Simon Saradzhyan

Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of Russia Matters and 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

Blog

Russians React to Strikes on Iran: Condemn US, Welcome Its Diversion From Ukraine, No Concrete Help to Iran

Simon Saradzhyan June 23, 2025

Having taken a pause in his comments on Iran after the U.S.

Blog

Can Russia Somehow Benefit From Israel-Iran Conflict?

Simon Saradzhyan June 18, 2025

In July 2015, Maj. Gen.

Blog

Russians React to Israeli Strikes on Iran: Fear of Nuclear War, Partition of Iran

Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina Flood June 13, 2025

As of Friday afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin was yet to directly weigh in on Israel’s overnight attacks on military, nuclear and other targets in Iran, though his spokesman Dmitry Pesko

Blog

Following Putin’s Lead, Russians Warm Up to Trump’s America, Want Mended Fence

Simon Saradzhyan June 12, 2025

The latest of the Levada Center’s polls on Russians’ attitudes toward foreign countries reaffirms the proposition that whatever major foreign policy decision Vladimir Putin makes, most of his count

Blog

Would Russia Attack NATO and, If So, When?

Simon Saradzhyan June 05, 2025

Would Russia be capable of mounting a full-blown invasion into a NATO country?

Blog

Strong Support for Ceasefire in Russia and Ukraine, But to What End?

Simon Saradzhyan April 04, 2025

The Levada Center’s latest poll shows that a majority of Russians continued to support the launch of peace negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war in March (

Blog

Why Was Russia Spared From Trump’s Tariffs?

Simon Saradzhyan April 03, 2025

Import tariffs, which U.S.

Blog

US Intel Sticks to View of Russia as Adversary Prepared to Pay ‘Very High Price’ to Prevail in Ukraine

Simon Saradzhyan March 27, 2025

“When the nation’s intelligence chiefs go before Congress ... to provide their first public ‘Worldwide Threat Assessment’ of President Trump’s second term, ...

Blog

Readouts of Trump-Putin Call Reaffirm Divergence of US, RF Views on Path to Peace

Simon Saradzhyan, Ivan Arreguín-Toft, Angelina Flood March 20, 2025

In his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lasted two-and-a-half hours on M

Blog

3 Years Later: What Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine Has Cost It and What It’s Gained

Simon Saradzhyan, Ivan Arreguín-Toft, Angelina Flood February 24, 2025

Introduction

Is Vladimir Putin a rational actor who weighs costs and benefits before making a momentous decision, such as whether to invade another country?