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Why Russia Needs Egypt  

Details: 23 December 2013; Daria Mattis

This November, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu visited Egypt to meet their Egyptian counterparts. The holding of bilateral talks on military and technical cooperation intensified earlier speculations about the renewal of Russian military assistance to Egypt. Daria Mattis reviews the Russia–Egypt rapprochement.

Details: Politics

The Revival of Serfdom in Russia

Details: 20 December 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

In December, the Russian State Duma adopted a law reviving the Soviet rule of propiska—official residential registration. A key feature of the new law will be administrative and criminal liability for violating registration rules. According to author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, this is another step toward transforming Russia into a country with a repressive system of ideological control.

Details: Politics

Will the Prodigal Son Be Forgiven?

Details: 18 December 2013; Donald N. Jensen

Presidential amnesty project passed by the Russian State Duma on December 18th will likely pardon former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov who has been recently charged with negligence. As Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations notes, recent developments are a part a political maneuver by Putin to find an acceptable way out of the much criticized Oboronservis affair.

Details: Nation

The Symbol of an Era

Details: 16 December 2013; Boris Bruk

December 14 marked the anniversary of death of Andrei Sakharov, a world-known human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a man who became a symbol of his era. Over the years, his life remained an example of courage, nobility, and humanity for many people. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk highlights some of the details of Sakharov’s extraordinary life and discusses his intellectual and moral heritage.

Details: Politics

Ukraine Goes to the West

Details: 12 December 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Mass protests in Ukraine, provoked by President Viktor Yanukovich’s rejection of the EU association agreement deal, are about to enter their third week. As some policy experts speculate on potential developments in the standoff situation, writer and publicist Alexander Podrabinek discusses what the Ukraine protests mean for Russia.

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