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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Optimism for Improved US-Russian Relations Is Necessary, But Should Remain Cautious

Paul Saunders July 03, 2019 RM Exclusives
From Russiagate and bilateral trade to Ukraine and strategic stability, few components of a possible U.S.-Russia agenda provide much ground for optimism.
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Expert Round-Up: How Likely Is a China-Russia Military Alliance?

Simon Saradzhyan and Angelina Flood June 14, 2019 RM Exclusives
Dozens of scholars, analysts and officials assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Sino-Russian "comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction."
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Leveraging Venezuela: How Russia Sees Its Interests in US Backyard

Paul Saunders June 03, 2019 RM Exclusives
Americans should not overestimate either Russia’s interests in Venezuela or its capabilities there. Some see the country as a new Ukraine or Syria. It isn’t.
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Russia’s National Projects: Economic Reboot or Mucky Bog?

Ben Aris May 30, 2019 RM Exclusives
Putin’s $390 billion spending program could deepen the crisis of confidence among entrepreneurs and investors—a bigger threat to Russia’s long-term economic prospects than sanctions.
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Ukraine and NATO: Disconnect Between State Policy and Public Opinion Is Less Dangerous Than Russia

Daniel Shapiro May 09, 2019 RM Exclusives
Governments in plenty of countries have pushed through major foreign policy initiatives such as NATO entry despite formidable opposition among their citizens. This doesn’t necessarily mean Ukraine should do the same.
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Ukraine Election Bodes Ill for Corruption Fight, and for Kiev’s Ties to West

Tony Barber March 26, 2019 RM Exclusives
As Ukrainians prepare to vote for a president March 31, none of the top three candidates boasts solid pro-reform credentials. That poses big challenges for the country’s future stability and its pro-Western stance.
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5 Years Since Russia’s Intervention in Ukraine: Has Putin’s Gamble Paid Off?

Simon Saradzhyan March 14, 2019 RM Exclusives
The author analyzes the costs and benefits for Russia, finding that the intervention advanced one vital national interest and damaged several others. The costs have been manageable so far, but may eventually become prohibitive.
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Russia and China Beyond Realpolitik: The Bond of Respect and Values

Jeanne L. Wilson February 04, 2019 RM Exclusives
Converging and diverging interests play a big role in shaping Chinese-Russian relations, but so do “status granting” and shared political values.
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Gangster Geopolitics: The Kremlin’s Use of Criminals as Assets Abroad

Mark Galeotti January 17, 2019 RM Exclusives
Since the worsening of relations with the West in 2014, the Kremlin has increasingly adopted a “mobilization state” approach, turning to any available foreign-policy levers. Gangsters are no exception.
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How Well Are Russia Sanctions Working?

Nick Butler December 21, 2018 RM Exclusives
If applied successfully and long enough, sanctions will undoubtedly undermine the relative economic successes upon which President Vladimir Putin depends for his position in power. But that's a big “if.”
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Isolation and Reconquista: Russia’s Toolkit as a Constrained Great Power

Marlene Laruelle December 12, 2018 RM Exclusives
As relations with the West languish, Moscow has built a dual strategy, positioning itself at once as beleaguered and triumphant, an alternative to the U.S.-led world order. In the short term, this is probably its best bet.
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NATO’s Trident Juncture Exercise as a Deterrence Signal to Russia

Dmitry Gorenburg November 01, 2018 RM Exclusives
The military lessons for the exercise’s participants promise to be significant, while the immediate political impact will be minor. Russia’s main worry? A permanent U.S. troop deployment in eastern Europe.
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