Russia & Eurasia
Reports
Putin’s next act
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: Does it have a future?
What ‘Icarus’ tells us about Russia’s meddling in international affairs: A film screening & discussion
Russia's desire to undermine American democracy is related to its inability to match up to the military and economic power of the West...Given that imbalance, the Russian point of view is that you don't have to be on top, you don't have to win...You just have to push everyone else down a little bit.
The latest indictments [of seven Russian military-intelligence agents] are primarily symbolic...The Trump Administration pushed through even tougher sanctions than Obama did, some coordinated with the European Union...But we’re still seeing this massive cyber-attack in the Netherlands, the disinformation campaign surrounding the attempted Skripal assassination, and the Russian attacks of U.S. congressional candidates in the current election. Russia is on a clear course of more aggressive behavior toward the West. Strong statements and narrow sanctions won’t change that.
[On Donald Trump's comments on Nord Stream 2 at the UN General Assembly in September 2018] While Germany’s intake of fuel delivered by ship in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is on the rise, what really matters is diversity and flexibility of supply. What he is saying is completely wrong.
[On President Trump's remarks at the U.N. General Assembly] I can see some case for concern about excess dependence on Russian gas within the gas market....what matters is diversity and flexibility of supply.
[Putin] sees a vacuum of power, for example in Syria where the U.S. didn’t have a strategy, and he sees an opportunity to reassert Russian influence and Russian power in the region...You could make the same argument about Ukraine. There was an opportunity that presented itself. He took a risk and it paid off...In broad terms, Putin has defined his legacy at this point as the Russian leader who has ‘brought Russia back up from its knees in the 1990s.'
