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Leon Aron: “The U.S. Stance on Russia is a Major Factor of Domestic Legitimization of the Regime”

Details: World

Leon Aron: “The U.S. Stance on Russia is a Major Factor of Domestic Legitimization of the Regime”

Details: 20 December 2012; Olga Khvostunova

The relationship between the United States and Russia is going through a difficult time. The “reset” policy has come to a logical end, but new ways of cooperation have not yet been found. The scope of the mutual agenda has narrowed. As Leon Aron, director of Russian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), points out, within the given context, reelected U.S. president Barack Obama’s stance on Russia will be a key factor in determining the future of this relationship. Dr. Aron spoke of the priorities of U.S. foreign policy and this policy’s influence on the Russian regime with IMR’s Olga Khvostunova.

Bill Browder: “The Impunity Bubble Is Broken”

Details: World

Bill Browder: “The Impunity Bubble Is Broken”

Details: 18 December 2012

After the Magnitsky Act was passed by the U.S. Senate, Bill Browder, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital and one of the bill’s most active proponents, spoke at Columbia University Law School. He told the story of Sergei Magnitsky, who exposed the largest embezzlement scheme in Russian history, was jailed and died in Moscow prison. Ian Hague, co-founder of Firestone Management, and Kimberly Marten, acting director of the Harriman Institute, also shared their views on the issue.

Russia’s Victory in Congress

Details: World

Russia’s Victory in Congress

Details: 06 December 2012; Vladimir Kara-Murza

The Magnitsky Act, passed this week by the U.S. Congress, imposes visa and financial restrictions on Russian officials implicated in corruption and human rights violations, thus giving Russian citizens a tool for defending themselves against the authoritarian system. According to IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza, this is the most pro-Russian law ever adopted in a Western country.

Congress and the Kremlin: Magnitsky Act on Its Way to Final Passage

Details: World

Congress and the Kremlin: Magnitsky Act on Its Way to Final Passage

Details: 20 November 2012

Last week, Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov visited Washington D.C. at the invitation of the Institute of Modern Russia. While in Washington, he held talks on the Magnitsky Act with senior members of Congress. Speaking at a joint meeting of the Institute of Modern Russia and the Council on Foreign Relations, Nemtsov stressed that the adoption of the Magnitsky Act will be an important victory for Russian society.

Kremlin Diplomacy, Soviet-Style: Putin’s Russia Revives “Look Who’s Talking” Routine

Details: World

Kremlin Diplomacy, Soviet-Style: Putin’s Russia Revives “Look Who’s Talking” Routine

Details: 05 November 2012; Vladimir Kara-Murza

The foreign policy of Vladimir Putin’s Russia is increasingly reminiscent of Soviet days, not only in substance, but in style. As IMR senior policy advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza points out, the Kremlin is adopting the “look who’s talking” tactic frequently used by the USSR.

From Cuba to Iran: Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis

Details: World

From Cuba to Iran: Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis

Details: 01 November 2012

The Cuban Missile Crisis, which put the world on the brink of a nuclear war, officially ended on October 28th, 1962, after a compromise was reached between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. A half-century later, international affairs experts are reflecting on the lessons of the superpower conflict – and drawing parallels with the current situation in Iran.

“Reset” Featured in Romney-Obama Debate – But Not Enough

Details: World

“Reset” Featured in Romney-Obama Debate – But Not Enough

Details: 26 October 2012; Vladimir Kara-Murza

During the foreign policy debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney on October 22nd, there were ten references to Russia, but most of them were only in passing. The Republican nominee did criticize the current administration’s “reset” with Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime – but only once. According to IMR Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza, if the Romney campaign wants to get an edge in foreign policy, it should draw more attention to the candidates’ differing approaches to Russia.

U.S. Experts Slam Putin’s “Paranoia,” Obama’s “Wishful Thinking” in Foreign Policy

Details: World

U.S. Experts Slam Putin’s “Paranoia,” Obama’s “Wishful Thinking” in Foreign Policy

Details: 19 October 2012

The Kremlin’s insistence on undermining U.S. attempts to achieve a political transition in Syria, and its support for the regime of Bashar al-Assad could backfire against Russia’s interests in the Middle East. According to foreign policy experts who joined this week’s discussion at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., Vladimir Putin is taking “a major gamble.”

Yevgeny Satanovsky: The choice in Syria is between a bad scenario, a catastrophe, and an apocalypse

Details: World

Yevgeny Satanovsky: The choice in Syria is between a bad scenario, a catastrophe, and an apocalypse

Details: 18 October 2012; Olga Khvostunova

The Syrian crisis continues to escalate, and is slowly reaching the level of a regional catastrophe. Western countries, led by by the U.S. and France, insist on “Libyan-scenario-style” intervention. Russia and China are blocking U.N. Security Council resolutions that would implement Western policy. Yevgeny Satanovsky, head of the Moscow-based Middle East Institute, spoke with IMR’s Olga Khvostunova about the specifics of the Syrian war, and various scenarios of further developments in the region.

“Russian” Votes in U.S. Elections

Details: World

“Russian” Votes in U.S. Elections

Details: 21 September 2012; Vladimir Kara-Murza

Unlike many other U.S. diasporas, Russian Americans have never had a serious political voice. No Russian-speaking member has ever been elected to Congress, and presidential campaigns have never paid much attention to “Russian” voters – despite the fact that, even according to the official estimates, there are more than 3 million U.S. citizens of Russian origin. IMR Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza discusses the possibility of “Russian America” developing its own political identity.

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