what can go wrong.
article

US SolarWinds Response Unlikely to Change Russia’s Behavior, Highlights Need for Improved Cyber Defense

Paul Kolbe April 27, 2021 RM Exclusives
However powerful our offensive cyber capability is, it has deterred neither China’s sustained campaign to erode our advantages nor Russia’s asymmetric use of low-cost tools to extract high-value intelligence, propaganda and political advantage.
survey

The Dilemma Over the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs April 15, 2021 Partner Posts
The Belfer Center asked its experts to share their thoughts on the implications of the pipeline for Europe's security and energy supply, transatlantic relations and policy toward Russia, as well as what actions the U.S. and Europe should take at this point.
article

In the Wake of SolarWinds: Making and Breaking a Rules-Based Global Cyber Order

Anatol Lieven April 07, 2021 RM Exclusives
Few things have been more damaging to U.S. and European hopes of a “rules-based global order” than the perception that the U.S. both makes the rules and breaks them whenever it sees fit, including in cyberspace.
article

Punitive Response to SolarWinds Would Be Misplaced, But Cyber Deterrence Still Matters

Erica D. Borghard March 31, 2021 RM Exclusives
The pursuit of deterrence strategies to address other types of malicious behavior in cyberspace, beyond espionage, is not a fool’s errand. Deterrence is not a one-size-fits-all concept in cyberspace—or in any other domain.
article

US Response to SolarWinds Cyber Penetrations: A Good Defense Is the Best Offense

Paul Kolbe March 25, 2021 RM Exclusives
A carefully calibrated shot across the bow is appropriate in response to SolarWinds, but such responses will not stop cyber espionage or assaults. Russia is but one wolf in a growing pack of cyber predators, and the U.S. is simply too fat and easy a target.
survey

With New START Extended, What Is Future of US-Russian Arms Control?

RM Staff February 05, 2021 RM Exclusives
Experts Laura Kennedy, Michael Krepon, Emmanuelle Maître, Olga Oliker, Steven Pifer and William H. Tobey weigh in with answers.
podcast

At the Brink: Loose Nukes

Lisa Perry with Ash Carter, William Perry, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and Sam Nunn July 20, 2020 Partner Posts
article

Unplugging the Baltic States: Why Russia’s Economic Approach May Be Shifting

Emily Ferris July 01, 2020 RM Exclusives
The probability of Russia resorting to a Crimea-style intervention in the Baltics remains low. As a key energy supplier and major trading partner for the region, Russia has more to gain by using economic levers as opposed to military ones to retain influence.
multimedia

Video: The Prospects for US-Russia Arms Control

Center for Strategic and International Studies January 15, 2020
With the demise of the INF Treaty and an unclear future for New START, what could future U.S.-Russian arms control look like?