The Nation reports: Misinformation from our media has eroded the possibility of any detente between the US and Russia and have put the two nuclear superpowers on a collision course on the ground in eastern Europe, in the skies over Syria, and on the Baltic and Black Seas.
Analysis
Richard Sakwa: Comments on “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio”
…we have in the recent period seen an extreme case of ‘groupthink’, both in Washington and in London, which is extraordinarily hard to penetrate or influence.
A Critical Response to NATO Rethink, Realign, React (Prof. Hall Gardner)
What is needed is a new round of NATO-European-Russian nego tiations that involve concrete proposals and compromises, such as the mutual recognition of a “neutral” and “decentralized” Ukraine, and which are aimed at the eventual imple mentation of a new system of Euro-Atlantic security that thoroughly incorporates legiti mate Russian security concerns, writes Hall Gardner of the American University in Paris.
Russians Ask “Why Do You Demonize Us When We Are So Much Like You?” (Ann Wright)
I’ve just ended two weeks visiting cities in four regions of Russia. The one question that was asked over and over was, “Why does America hate us? Why do you demonize us?” Most would add a caveat, “I like American people and I think YOU like us individually but why does the American government hate our government?”
BOOK REVIEW: JOURNEY TO ARARAT (Paul Robinson)
Parrot’s account of his journey was translated into English and published in the United States in 1846. Now it has been reproduced in a new edition with a critical introduction by Pietro A. Shakarian, a PhD student at Ohio State University.
Der Spiegel: Is Germany’s Special Relationship with Russia Ending?
Germany’s new foreign minister has adopted a sharper tone than his predecessors on Russia. There are plenty of reasons to do so, but it is a significant break with tradition. Berlin is casting about for a happy medium.
PODCAST: Dr. Strangelove meets General Breedlove & the New Cold War (Michael Vlahos)
Radio Host John Batchelor speaks with Dr. Michael Vlahos of Johns Hopkins about the New Cold War and the recent revelations (via The Intercept and DC Leaks) that former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Philip Breedlove was actively looking for ways to both ramp-up American involvement in the Ukrainian Civil War and to force President Obama’s hand in confronting Russia militarily.
Nikolas K. Gvosdev: Who Will Lead Russia after Putin?
It is always risky to make definitive pronouncements about the future prospects of Russian politicians.
To see what Ukraine’s future may be, just look at Lviv’s shameful past (Patrick Cockburn)
Lviv presents itself as a beautiful city reflecting a culturally diverse past. In reality, it is a monument to ethnic cleansing and the appalling willingness of long-time neighbours to murder each other, as I saw earlier this year in Homs and Damascus – something those who want to heat up the conflict over Ukraine and Crimea’s future should keep in mind.
Peter van Buren: Ex-NSA chief says Americans have been conned by Russia and Trump
Former NSA and CIA head Michael Hayden’s new book The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies wants to be the manifesto behind an intelligence community coup. It ends up reading like outtakes from Dr. Strangelove.
VIDEO: U.S. PERILOUS REFUSAL TO COOPERATE WITH RUSSIA VS. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM (Stephen F. Cohen)
Radio and Television host Thom Hartmann talks to Stephen F. Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies and Politics at NYU and Princeton, and contributing editor at The Nation Magazine, about US – Russia relations and why we should be forming an alliance with that nation to defeat ISIS.
Fred Weir: To pay for a ‘Russia first’ agenda, Putin takes ax to military spending
With the tensions between Russia and the West so high – often being described as “a new cold war” – one might understandably assume that there is a corresponding arms race going on. But in fact, Russia’s military spending is on the decline.
Michael Arria and Sarah Lazare: How Russia-Obsessed Democrats Set the Stage for Trump’s Disastrous Violation of the Iran Deal
Leading Democrats have consistently pegged their anti-Trump “resistance” to a more confrontational stance toward Russia—and bundled this demand with a push for greater escalation against Iran.
PODCAST: Blaming Brexit on Putin and Voters (the People) (Stephen F. Cohen)
Nation Contributing Editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) For years, Cohen has pointed to the gradual collapse of what Washington calls “the post Cold War world order,” from which Russia was excluded by the expansion of NATO, including the (in effect) US led European Union.
Joe Cirincione and Guy T. Saperstein: Progressives Need a New Way to Talk About National Security
Voters say they support cuts in defense spending—Democrats should, too.
How Brexit could avert a new Cold War (Katrina vanden Heuvel)
Foreign policy commentary has sounded the dangers that Brexit might weaken NATO or strengthen Russia’s role in a divided Europe. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the people’s vote forced the E.U. to lighten its destructive austerity, gave impetus to a negotiated settlement in Syria and led NATO to reconsider its increasingly reckless posture toward Russia?
Pietro Shakarian: Armenia’s Future Hangs in the Balance
On May 8, 2018, one day before Armenians observed Victory Day, Yerevan once again erupted in jubilation.
VIDEO: Stephen F. Cohen and Michael McFaul: The New U.S.-Russian Cold War – Who is to Blame?
Stephen F. Cohen (Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies at New York University and Professor Emeritus of Politics at Princeton University) and Michael McFaul (Professor, Department of Political Science, Stanford University) debate: “The New U.S.-Russian Cold War: Who is to Blame?”
Paul Robinson: The Russia Hands
Essentially, the division in the US foreign policy community boils down to radical liberal interventionists on the one hand and ‘moderate’ liberal interventionists on the other. But at the end of the day, they’re all liberal interventionists.
Michele Willens: A Daughter’s Memories in Moscow
When Mikhail Gorbachev came into power, my father offered his consulting services to fledging consumer enterprises in Russia, and several took him up on it.