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.
Competing Views on Russia

Tulsi Gabbard on Russia and Ukraine

Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina Flood July 10, 2025 RM Exclusives
Few members of the top tier of America’s political establishment have been as criticized for their views on Russia in recent years as U.S. President Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
article

US Unlikely to Unravel Robust Russia-China Ties

Sergey Radchenko May 29, 2025 RM Exclusives
Washington needs to decide whether it would benefit more from seeing the Russians forced into the Chinese embrace, or from tempting Russia away from China through political and economic incentives.
Competing Views on Russia

John Ratcliffe on Russia and Ukraine

RM Staff May 23, 2025 RM Exclusives
The CIA director has expressed concern over North Korea’s growing alignment with Russia and warned that the Russia-Ukraine war continues to devastate the region while heightening the risk of the U.S. being pulled into a conflict with a nuclear-armed adversary.
Competing Views on Russia

Andrew S. Weiss on Russia: Insights and Recommendations

Julian Gonzales-Poirier, RM Staff May 16, 2025 RM Exclusives
A through line in Weiss’ views is that Putin has directed great resources—resources that have and will continue to diminish Russia’s long-term security and prosperity—to “make Russia great again.”
article

What Americans Believe About Ending the War in Ukraine

William A. Galston, Jordan Muchnick April 04, 2025 Partner Posts
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].
article

Former Aide Reveals How Vladimir Putin Played Donald Trump Like A Fiddle On Phone Call

Fiona Hill March 25, 2025 Partner Posts
Former senior national security official Fiona Hill reveals new insights into Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's previous interactions in interview with Foreign Affairs.
article

Spheres of Influence: Will a New 'Yalta' Conference Carve Up the World?

Monica Duffy Toft March 25, 2025 Partner Posts
Monica Duffy Toft argues that as the United States renounces its role as a global stabilizer in international affairs, it is reshaping global geopolitics in the image of nineteenth-century "spheres of influence" alongside Russia and China.
Competing Views on Russia

Steve Witkoff on Russia and Ukraine

Dasha Zhukauskaite, RM Staff March 12, 2025 RM Exclusives
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.
book review

Understanding Paradigm Shifts in US Foreign Policy: From Engaging the Russia-We-Want to Containing the Russia-We-Have

Peter Rutland February 13, 2025 RM Exclusives
David McCourt's "The End of Engagement," which analyzes the “knowledge communities” shaping U.S. policy toward China and Russia, comes at an opportune time.
article

No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy

Robert D. Blackwill, Richard Fontaine January 27, 2025 Partner Posts
China and Russia aim to reshape the global order, opposing U.S.-led alliances and values while fostering a world dominated by authoritarian powers. Though the challenge is immense, the U.S. and its allies, with superior economic and military strength, must unite with purpose and resolve to ensure Europe and Asia remain free of hostile domination.
article

Toward a New Russia Policy: An Agenda for the Trump Administration

Thomas Graham January 17, 2025 Recommended Reads
With U.S.-Russian relations at their most strained since the Cold War, reducing the risk of direct military confrontation and stabilizing global security, the U.S. must balance firm deterrence with strategic diplomacy to turn a bitter rivalry into competitive coexistence.
article

North Korean Troops Deploy to Russia: What’s the Military Effect?”

Mark Cancian, Chris H. Park January 10, 2025 Partner Posts
Russia seeks North Korean troops to ease manpower shortages without a second mobilization, while North Korea benefits from potential financial and technological gains. Though limited in scale, this historic deployment highlights a mutually opportunistic yet diplomatically risky partnership.
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