Russia

Russian Elections: US and Europe Must Rethink the ‘Reset’

By Kurt Volker

As Vladimir Putin is set to return to the presidency after Russian elections March 4, the US and Europe must rethink the “reset” policy that has guided their approach to Moscow for the past several years. Russia is experiencing the most dynamic period of political activity it has seen since the time of Boris Yeltsin. […]

Putin’s Return and NATO-Russia Relations: Back to the Future

By Jakub Kulhanek

Shocking no one, Vladimir Putin will return to the Russian presidency following Sunday’s election. While it remains to be seen how the people who already took to the streets after the Duma elections respond to his return to the Kremlin, there is little doubt that Russia is entering uncharted waters of domestic uncertainty and possible […]

Ukraine, Like Russia, Is Becoming a ‘Virtual Mafia State’

By Taras Kuzio

Yuriy Lutsenko, former Interior Minister in two governments led by Yulia Tymoshenko, was sentenced this week to four years imprisonment and given a three years ban from public office.

Putin Has Already Won. What Will He Do Now?

By Dean Jackson

Vladimir Putin has already won next week’s presidential election. He is the only viable candidate in a field of Kremlin approved have-beens and sell-outs; considerable administrative resources have been marshaled to secure his first-round victory; and he retains popularity measurably greater than that of his affiliated party. His actions following this long-expected victory will signal […]

Living With Putin Redux

By Ross Wilson

Few people think that the upcoming Russian presidential election will result in anything other than Vladimir Putin’s restoration to the Kremlin. No credible opposition figure exists – or can be allowed to exist given the logic of the Russian system. Putin may not get the 51per cent required for a first round win, but victory […]

Managing US-Russian Relations During the Year of Political Transitions: A Perspective from Moscow

On January 27, the Atlantic Council held an off-the-record discussion on developments in Russia and in US-Russian relations with Dr. Sergey Rogov, the director for the Institute for US and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Ambassador Richard Burt, Senior Advisor at McLarty Associates and member of the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors, […]