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opinion Dmitry Trenin

Russia-India: From Rethink to Adjust to Upgrade

Russia needs to decide what it wants from the Indian connection.

Michele A. Berdy

When Pigs Fly in Russian

How to say "yes" that really means "no" in Russian. No way. Forget it. In your dreams, man.

Alexander Baunov

Are Russia and Ukraine Once Again on the Brink of War?

The West finds itself facing the uncomfortable dilemma of whether to boost Russia’s status or to refuse to give Moscow the promises it desires, thus...

Michele A. Berdy

Let's Talk Turkey

Would you rather be called a turkey in Russian or English? Not an easy decision...

Fyodor Lukyanov

NATO Expansion Is a Bugbear for Both Russia and the West

We have reached a point where the long-standing controversy over NATO enlargement must somehow be resolved.

Nigel Gould-Davies

The Dangerous Instability of Europe’s Borderlands

A volatile mix of revanchism, insecurity, irrationality and military force is fueling tension and turbulence in the EU’s east.

Kremlin Unlikely to Know Any More Than Us if Invasion Is Coming to Ukraine

This Russian administration does not tend to work on rigid, long term plans of the sort intended to bring about checkmate in 15 moves.

Let’s Admit it: The Hybrid War Concept Is Useless

We have become locked in a vicious and dangerous feedback loop.

Russian Foreign Policy: Shifting Gears

Is Ukraine that “unfinished business” that he will seek to complete before the end of his reign? Or is Putin just bluffing?

Michele A. Berdy

The Short History of a Nasty Word

Everyone hates a жлоб. But what is he? And where did he come from?

Alexander Baunov

Can COP26 Clear the Air Between Russia and the West?

Russia, it appears, wants to advance its own ecological agenda, but is not prepared to accept anyone else’s objectives.

Memory, and Memorial, Will Prevail

Russia’s government cannot wipe out historic memory and people’s aspirations for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The West’s Response to Lukashenko’s Migrant Gambit Might Seal Belarus’ Fate

Moscow’s problem is that having thrown their weight behind Lukashenko, they are now stuck with him.

Michele A. Berdy

When a Russian Stretch is Not an English Stretch

Oh, the pitfalls of borrowed words! Just because they sound alike doesn't mean that they are alike.

Tatyana Margolin

‘Traditional Values’ Unite Both Sides in a New Ideological Cold War

Republicans and global authoritarians around the world from different political, cultural and social contexts use alarmingly similar tactics.

Moldova’s Gas Crisis and Its Lessons for Europe

The ongoing European gas supply crunch this winter has demonstrated the limitations of EU diversification efforts.

Michele A. Berdy

Three Holidays and a Fall Primer

A walk down memory lane on this holiday Friday.

Arshak Makichyan

Russia Needs to Accept the True Scale of Its Climate Crisis

As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26, Russian leaders need to accept they have no choice but to act quickly and decisively.

Climate Change Defines Some of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Putinism

There has been a change in the Russian president’s thinking that forms a case study of policymaking in such a personalized and centralized system.

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