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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Keeping Putin From Going Nuclear: Can Xi and Modi Help?

Simon Saradzhyan September 29, 2022 RM Exclusives
The collective West is right to take Putin’s nuclear threats seriously, but efforts to dissuade him require the pro-active involvement of China and India.
Clues from Russian Views

‘We Fight How We Can’: Russian Views on Ukraine’s Counteroffensive—How It Happened and What Comes Next

RM Staff September 16, 2022 RM Exclusives
The response in Russia’s pro-war camp to Ukraine’s success generally fell into three categories: spin, spleen and silence.
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Does War in Ukraine Impact Vital US Interests?

Ingrid Burke Friedman, Aleksandra Srdanovic and RM Staff September 08, 2022 RM Exclusives
Despite the West's multiple rounds of sanctions on Moscow and ramped up military, economic and humanitarian aid for Kyiv, Biden has made clear he has no intention of sending American troops into Ukraine, as have leaders of other NATO countries.
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On Ukraine War, India Balances on Fine Line Between Russia and West

Rakesh Sharma August 26, 2022 RM Exclusives
The war in Ukraine has confronted India with difficult strategic choices as it strives to balance relationships with Washington and with Moscow while competing with Beijing.
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Foreign Fighters in Ukraine: What Concerns Should Really Be on the Agenda?

Egle E. Murauskaite August 18, 2022 RM Exclusives
Their numbers have been smaller and views far less extremist than initially feared. What matters now is reintegrating them into civilian life once they leave the front lines.
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What’s Missing from Mearsheimer’s Analysis of the Ukraine War

Joe Cirincione July 29, 2022 RM Exclusives
To make the facts fit his assessment, he must disregard Russia’s own pronouncements, its brutality and the security imperatives of its neighbors.
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CIA Chief: Putin Is Betting on Attrition in Ukraine But Will Lose His Bet (Again)

RM Staff July 22, 2022 RM Exclusives
William Burns—whose track record for understanding how the Russian president is thinking may be the best in Washington—shares insights on how Putin sees Ukraine and other Russia-related topics.
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Price Cap on Russian Oil Exports Would be Futile; West Should Opt for Tariff Instead

Daniel P. Ahn July 14, 2022 RM Exclusives
Fundamentally, to depress Russian oil revenue Western leaders have only two sets of policies under their control: to increase Western oil supply and to decrease Western oil demand.
debate

West’s Quandaries on Russia in Ukraine: Ends vs. Means, Rollback vs. Containment

Nikolas K. Gvosdev June 09, 2022 RM Exclusives
Kissinger's and Soros's very different perspectives and policy recommendations flow from fundamentally different assumptions about the nature of the international system and whether "means" or "ends" should have primacy in the formulation of policy.
debate

On West’s Response to Russia in Ukraine: Confrontation Has Risks, but So Does Appeasement

Melinda Haring June 09, 2022 RM Exclusives
We have a dangerous European war right now, but if Putin’s ambitions aren’t checked, we are likely to end up in a much worse situation that could easily bring about a third world war.
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Hoping for a Russia Without Putin: Biden Wasn’t the First, or the Last

RM Staff May 26, 2022 RM Exclusives
Would the world be better off with Putin out of power? In this compilation, we have gathered statements by Western and Russian commentators who state or suggest just that, or at least try to explain the thinking of those who hold such a view.
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What Went Wrong With Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?

Simon Saradzhyan May 12, 2022 RM Exclusives
Eleven weeks after the Feb. 24 invasion it is clear that Vladimir Putin’s initial plan has failed. What is less clear is what exactly went wrong and why.
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