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Articles by Brawley Benson
News Analysis
Lost Investments, Jeopardized Influence: What the U.S.-Israel Attack on Iran Could Mean for Russia
With Khamenei dead and the future of Iran’s hardline anti-Western government in doubt, Russia now finds itself in a position to lose greatly.
5 Min read
Feature
Laurent Vinatier Studied Russia. Then the Country Imprisoned Him.
“I could disappear,” the French researcher and conflict mediator, who was freed last month, thought during his first night in prison.
8 Min read
Feature
‘Systemic Degradation’: How 4 Years of Occupation Have Devastated the Economy of Eastern Ukraine
In a region already torn apart by war, the lack of means to put food on the table only heightens day-to-day hardship, experts and locals say.
5 Min read
Feature
‘The Motherland Is Catching Up’: Russians in Kazakhstan Feel Moscow’s Reach in String of Expulsions
Kazakhstan's reputation as a safe haven for Russian exiles has been upended by a string of planned expulsions of dissidents.
6 Min read
News Analysis
U.S. and Russia Shrug as Landmark Nuclear Treaty Expires
New START's expiration is set to usher in an era of uncertainty over nuclear stockpiles not seen since the Cold War, experts say.
5 Min read
Feature
Yury Ushakov: The Quiet Power Broker in Russia’s Talks With Team Trump
Those who knew Yury Ushakov say he’s become one of Russia’s most powerful foreign policy officials. Who is he?
9 Min read
News Analysis
As Putin’s Allies Are Threatened, He Meets the Moment with Silence
Analysts say his silence reflects Russia’s focus on the war in Ukraine and hesitancy to provoke the U.S. — but it risks eroding trust in Moscow.
4 Min read
U.S. Seizes Russia-Flagged Oil Tanker: What We Know
The incident marks a rare open confrontation between Washington and Moscow in the second Trump presidency.
3 Min read
Feature
2 Years On, a Journalist’s Imprisonment Offers a Grim Look Into the Kremlin’s Press Crackdown
In a Siberian penal colony, Nika Novak has experienced the Russian prison system’s harsh treatment of journalists firsthand.
6 Min read
How the Scamming of a Pro-Putin Pop Star Rattled Russia's Housing Market
Larisa Dolina sold her luxury Moscow apartment at the behest of scammers. The ensuing scandal has outraged the public.
4 Min read
Feature
Arkady Volozh’s Second Act
The former head of Yandex has made a remarkable business pivot. How did he pull it off?
10 Min read
Asylum-Seeking Russians Deported From U.S. at Risk of Persecution and Forced Mobilization, Activists Warn
Men on the flight that touched down in Moscow were reportedly handed military summons upon landing.
2 Min read
Witkoff and Kushner Meet With Putin to Discuss Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan
Trump's special envoy and son-in-law are expected to personally seek Putin's buy-in on the White House's peace framework.
4 Min read
News Analysis
Moscow Risks Losing a Key Ally in Latin America as Trump Ramps Up Pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro
Former U.S. officials and analysts say that leaning on Russia in a potential confrontation with the United States is unlikely to succeed.
5 Min read
Feature
With 'Russian Houses,' Moscow Expands Soft Power Push Into Africa
More than a dozen Russian House cultural centers have opened across the continent in recent years, and more are on the way.
5 Min read
News Analysis
Is Flying in Russia as Deadly as it Seems?
Russia says it has an airline safety problem. Data analyzed by The Moscow Times suggests the issue is nuanced.
6 Min read
Feature
They Fled Discrimination in Russia. Now They're Swept Up in Trump's Immigration Crackdown.
Indigenous peoples and minorities make up a sizable portion of the Russian asylum seekers caught up in the U.S. push for more deportations.
6 Min read
Putin Says Responsibility for Peace Lies With EU, Vows Response to Europe’s ‘Militarization’
In a wide-ranging address, the president also lambasted Western countries for their supposed hypocrisy and suppression of free speech.
3 Min read
News Analysis
Trump’s About-Face on Russia-Ukraine War Leaves More Questions Than Clarity
Despite the major rhetorical shift, experts are split on whether or not Trump signaled a genuine shift in policy toward the war.
4 Min read
News Analysis
‘It Doesn’t Really Cost Much to Russia’: What’s Behind Putin’s Offer to Extend New START Treaty?
While experts and analysts hailed Putin’s announcement, they also noted that Russia is likely hoping to bolster its negotiating position on Ukraine.
4 Min read
News Analysis
Putin’s Musings on Immortality Highlight His Glaring Succession Dilemma
Putin has remade the Russian political system in his image. What happens when he is no longer in power?
4 Min read
News Analysis
‘Iron Diplomacy’: With NATO On Edge, Russia and Belarus Launch Major Military Drills
As Moscow and Minsk seek to show off their latest military capabilities, their NATO neighbors are expecting the two allies to probe their defenses.
4 Min read
News Analysis
How Would Russia Treat a Ukraine Peace Deal? Chechnya and Georgia Offer Clues.
From Chechnya to Georgia, Russia has a pattern of circumventing or outright violating the terms of its agreements.
5 Min read
Trump Says Plans Underway for Putin-Zelensky Meeting Following White House Talks
European leaders rallied behind Trump earlier in the day as he said Ukraine might receive security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal with Russia...
5 Min read
Trump and Putin End Alaska Talks With No Deal on Ukraine
After a red-carpet welcome for Putin, the talks ended earlier than expected and without the landmark peace deal that Trump had been hoping for.
4 Min read
Feature
In Armenia's Second City, Russian Military Outpost With a Dark Past Faces a Precarious Future
Russia’s base in Gyumri is its last major outpost of military influence in Armenia. But amid changing geopolitical tides, are its days numbered?
8 Min read
Feature
Their Leader Ousted By Mass Protests, Abkhazians Vote to Decide Ties With Russia
In the Georgian breakaway region, protests over a proposed Russian investment deal forced the president to step down. Now, the biggest prize for many locals...
6 Min read
Feature
‘My Moral Compass Demands It’: Russian Emigres Rally Alongside Georgians Against ‘Foreign Influence’ Bill
“It’s like a wave of inspiration that Georgia deserves to have a bright future in the European Union,” said one Russian of the mood at protests.
4 Min read
Feature
Evacuated Residents of War-Scarred Bakhmut Envision a Far-Off Return Home
Five hundred days into Russia’s invasion, the day when Bakhmut's population will be able to return looks increasingly distant.
5 Min read
Feature
Russia Lays Mines at 'Industrial Level' Ahead of Ukrainian Counteroffensive
Russian minefields will likely cause hundreds of civilian deaths and require billions of dollars to be safely removed in the coming years.
4 Min read
News Analysis
Attacks on Russian Oil Facilities Deal a Military, Psychological Blow to Moscow
Drone strikes create logistical problems for the Russian military and puncture a sense of security felt by Russians far from the frontlines.
4 Min read
Feature
Russia Ramps Up Use of Glide Bombs Ahead of Ukraine Counteroffensive
Glide bombs can travel much further and are much more precise than unguided — or “dumb” — bombs. And they're relatively cheap.
4 Min read
Russian Diaspora Aims to Inform and Influence Ahead of Duma Vote
The Vote Abroad initiative is a decentralized, grassroots movement organized online across more than 40 countries.