issue spotlight

Stay updated

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

In the News

May 7, 2021

Fried’s tweet highlighted in Bloomberg on US-Russia relations

By Daniel Fried

Read the full article here.

Economy & Business Russia

In the News

May 7, 2021

Fried quoted in Bloomberg on how banks should approach doing business with US adversaries

By Daniel Fried

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

May 7, 2021

Fried quoted in The Economist on the Biden administration’s approach to dealing with Russia

By Daniel Fried

Read the full article here.

Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy

Britain Debrief

May 7, 2021

#BritainDebrief – Can Britain help Navalny? A debrief from Vladimir Ashurkov

By Ben Judah

Vladimir Ashurkov, director of the Anticorruption Foundation and close ally of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, joins #BritainDebrief to discuss corruption in Britain and its role in protecting the wealth of the Kremlin elite.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 6, 2021

Blinken in Kyiv: US “stands strongly” with Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv on May 6 for a high-profile visit as Ukraine continues to face the threat of a major Russian escalation in the simmering seven-year war between the two countries.

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

May 6, 2021

Naftogaz fiasco risks undermining Ukraine

By Alan Riley and Suriya Jayanti

The recent decision to suspend the Naftogaz Supervisory Board and fire CEO Andriy Kobolyev risks undermining Ukraine’s security and exposing the country to greater dependence on Russian gas.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Russia

BelarusAlert

May 5, 2021

Belarus sanctions: Time to target Russia?

By Brian Whitmore

Can sanctions against Belarus be separated from sanctions against Russia? Or should sanctions against the two countries be treated as part of a coherent whole, effectively sanctioning the Putin-Lukashenka axis?

Belarus Economic Sanctions

UkraineAlert

May 4, 2021

US should grant Ukraine Major Non-NATO Ally status

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

As the Western world formulates its response to Russia's recent saber-rattling on the Ukrainian border, one option would be for the United States to grant Ukraine the status of Major Non-NATO Ally.

Conflict Russia

In the News

May 4, 2021

Mulder and Piliero in National Interest on spaceflight

By Atlantic Council

On May 4, Forward Defense Senior Military Fellow Christopher Mulder and Young Global Professional Raphael Piliero wrote an op-ed for National Interest on the importance of US efforts in space as they relate to the Moon race. They argued that the 60th anniversary of the first American in space provides historical context—and necessity—for our future space endeavors.

China Russia

Report

May 3, 2021

The impact of Western sanctions on Russia and how they can be made even more effective

By Anders Åslund, Maria Snegovaya

While Western sanctions have not succeeded in forcing the Kremlin to fully reverse its actions and end aggression in Ukraine, the economic impact of financial sanctions on Russia has been greater than previously understood.

Economic Sanctions European Union

Experts