Russia

Syria: Keeping One’s Eye on the Ball

By Frederic C. Hof

The swirling controversy over chemical weapons, red lines, and leaks that the administration is reconsidering giving lethal aid to the Syrian opposition threatens to blur that which should be clear: American objectives in Syria and how to achieve them. While the controversy du jour may well focus the thinking of the US interagency in a […]

5 More Questions for Henrik Liljegren

By James Joyner

Henrik Liljegren, an Atlantic Council board member, served 42 years in Sweden’s diplomatic corps, including stints as Ambassador to the United States, Turkey, East Germany, and Belgium.  In June 2009, we discussed the Russia “Reset” and the political climate in Turkey. Today, I had the opportunity to revisit these issues with him.

Joint Statement by Ellen Tauscher and Igor Ivanov on Mutual Assured Stability

By Jason Harmala

WASHINGTON – The Atlantic Council and the Russian International Affairs Council today launched a new initiative to help reframe US-Russia relations and get past the Cold War-era nuclear legacy in our relationship, particularly the dominant paradigm of “mutual assured destruction.” The goal is to reconfigure the bilateral relationship towards “mutual assured stability” and refocus arms […]

An Uphill Battle on Russian Gas Prices on the Horizon

The Atlantic Council’s Patriciu Eurasia Center and Energy & Environment Program, as part of their Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative, held a discussion on EU-Russia energy relations and gas pricing with David Koranyi and Adnan Vatansever, coauthors of a new Council issue brief, “Lowering the Price of Russian Gas: A Challenge for European Energy Security.” The brief was released at […]

Russo-Chinese Energy Relations: Never-ending Foreplay?

By David Koranyi

As the officially anointed Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his first state visit abroad to Moscow, speculations are abound about a long-awaited breakthrough in energy relations between the two giants. Caution, however is warranted. The honeymoon in Russo-Chinese energy relations has been elusive and progress rather slow and uneven in the past years. China’s […]