Analysis

This listing contains all the analytical materials posted on the Russia Matters website. These include: RM Exclusives, commissioned by Russia Matters exclusively for this website; Recommended Reads, deemed particularly noteworthy by our editorial team; Partner Posts, originally published by our partners elsewhere; and Future Policy Leaders, pieces by promising young scholars and policy thinkers. Content can be filtered by genre and subject-specific criteria and is updated often. Gradually we will be adding older Recommended Reads and Partner Posts dating back as far as 2011.
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Nuclear War is No Longer "Unthinkable" for Russia

Nikolas K. Gvosdev December 07, 2016 Partner Posts
The newly-released "Foreign Policy Concept" of the Russian Federation contains some interesting changes and updates. Given that this document reflects the Kremlin's strategic mindset and how it views international relations, it is important to take what is says seriously.
report

Elevation and Calibration: A New Russia Policy for America

Andrew Kuchins December 01, 2016 Partner Posts
With the U.S.-Russia relationship at its most dangerous level since the 1980s, the arrival of a new administration presents an opportunity to clearly evaluate the significant risks current hostilities pose. Containment or deterrence alone cannot mitigate these risks; instead, Washington should pursue a policy of calibration and elevation.
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Symposium: Advice to President Trump on U.S.-Russia Policy

Carnegie Corporation of New York and The National Interest November 28, 2016 Partner Posts
Can Donald Trump’s election as president revamp the U.S. policy approach to Russia and make bilateral ties more constructive? Prominent experts believe it can.
policy brief

Managing Hazardous Incidents in the Euro-Atlantic Area: A New Plan of Action

Łukasz Kulesa, Thomas Frear, Denitsa Raynova November 02, 2016 Partner Posts
Dangerous military-military and military-civilian incidents involving ships or aircraft of Russia, NATO member states and third parties continue to pose a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. This new report offers the most comprehensive public study of the problem to date.
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'You Americans Never Learn': How Valdai Showcased Putin's Terms for US-Russia Cooperation

Andrew Kuchins October 28, 2016 Partner Posts
Putin’s broad message seemed to be that, while deeply frustrated by U.S. policies that seemingly defy Russian interests, Moscow will want to work with and engage with the incoming administration.
policy brief

The Strategic Case for EU-Russia Cooperation

Joseph Dobbs and Ian Kearns July 25, 2016 Partner Posts
Despite current tensions between Russia and the EU, a more cooperative relationship is both desirable and necessary, as its absence could see both sides’ strengths diminished and weaknesses exacerbated.
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The Russian "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model

Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews July 11, 2016 Partner Posts
The contemporary Russian propaganda model is high-volume, multichannel, rapid, continuous and repetitive. The very factors that make this model successful also make it difficult to counter. While traditional counterpropaganda approaches are likely to be inadequate, more effective solutions can be found in the same psychology literature that explains the surprising success of this phenomenon.
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NATO's Northeastern Flank—Emerging Opportunities for Engagement

Christopher S. Chivvis, Raphael S. Cohen, Bryan Frederick, Daniel S. Hamilton, F. Stephen Larrabee and Bonny Lin July 07, 2016 Partner Posts
Renewed tensions between Russia and the West have important implications for U.S. Air Force strategy, posture and regional engagement in Europe, requiring a new assessment of opportunities for Air Force partnerships in the region.
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Russia's Military: Assessment, Strategy and Threat

Alexander Golts and Michael Kofman June 24, 2016 Partner Posts
A report providing a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the Russian armed forces in the context of Russia’s reemergence on the geopolitical stage.
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Russia's Medium-Term Economic Prospects

Keith Crane, Shanthi Nataraj, Patrick B. Johnston and Gursel Rafig oglu Aliyev June 22, 2016 Partner Posts
Without major policy changes, the Russian economy will grow slowly in the medium term, even if world market prices for oil rebound sharply by the end of the decade. However, there is much that the Russian government could do internally to accelerate growth.
research paper

Deal or No Deal: Did the US Promise Russia No NATO Expansion?

Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson May 05, 2016 Recommended Reads
New archival materials show that U.S. officials did indeed offer the Soviets informal assurances of NATO's non-expansion in 1990, while keeping open the possibility of expansion and seeking to maximize U.S. power in post-Cold War Europe.
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Unpacking Russia's New National Security Strategy

Olga Oliker January 07, 2016 Partner Posts
Russia's new national security strategy is the document of an ambitious Russia that sees constraints on its ambitions as threats to be overcome, whether they come from within or without.