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

How Western Curbs on Russian Oil Revenue Benefit China

Paul Saunders, Harry Stevens October 03, 2024 RM Exclusives
Western attempts to hit Russia's oil and gas industry in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have saved China nearly $16 billion between March 2022 and June 2024 by purchasing Russia’s oil and fuel exports at below-market prices.
research paper

Will a Ceasefire Remain Elusive? Assessing Negotiation Readiness in Russia-Ukraine War

Marat Atnashev, Arvid Bell September 25, 2024 RM Exclusives
In the current phase of the war, the strategies of key parties—Ukraine, Russia, NATO, China and others—are predominantly shaped by their “best alternative to a negotiated agreement” (BATNA), rather than a thorough exploration of each other’s underlying interests.
article

In Search of a Harris Foreign Policy

Thomas Graham September 11, 2024 RM Exclusives
What principles would guide Kamala Harris's foreign policy decision-making—particularly on Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia—and what issues would she prioritize, if elected president? On those and related questions she has offered little grist for reflection.
podcast

Quest for Peace in Israel and Ukraine

Back Story with Dana Lewis September 11, 2024 Partner Posts
In this episode of Back Story with Dana Lewis, Prof. Masha Hedberg says the options for resolving the war in Ukraine are many, but neither side appears willing to put the brakes on now, but maybe later this year.
podcast

The Russian International Affairs Council and Russia's Pivot to Asia

The Monterey Trialogue Podcast September 11, 2024 Partner Posts
In this episode of the Monterey Trialogue Podcast, host Peter Slezkine and guest Andrey Kortunov discuss the work of the Russian International Affairs Council with BRICS and the Global South and Russian outlooks on its strategic pivot to Asia.
explainer

Comparing Pathways to Peace in Ukraine

Masha Hedberg August 30, 2024 RM Exclusives
How can the war in Ukraine end? Is a negotiated settlement possible? If so, what would it take to achieve it? This review of 25 peace proposals examines the range of options on the table and assesses their viability as effective blueprints for ending the war.
Competing Views on Russia

Tim Walz on Russia and Ukraine

RM Staff August 20, 2024 RM Exclusives
What has Kamala Harris's VP pick said and done regarding Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the former post-Soviet space? Check out our compilation to find out.
Competing Views on Russia

Kamala Harris on Russia

RM Staff August 08, 2024 RM Exclusives
What do Harris’ public words and deeds tell us about her potential policies toward Russia, Ukraine and post-Soviet Eurasia more broadly?
Competing Views on Russia

JD Vance on Russia

Aleksandra Srdanovic, RM Staff August 02, 2024 RM Exclusives
Vance, Donald Trump's VP pick, argues for an isolationist U.S. foreign policy, that Ukraine isn't a priority for the U.S. and that Russia isn't a military threat to U.S. allies in Europe.
article

Why A Second Donald Trump Presidency Won’t Necessarily Constitute a Win for Putin

Ivan Kurilla July 26, 2024 RM Exclusives
It is worth teasing out, based on what we already know of Trump’s foreign policy preferences and leadership style, what a second Trump term might entail for U.S. policies toward Russia, Ukraine and the war between the two.
article

UK Policy Toward Russia, Ukraine: Could It Change Under Labour?

Mary Dejevsky June 27, 2024 RM Exclusives
While there are many areas where Labour’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is eyeing change, policy toward Russia and Ukraine will not be among them—good news for the U.S. Biden administration insofar as it continues to consider Ukraine’s defense a vital U.S. national interest.
Clues from Russian Views

Moscow’s Loyal Mayor: Sergei Sobyanin’s Views on Russia, Ukraine and More

Olga Kiyan June 20, 2024 RM Exclusives
Sobyanin has featured in lists of Putin’s successors for some time, partly as a result of Sobyanin’s ability to toe whatever lines Putin sets on key aspects of Russia’s internal policies, while staying mum on trickier external policies (Russia’s war in Ukraine being one exception).