New Atlanticist

Analysts: As Crimea Vote Is Declared, Putin Is Reaching for Lands Beyond

By New Atlanticist

Sunday’s referendum in Crimea produced the expected result. That vote – and steps by the Russian parliament, the Duma – lay the groundwork not only for Russia’s annexation by Crimea, but for a more formal takeover of lands beyond, say Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Adrian Karatnycky and other analysts. Like many, Karatnycky  begins by noting […]

US Issues Targeted Sanctions on Russian Elites

The US and EU rejected Crimea’s referendum Sunday, issuing statements and new sanctions outlining the West’s overwhelming disapproval of Russian activities in Crimea.

Lessons From Ukraine’s Crisis

By Rajan Menon

The referendum that occurred on Sunday in Crimea was a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s constitution. And it was held amidst a Russian military occupation supposedly mounted to defend ethnic Russians on the peninsula, even though there was no evidence that they were under attack.

Beyond the Crisis, Hope for Ukraine

By James Rupert

An Unlikely ‘Hero’ Voices Frustrations and Optimism of the Maidan Three weeks after many Ukrainians acclaimed Volodymyr Parasiuk a hero for helping to oust his country’s corrupt president, the 26-year-old computer enthusiast seems to reflect two changes that might eventually help a more democratic and stable Ukraine emerge from its crisis. The four-month mass uprising […]

Putin’s Foreign Policy: The Case of Africa

By New Atlanticist

Russia Has Reversed Its Yeltsin-Era Retreat from Sub-Saharan Africa In the two weeks since Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised governments and publics by invading Ukraine, writers have launched a veritable industry of analysis that has included his worldview, his KGB roots, his penchant for shirtless photos, and his foreign policy ambitions. Non-stop coverage of the […]

In Ukraine, the End of Act One

By R. Nicholas Burns

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is nearing the end of Act One with this weekend’s trumped-up Crimean referendum for reunification with mother Russia. As we look ahead to Acts Two and Three, what have we learned so far?

Convene Major Transatlantic Powers to Stop Russia

By Richard Burt and Lee Feinstein

It now seems almost certain that this weekend’s referendum by the Crimean parliament on joining the Russian Federation will pass. There is also a real threat that Russian president Vladimir Putin will seek to follow up that referendum by announcing Russian plans to incorporate Crimea into the Russian Federation. These moves would represent not only […]

Putin’s Illusion of Victory in Crimea

By James Rupert

Two weeks after Russian forces began seizing control of Crimea, the daily news from there suggests that Vladimir Putin has won a virtually uncontested victory in his mission to re-absorb former lands of Russia’s empires. Russian troops in Crimea steadily have taken military posts and facilities where Ukrainians refused to surrender their loyalty to the […]

Ukrainian Leaders Gather Support in Washington

On his fourteenth day as Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk hustled through Washington today to gather support for his country against Russia’s invasion of Crimea. He visited the White House, the State Department, Congresss, the Atlantic Council, and the International Monetary Fund. At the White House, President Obama welcomed Yatsenyuk by commending the Ukrainian […]

A Ten-Point Plan for Ukraine

By Rajan Menon

President Obama’s inbox is doubtless packed with proposals for stopping the standoff between Ukraine and Russia.