‘Some damn thing in the Balkans’ again – Putin seeks to exacerbate conflicts there
At the end of the 19th century, Otto von Bismarck prophesied that “some damn thing in the Balkans”…
Why did Putin say Russia’s prostitutes were ‘best in the world’ and other neglected Russian stories
The flood of news stories from a country as large, diverse and strange as the Russian Federation often…
Obama, whom Moscow placed great hopes in, couldn’t make a deal with Putin — because of Putin
Moscow officials and commentators have treated Barack Obama with “unconcealed hatred” at the end of his presidency, blaming…
Nuclear grand bargain unlikely but talk of it may serve Moscow’s interests
Donald Trump’s unexpected suggestion that he might lift sanctions against Russia imposed for Moscow’s invasion and occupation of…
Putin’s remarks about Russian prostitutes say more about him than about Trump, Orlova says
Many in the US have seen Vladimir Putin’s talk about media reports concerning Donald Trump and Russian prostitutes…
Three signs Russian military and its political bosses are in trouble
The Kremlin-controlled media and often--echoing it--Western outlets paint a picture of Russia as a burgeoning military power, with…
Three Russian answers to the question ‘Is a Putin-Trump strategic alliance possible?’
Russian analysts are currently split into three distinct groups on the question of whether “a strategic alliance” will…
Like his ‘hybrid wars,’ Putin’s ‘hybrid repressions’ are all too real, Tuomi says
Some in Russia and in the West appear to think that if one inserts the world “hybrid” in…
Putin can’t ‘catch up and surpass West’ — he can only exploit divisions and spread chaos, Yakovenko says
For more than 200 years, Russian leaders were inspired by the idea that their country could “catch up…
What Putin is doing is “hooliganism” at the state level, not struggle for spheres of influence, Portnikov says
Even if Donald Trump or other Western leaders were to recognize a region as lying within Russia’s sphere…
Khrushchev gave us ‘sputnik,’ Gorbachev ‘perestroika,’ and Putin … ‘kompromat’
The changing nature of the country centered on Moscow is well reflected in the words its leaders have…
Russians calling Washington ‘Nashington’ and other neglected Russian stories
The flood of news stories from a country as large, diverse and strange as the Russian Federation often…
‘Kompromat’ is powerful regardless of whether it is true, Portnikov says
The Bolsheviks liked to say that Marxism-Leninism was powerful because it was true; but Ukrainian commentator Vitaly Portnikov…
Putin conducts his foreign policy like a special op, Melnikov says
Vladimir Putin is conducting his foreign policy like the special op of an intelligence service, reflecting both his…