Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of Russia Mattersand the assistant director of the U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
explainer
Has the Russian-Ukraine war reached a turning point favoring Ukraine?
Simon SaradzhyanJuly 02, 2026
RM Exclusives
To hear multiple Western and some Ukrainian commentators say it, the Russian-Ukrainian war has reached a turning point in the past month or so, and it favors Kyiv. In this evolving draft, I break down the military, political, and economic factors that might help us answer whether that's true.
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Blog
Russia’s Longer Inter-State Wars Have More Often Ended in Victory
Simon Saradzhyan, Ivan Kurilla, Angelina Flood, Ivan Arreguín-ToftJune 18, 2026
About a year ago, Vladimir Medinsky, Vladimir Putin’s assistant and Russia’s then chief negotiator with Ukraine, told
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Selling Peace to Ukrainians, Russians
Simon SaradzhyanMay 29, 2026
RM Exclusives
With no military triumph in sight, leaders on both sides will face an uphill battle in convincing their constituents they have won the Ukraine war.
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US Intel on Russia: Less Attention, But Greater Concern Over Escalation
Simon SaradzhyanMarch 19, 2026
Comparing the U.S.
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Russia Condemns Deadly Attacks on Iran While Weighing Strategic Risks, Opportunities
Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina FloodMarch 02, 2026
Russia’s official line regarding the U.S.
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4 Years Later: What Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine Has Cost It and What It’s Gained
Simon Saradzhyan, Ivan Arreguín-Toft, Angelina FloodFebruary 24, 2026
Introduction
Is Vladimir Putin a rational actor who weighs costs and gains before making a momentous decision, such as whether to invade another country?
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Most Russians Favor Escalation in Ukraine Over Concessions If No Peace Deal
Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina FloodJanuary 30, 2026
The Levada Center’s latest polling on Ukraine indicates a notable hardening of the Russian public’s attitude
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Is EU Overtaking US as Russia’s Main Adversary in Eyes of Russians?
Simon SaradzhyanDecember 04, 2025
After briefly seeing more Russians express positive views of the U.S.
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More Russians Have Positive Views of US Than Negative for 1st Time Since 2021
Simon SaradzhyanSeptember 05, 2025
The gap between Russians who describe the relationship between their country and the U.S.
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Polls Show Ukrainians Increasingly Want End to War, But Not Under Russia’s Terms
Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina FloodAugust 08, 2025
More than three years into the war, Ukrainians’ support for continuing the fight against Russia until victory is “collapsing,” according to