In-Depth Research & Reports

Russia’s nuclear activity in 2019: Increasing strength and pressure

By Maxim Starchak

Russia's nuclear arsenal is a cornerstone of its political and military influence. 2019 stands out as a year with notable shifts in activity, with key indications that nuclear forces will remain a critical mechanism for Moscow to exert pressure.

Biden and Belarus: A strategy for the new administration

By Anders Åslund, Melinda Haring, John E. Herbst, Alexander Vershbow

Joe Biden has an historic opportunity to bring Europe together and reverse the tide of dictatorship by building an international coalition to support democracy in Belarus. This strategy lays out key recommendations for the Biden administration as it prepares its policy toward Belarus.

How the West should deal with Russia

By Alexander Vershbow, Daniel Fried

The United States must deal with Russia as it is, not as it wishes it to be. What does a policy framework to address both Russia’s dismal current realities and its better future potential look like?

Defending the United States against Russian dark money

By Anders Åslund, Julia Friedlander

Warfare has evolved and the United States now faces a major unconventional threat: Russia's estimated $1 trillion of dark money. With it, the Kremlin can wreak havoc if the US fails to act and recognize this national security threat for what it is.

Central African Republic: Ground zero for Russian influence in Central Africa

By Nathalia Dukhan

The Kremlin has rapidly exploited the recent absence of Western involvement in the Central African Republic. Russian propaganda arms and security forces are propping up the country's embattled leader in exchange for decisive influence in the region.

Lubyanka federation: How the FSB determines the politics and economics of Russia

By The Dossier Center

The FSB is one of Russia’s most closed government agencies, its work cloaked in secrecy. This report lifts the veil on how the organization works.

The trip from Donbas: Ukraine’s pressing need to defend its veterans

By Lauren Van Metre & John Boerstler

Ukraine's veterans from the war in the Donbas are at the crossroads of major changes occurring within Ukrainian society today, but a lack of support for veterans creates a critical void in Ukraine’s national security and hobbles its transition to democracy.

New challenges and dwindling returns for Russia’s national champions, Gazprom and Rosneft

By Anders Åslund & Steven Fisher

As Russia’s economic future is clouded by negative demographic trends, new energy technologies and efficiencies, volatile commodity prices, and the likelihood of continued Western sanctions, Gazprom and Rosneft, Russia’s two natural resource champions face a comeuppance: international competition, global and regional market access, capital investment, and revenue/cost efficiency.

Thinking foreign policy in Russia: Think tanks and grand narratives

By Anton Barbashin & Alexander Graef

Russia’s post-Crimean foreign policy does not exist in a vacuum. Its ramifications are colliding with regional and global trends that are effectively destabilizing the post-Cold War international order.

Prospects of the Russian protest movement

Amid a summer of protest and Vladimir Putin's declining popularity, Ksenia Kirillova looks at the Russian protests victories, weaknesses, and next steps.