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COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

The Power Vertical

The Power Vertical is a blog and podcast for Russia wonks and Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It covers emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today.

Host and Eurasia Center Senior Fellow Brian Whitmore invites guest experts to deliver their insights and analysis in this weekly podcast. The Atlantic Council and the Charles T. McDowell Center for Global Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington co-sponsor this production.

The Russia Tomorrow series

recent events

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.

Content

Events

Feb 23, 2023

Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo on Italy’s role in unifying Europe and ‘selective decoupling’ from China

Profumo joins the Atlantic Council to share his perspective on the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine for Europe, Italy, and the continent’s defense sector, how Leonardo has responded to the ongoing invasion, and its most recent expansion within the space sector.

China Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Feb 22, 2023

Superhumans Center: Symbol of Ukrainian defiance amid Russia’s war

By Andrey Stavnitser

Opening in the coming months, the Superhumans Center war trauma hospital in western Ukraine is a symbol of Ukrainian defiance as Russia's brutal invasion enters its second year, writes co-founder Andrey Stavnitser.

Civil Society Conflict

In the News

Feb 22, 2023

Cohen in Forbes: Russian energy-giant Gazprom is creating an army

By Atlantic Council

Rule of Law Russia

In the News

Feb 22, 2023

Cohen in Forbes: The coming hurricane: Russian energy-giant Gazprom is creating an army

By Atlantic Council

Russia Security & Defense

In the News

Feb 22, 2023

Charai in The Hill: A reminder for the fight against despots: Citizens are victims

By Ahmed Charai

The current generation is challenged by democracy’s enemies. On the feeblest pretexts, a charismatic dictator has sent soldiers into a neighboring nation. Once again, the dictator imagines his prey is weak because it is a democracy, backed by other democracies. And, as everyone knows, democracies are ruled by the gales of public opinion, which may […]

Americas Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Feb 22, 2023

Russia policy after the war: A new strategy of containment

By Alexander Vershbow

To prevent further damage to the rules-based international order, the United States and its allies will need a strategy of containment to deter Russia militarily and decouple Russia from the international community, until Moscow has earned the right to be considered a partner once more.

Arms Control Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Feb 22, 2023

Russia and China have been teaming up to reduce reliance on the dollar. Here’s how it’s going.

By Maia Nikoladze, Mrugank Bhusari

Squeezed by sanctions, Russia has turned to Chinese yuan and gold, but both introduced new vulnerabilities and inconveniences.

China Economic Sanctions

Report

Feb 22, 2023

Undermining Ukraine

By Roman Osadchuk, Andy Carvin

From the very start of the war, the Kremlin emphasized demoralizing Ukrainian audiences and destroying their will to fight. Building on daily monitoring of the Kremlin media ecosystem, this report analyzes Russia’s attempts to undermine Ukraine by targeting local, regional, and global audiences since February 2022.

Disinformation Russia

Markup

Feb 22, 2023

Our experts decode the Putin speech that launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin’s February 24, 2022, speech launching a war of aggression in Ukraine was full of false, misleading narratives that Putin, official Kremlin channels, and pro-Kremlin Russian media outlets had been circulating since 2014. Experts unpack the narrative themes that Russia used to justify the war.

Disinformation Russia

Report

Feb 22, 2023

Narrative warfare

By Nika Aleksejeva, Andy Carvin, Eto Buziashvili

In the weeks and months leading up to Russia invading Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Kremlin and pro-Kremlin media employed false and misleading narratives to justify military action against Ukraine, mask the Kremlin’s operational planning, and deny any responsibility for the coming war. Dive into a full accounting of the road to war.

Disinformation Russia

Experts