Perhaps a Confucian path would be the right direction toward Eurasian integration
US, Russia Push Armenia, Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh (ABC News)
The United States, Russia and France are pressing the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to begin immediate negotiations on a settlement to their dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh following last month’s outbreak of violence, the worst in 26 years.
Lyle Goldstein: Is Russia’s Planned ‘Combat Icebreaker’ a Serious Threat?
Russia has set up a new Arctic command, along with a several new bases in the far north, over the last several years. Yet for all the talk of “Russia’s Arctic militarization,” it is not often mentioned that all these new bases have been set up well within Russia’s own territory.
Will NATO’s missile shield spur a new Cold War? (Al Jazeera)
It was meant to act as a deterrent but instead, a new NATO missile defence shield is stirring up tensions that have not been seen since the end of the Cold War.
VIDEO: Prof. Richard Sakwa: US and Russia: New Age of Nuclear Instability (Part 1/2)
Russia has the power to destroy the U.S. several times over, and unprecedented bipartisan hawkishness in Washington is driving the world to a precipice by blocking diplomatic talks, demonizing Putin, and delegitimizing the system in Russia says Prof. Richard Sakwa
Russian Economy Springs Surprise as Central Bank Won’t Rush Cuts (Bloomberg)
Russia’s economy contracted less than forecast in the first quarter, with the central banker overseeing monetary policy signaling that cheaper borrowing costs won’t boost growth.
VIDEO: Prof. Richard Sakwa: US and Russia: New Age of Nuclear Instability (Part 2/2)
With the New START treaty set to end in 2021 and no substantive nuclear arms talks underway, the United States and Russia have entered “a phase of enormous danger,” says author and scholar Richard Sakwa
NATO vs. Putin sabre-rattling raises Cold War concerns (CBC)
An already tense security situation in eastern Europe is about to become even more strained…Poland will look like a war zone June 7-17 as 31,000 ground troops and sailors from 24 NATO and partner countries stage enormous land, sea and air exercises to block a hypothetical Russian incursion from the east.
National Interest Panel: Stumbling into a War with Russia
A panel of experts discussed U.S.-Russian relations today at the Center for the National Interest.
Hedge Funds Reap Big Rewards From Roller-Coaster Russian Markets (Bloomberg)
Funds with a geographical focus on the country have gained an average 29 percent since the start of 2015, more than any others geared toward major developing nations, according to industry tracker eVestment. That’s 8 times more than China-focused funds and 16 times the return of firms investing in India.
PODCAST Debate: Stephen F. Cohen and Peter Jennings, mod. by Tom Switzer (Australia)
Although there are virtually no authoritative debates about Russia in the US, here is a relatively brief but substantive one worth listening to: Prof. Stephen F. Cohen and Peter Jennings of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
These colourised photos bring pre-communist era Russia to life (TheJournal.ie)
The photos are the work of Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii, who systematically documented the Russian Empire between 1905 and 1915.
Fred Weir: Why this round of expulsions may bring US, Russia to breaking point
It’s the biggest mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US in history, exceeding even the most bitter episodes of the old cold war. And, amplified by allegations of espionage, it may also represent a breaking point in what had become an increasingly fragile US-Russian relationship.
Bandwagon of Errors (Paul Robinson)
Timothy Snyder delivered a lecture last week in which he sought to explain Russian foreign policy through an analysis of the writings of Ivan Ilyin. The lecture promotes a familiar theme, namely: Vladimir Putin cites Ilyin; Ilyin was a fascist; therefore Putin and the regime he leads are fascist. Needless to say, I have a few problems with this…
Geoffrey Aronson: CENTCOM Commander Admits Failure in Syria Strategy
Votel in his prepared testimony explained that “the intervention of the Coalition and regional powers in the Syrian conflict has blocked Assad’s ability to recapture major portions of northern Syria, and entrenched opposition fighters and VEOs [Very Extreme Organizations] across Syria continue to challenge regime control.”
Opinion: Reporters targeted on Ukraine witch-hunt site (DW)
A Ukrainian site has leaked personal details of journalists working in Donbass and put them under general suspicion of collaborating with separatists. The scandal points to official involvement, DW’s Bernd Johann writes.
Geoffrey Roberts: A dangerous game of diplomatic musical chairs
The expulsion by western states of Russian diplomats will inevitably lead to similar retaliation from Moscow, but there may be other repercussions to come.
The U.S. Army’s War Over Russia (Mark Perry)
The claim of American military weakness provides ready political fodder, particularly during an election season, where talk of U.S. military weakness is a red flag for voters who see a terrorist on every corner—and a Russian soldier on every flank.
Paul Robinson: Two Books on Ukraine
…the ‘Anti-Terrorist Operation’ in April 2014…drove the inhabitants of Donbass into the hands of the rebels, and ensured that there would be civil war. Responsibility for this, says author Gordon Hahn, lies firmly with Kiev and also with its Western allies, which failed to restrain it.
Ukraine Peace Talks Stall While Divisions Within the Country Deepen (James Carden)
It doesn’t take a quantum leap in imagination (or in empathy) to suspect that the Russophone east might find recent events in Ukraine more than a bit disconcerting.