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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.

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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

New Atlanticist

Apr 17, 2009

Medvedev Pluralism Push: Perestroika II or Good Cop, Bad Cop?

By James Joyner

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has launched a rhetorical campaign pushing for more openness in his country’s politics.  Some analysts see this as an attempt to establish a distinct alternative with Vladimir Putin while others are more skeptical.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Apr 16, 2009

Russia: Cancel NATO Exercise with Georgia

By James Joyner

Russian is urging NATO to cancel military exercises with Georgia planned for next month. A current round of demonstrations against Mikheil Saakashvili has only further increased tensions in the region, he noted.

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2009

Georgian Protests: A Threat to US-Russia Relations?

By Valerie Nichols

Tbilisi has been overrun by tens of thousands of protestors. An estimated 60,000 people have turned up outside of Georgia’s parliament to rally against President Mikhail Saakashvili, blaming him for the 2008 disastrous conflict with Russia and continuing economic recession, as well as accusing him of stifling democracy.

Russia The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2009

Hedging Our Relations with Russia

By Bernard Finel

The recent spate of activity in U.S.-Russian relations is fundamentally about the whether the United States ought to be hedging against future Russian hostility. 

Russia United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2009

Obama’s Russia Reset – Don’t Forget About Congress

By Nikolas Gvosdev

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev had a cordial meeting last week. No major breakthroughs occurred, but both men indicated that they could do business together. That’s not going to be enough.

Russia United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2009

Medvedev And The Need To De-Personalize Foreign Policy

By Daniel Larison

Ross Douthat  mentions this profile of Russian President Medvedev as an interesting source of background, and I agree that it is a useful primer on Medvedev if you are not familiar with his career prior to his elevation by Putin and election, but I am instinctively wary of efforts to interpret the actions of foreign […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2009

Russia Must Also Hit the Reset Button

By Damon Wilson

In London today, President Obama will begin to test whether he can hit the reset button in U.S.-Russian relations during his first bilateral meeting with President Medvedev.  This is not the first time the United States has tried to “reset” relations with a post-Soviet Moscow.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 27, 2009

Russia Ending War in Chechnya?

By James Joyner

Russia appears ready to declare victory and end its struggle in the breakaway republic of Chechna, Radio Free Europe reports.  Budget concerns, rather than a change of heart or conditions on the ground, is the likely culprit.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2009

Russia Revamps Military in Response to NATO Expansion

By Peter Cassata

Speaking to high-level generals this week, Dmitry Medvedev vowed to move forward with controversial personnel reforms and rearmament plans for Russia’s military.  He cited NATO expansion as the primary motivator for the plans, sparking concerns about a renewed arms race in the face of deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations.

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 14, 2009

Russia Considers Caribbean Based Bombers

By James Joyner

A senior Russian general says his country is contemplating basing strategic bombers in the Caribbean, either on a Venezuelan island or Cuba. 

Cuba Russia

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