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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

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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

UkraineAlert

Sep 4, 2019

Danger ahead

By Willem Aldershoff

Although every Ukrainian understandably wishes a quick end to the war in the Donbas and a lasting settlement of the conflict, Ukraine is strongly advised to approach any Minsk Summit with the greatest care.

European Union International Norms

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2019

G7 leaders: the Kremlin is setting a trap. Don’t fall for it

By Arseniy Yatsenyuk

The Kremlin counts on using this goodwill to lead us into a trap of fatal mistakes.

Conflict International Norms

New Atlanticist

Aug 26, 2019

Trashing friends puts America last

By Daniel Fried

By tying the national interest to unilateral territorial demands, the US president puts himself in the same camp as Vladimir Putin. Putin’s strategy is also dismissive of international rules and the sovereignty of smaller nations, and appears to hold that only through force and intimidation can Russia advance its interests.

International Norms Northern Europe

In the News

Aug 22, 2019

Steve Levine in Axios about Russian interferences

By Atlantic Council

Americas Cybersecurity

EnergySource

Aug 22, 2019

Rare opportunity opens for US LNG to reach Greece-Turkey-Ukraine gas corridor

By Aura Sabadus

While the mainstream media’s attention is now focused on the completion of Russia’s two gas pipeline projects—Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream—exceptional, but under-reported changes are afoot in southeast Europe that could challenge Moscow’s regional dominance and geopolitical pressure and help establish a bidirectional north-south corridor linking Greece and Turkey to Ukraine along the Trans-Balkan pipeline. […]

Eastern Europe Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Aug 13, 2019

To deal with bad ideas, develop better solutions

By Daniel Fried

Putin’s Russia has a track record of using gas exports as political pressure, for example, against Ukraine in the years leading up to Putin’s attack on that country in 2014 and has threatened to do the same to Central European countries, including those in the European Union.

Central Europe Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2019

House amendment could scuttle US attempts to decrease reliance on Russian gas

By Agnia Grigas

Today, the European Union relies on Russia for between 30 to 40 percent of its gas imports, while Germany’s dependency rate on Russian gas is growing rapidly, putting US military installations in Germany dependent on continued energy supply from Russia.

Central Europe Russia

UkraineAlert

Aug 8, 2019

Time is running out to kill Putin’s pet project

By Diane Francis

Russia’s disregard for European votes, laws, and court rulings against the pipeline should be reason enough to ban the project.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Oil and Gas

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2019

US ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman resigns

By David A. Wemer

US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman announced in an August 6 letter to US President Donald J. Trump that he intends to resign from his post effective October 3, 2019.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Aug 5, 2019

New Russia sanctions: Justified, but feeble and awkward

By Daniel Fried, Brian O'Toole, and David Mortlock

Muddied signals, weak sanctions, and uncertain rollout are no way to respond to Putin’s continuing misdeeds.

Economic Sanctions Russia

Experts