Institute of Modern Russia

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U.S. Congress Is Upset with the Kremlin Report

Congressmen demand clarity on Russia sanctions under CAATSA from the Trump administration

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31 January 2018

On January 29, the U.S. Treasury released the so-called “Kremlin report,” which includes a list of Russian officials and businesspeople who may be sanctioned under Article 241 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). As the Treasury underscored in its official statement, “this report is not a sanctions list.” Which means it “does not impose sanctions on [the included] individuals or entities. Nor does it create any other restrictions, prohibitions, or limitations on dealings with such persons by either U.S. or foreign persons.”

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NATO and Russia: a Sisyphean Cycle of Escalation?

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13 July 2016

Daniel Frey

Today, on July 13, the NATO-Russia Council will hold its third meeting, albeit at an ambassadorial level, since cooperation under its auspices was suspended in April 2014 in response to the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine. Both NATO and Russia continue to have “profound and persistent disagreements,” but in light of intensifying geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East, as well as Russia’s ongoing economic crisis, it’s become clear that a dialogue of some sort is necessary. With international affairs fundamentals changing in real time, a re-examination of the tumultuous relationship between NATO and Russia can help develop a more realistic view of the existing differences, set priorities straight, and pave the way to start bridging the gap.

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Putinism and the European Far Right

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19 January 2016

Alina Polyakova

It was recently reported that U.S. intelligence agencies will conduct a major investigation into how the Kremlin is infiltrating political parties in Europe with the goal of exploiting European disunity and undermining NATO. While the official results of this investigation are still long in the making, Russia's influence in Europe has already been thoroughly researched in the think-tank and academic world. As part of IMR's research series, we are publishing a paper that focuses on the relationship between the Putin doctrine and Europe's far-right parties. The paper, authored by Alina Polyakova, Ph.D., deputy director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, was originally presented at the 2015 ASEEES Annual Convention.

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Crisis in Emerging Markets: Is China’s Model Better Than Russia’s?

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16 December 2015

Ezekiel Pfeifer

In recent decades, China and Russia have both experienced ample economic growth, but have achieved it via diametrically opposed paths. Whereas China has pumped spending into infrastructure and investment, Russia has fed export revenues into wage growth. Now that Russia has entered a deep recession, is China winning? In the concluding installment of a three-part series on the BRIC nations, IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer compares the economic prospects of China and Russia.

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Crisis in Emerging Markets: Why Is India Outperforming Russia?

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08 October 2015

Ezekiel Pfeifer

International investors have been largely bullish on the Indian economy this year, even as its BRIC counterparts have struggled amid a drop in commodity prices. Why is the country of 1.25 billion people doing better than Russia? In part two of a three-part series, IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer compares Russia to India, which is growing apace but has a long way to go to become a developed nation.

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Hasni Abidi: ‘By Supporting Assad, Moscow Will Create the Conditions for ISIS to Prosper’

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01 October 2015

Elena Servettaz

Last week, the Syria crisis became the central focus of the international agenda and was the key issue discussed at the 70th UN General Assembly. Just before Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria, journalist Elena Servettaz spoke with political analyst and Arab world expert Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World, about the consequences of Moscow’s support for Bashar Assad.

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Protests in Moldova: Dignity and Truth vs. Euro-Imitators

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23 September 2015

Vladimir Solovyev

In early September, a group in Moldova called Dignity and Truth led a protest of several thousand supporters of Euro-integration against the country’s ostensibly pro-Europe government. In the opinion of journalist Vladimir Solovyev, the protesters might be able to force early elections, but the true winners of the confrontation could end up being pro-Russian political forces.

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Crisis in Emerging Markets: Is Russia Better Off Than Brazil?

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21 September 2015

Ezekiel Pfeifer

The BRIC nations have lost some of their luster recently, due to the crash in commodity prices and chronic low demand in the West. How does the economic situation in Russia compare to that in Brazil, India and China? In part one of a three-part series, IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer compares Russia to Brazil, where the economy is strikingly similar to that of Russia but where the political system sets the country apart.

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Does Anyone Want Ukraine’s Donbass?

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10 September 2015

Luke Johnson

Fighting between Ukraine and the Russian-backed rebels of Luhansk and Donetsk has quieted in recent weeks, but there is little clarity about the future of the two breakaway regions. Will Ukraine succeed in reintegrating them? Or will Russia attempt to annex them? The situation remains murky, but some meaningful clues exist regarding what might happen next to the war-torn territory, writes independent journalist Luke Johnson.

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Can the Chinese Dragon Save the Russian Bear?

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01 September 2015

Cyrus Newlin, Ezekiel Pfeifer

As Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing this week to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, investors and officials in both countries are preoccupied with the nations’ mounting economic woes. For Russia, the Chinese slowdown is particularly vexing, since it puts up a potential roadblock to the Kremlin’s “pivot” to the east. Independent researcher Cyrus Newlin and IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer examine the shifting landscape and attempt to determine whether Russia can count on China to drive its economy forward.