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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New US Security Strategy Is a Clear Bureaucratic Victory for the ‘Russia Skeptics.’ Has the President Read It?

Nikolas K. Gvosdev December 21, 2017 RM Exclusives
Does the National Security Strategy end any chance of substantive improvements in the U.S.-Russia relationship for the near future? Or will the dissonance between Trump's position on Russia and that of his security establishment lead to unpredictable fallout?
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Whenever America Is in Crisis, Russia Is Its Whipping Boy

Ivan Kurilla December 05, 2017 Recommended Reads
History shows how anti-Russia sentiment rises when the U.S. is at a low.
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Dysfunction in US-Russia Relations

Matthew Rojansky November 27, 2017 Recommended Reads
The U.S. has never had a less effective relationship with post-Soviet Russia than it does today. Yet not a single one of the threats posed by Moscow has a military solution. In fact, escalation carries unacceptable risks.
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Latest US-Russian Effort on Syria: Good for Preventing Accidents, So-So for Everything Else

Nikolas K. Gvosdev November 15, 2017 RM Exclusives
Trump and Putin’s joint statement at the APEC summit masks deep divisions between Moscow and Washington over how to resolve the conflict.
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Containing Our Intelligence War with Russia

George Beebe October 31, 2017 Recommended Reads
Just as Russia should not misread U.S. support for democratization as a push for regime change, the U.S. should not conflate Moscow’s desire to change our international behavior with an intent to destroy our nation.
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At Valdai Putin Treats Trump Respectfully

Angela Stent October 26, 2017
In his searing critique of U.S. foreign policy delivered at the Valdai Club, the Russian president notably spared Donald Trump.
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Setting Conflict in Stone: Dangerous Trends in Russian-US Relations

Alexander Gabuev October 04, 2017 Recommended Reads
Perpetual misunderstanding on both sides can only make the relationship between Moscow and Washington worse.
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Russian Studies Is Thriving, Not Dying

Timothy Frye October 03, 2017 Recommended Reads
“Russian studies is dying” has become a common assertion. However, in the field of political science, this doesn't seem to be the case.
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Russian Nuclear Forces: Buildup or Modernization?

Hans M. Kristensen September 14, 2017 RM Exclusives
Russia is not increasing its nuclear arsenal, though some commentators keep saying it is. What's important, however, is to monitor how Russia is modernizing its strategic nuclear forces.
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The Cold War and America’s Delusion of Victory

Odd Arne Westad August 28, 2017 Recommended Reads
The legacy of the Cold War continues to impact the United States, Russia and others.
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America and Russia: Back to Basics

Graham Allison August 14, 2017 Recommended Reads
Cold War tenets may be the Trump administration's best hope to keep Americans safe.
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Chaos and Order in a Changing World

Henry Kissinger August 02, 2017 Recommended Reads
In a recent speech, eminent statesman Henry Kissinger offered his views on how the West and NATO can deal with the growing challenges posed by Russia, China and the Middle East.