Russia Matters

Historian Mark Smith’s provocative book won’t give the U.S. a policy to manage its relationship with Russia, but it does offer some valuable guidance in thinking about strategic solutions.

A highly readable and informative new book by Dmitry Adamsky sheds light on a woefully understudied topic—the relationship between Russia’s Orthodox Church and its military—while raising many questions worthy of further study.

When Americans find their domestic politics the target of foreign interference, "they become deeply committed to the principle of self-determination." Not surprisingly, writes leading American international relations scholar John Mearsheimer, "so do ...

William Burns’ new book describes his warnings to the Bush administration that pushing for NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine would spur Moscow to use armed force in the former and to meddle in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

Corruption is a feature, not a bug, of the Russian political system, and self-enrichment is crucial to understanding why Russia’s leaders make the decisions that they do, Aslund argues in his new book.

From the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which will see its 80th anniversary this week, to the beginning of the 21st century, Kennan's views on America's Cold War rival went far beyond the "containment" policy for which he is perhaps best known.

As China has expanded its reach in ex-Soviet Central Asia, with tens of billions of dollars in investment, the region’s reactions combine apprehension, enthusiasm and a search for both opportunities and counterbalances.

Three authors draw on field work and other research to assess the motives, prospects and threats linked to Central Asian jihadists, including the thousands who joined Islamic State and other violent extremists in the Middle East.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin lamented the population decline in the country’s Far East, saying it falls in an “alarming, red zone.” While this region, which borders China, may raise particularly acute demographic concerns for the Kreml...

One of the West’s leading experts on Russia offers perspectives from a distinguished career in academia and government.