Analysis
Why Is Putin Upping the Ante in Ukraine?
Rapidly unfolding events in Russia are effectively transforming the conflict in Ukraine from a “special operation” on someone else’s territory into a war to defend supposedly…
Republished
Lessons for Russia From the U.S. Leadership Crisis
It would be foolish to assume the American withdrawal from Afghanistan will be repeated everywhere else that there is a U.S. presence. U.S. President Joe Biden’s…
Republished
Putin, Poison, and Self-Inflicted Wounds: Navalny’s Return to Russia
Instead of blackballing Navalny, the Kremlin has turned him into the world’s most famous political prisoner. The dramatic arrest of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny at…
Republished
Where Navalny’sPoisoning Is Taking Russia, at Home and Abroad
Far from a purely internal or external affair, Alexei Navalny’s poisoning has shaken Russia’s domestic politics as well as its foreign relations. Although it is closer…
Republished
The Perils of Perestroika: Why Putin Chose to Prolong His Rule
To build his regime, Putin manipulated his predecessors’ crumbling institutions and the country’s economic system. Now, Putin must become his own successor—or let someone else pull…