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Afghanistan at a Crossroads

Details: 04 April 2014; Daria Mattis

2014 is an important year for Afghanistan, as it marks the end of the Karzai era, with a new president slated to be elected on April 5. For the United States, 2014 marks the end of a military operation that began in Afghanistan in 2001. Afghanistan also remains an important issue for Russia, which recently commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Soviet forces’ withdrawal from that country. As Harriman Institute visiting scholar Daria Mattis points out, the upcoming elections are of critical importance to the future of the Afghan state.

Details: World

Ukraine Crisis: The U.S. Pushes Back

Details: 03 April 2014; Donald N. Jensen

On March 20, U.S. president Barack Obama expanded economic sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. Donald N. Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, points out that so far, the West’s policy has been one of bureaucratic compromise, and it will only become effective if sanctions tighten enough to turn Putin’s inner circle against him.

Details: Politics

The End of Independent Media in Russia

Details: 01 April 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

The annexation of Crimea was a turning point for Vladimir Putin’s regime. The price of retaining power has increased dramatically, which in practice means that direct repressions will be used against opposition media. However, according to political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, this trend may prove to be reversible.

Details: Nation

The Czar’s Last Mistake, Part One

Details: 26 March 2014; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles by Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism. In this new essay, the author argues that Nicholas I, obsessed with superpower ideas and suffering from the Napoleon complex, brought Russia to the outbreak of the fatal Crimean War of 1853–56.

Details: World

Can the United States and Russia Ever Learn to Live Together?

Details: 25 March 2014; Donald N. Jensen

In the view of the new complications of the U.S.-Russia relationship Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, reviews the most recent book The Limits of Partership by Angela Stent, who served as an advisor on Russia to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.

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