The upheaval in the Ukraine is rapidly escalating; we've compiled the best thinking on the topic to help you keep up
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What doctrine constitutes Obama’s foreign policy thus far? What options are left to Obama in his final two years to complete foreign policy goals and strengthen American power abroad? And what will be Obama’s legacy in foreign policy?
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While Putin certainly felt that he was, “returning [Crimea] to their home harbor,” his actions were aggressive and unwarranted. However, in condemning Putin's brazen defiance of international law, it is critical that the West’s foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine evolves from “Big Bad Vlad Stealing”, which is little more than a return to Cold War-politics, to a response that reflects the nuances and complexities of the Crimean situation.
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For now, Moscow has made no moves toward expanding its gains, and this hesitation likely indicates that the costs and risks of an air war against the Ukrainian military—as part of larger land operation or not—outweigh the benefits.
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The crisis in Ukraine will end either with a humiliated West or a neutralized Russia: here's how either scenario could happen
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Just as Putin has demonstrated his seriousness to the West, Europe and the United States must stand resolutely, in total lock-step, against this brazenly aggressive move by Russia. On its own, the US can and should pass targeted sanctions against Russia, and the White House should also coach its leader to not wear jeans during a critical phone call in full view of the world stage.
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There remains, however, a single and constant truth in the conflict; the West—in particular, the United States—has suffered one of the most dire strategic losses in its foreign policy over the past thirty years.
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Hassan Rouhani’s election as President of Iran has generated great excitement in the West. But the new president is not the only actor who could stand to play an important role in resolving the ongoing crisis between Iran and the West.
Read MoreInternational soccer can lead to respect and admiration for all different members of one’s nation and national team. But there are two teams in every match. The other team and the individuals that comprise it are “them,” one’s team is “us.” When a member of the opposition does not match the vision of what “us” looks like, especially when “us” is nearly homogeneous, it is easy to consider him an enemy.
Read MoreIn Russia’s parliamentary elections on December 4, 2011, United Russia – the party of President-turned-Prime Minister-turned-current-President Vladimir Putin – won the majority of seats in the Duma, the Russian Parliament, amid cries (and video evidence) of widespread election fraud.
Read MoreCurrently, the world’s geostrategic center is shifting northward, and few of us are paying attention.
Read MoreThursday evening, Professor Mitchell Orenstein of Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies presented his paper, “Post-Soviet Authoritarianism: The Influence of Russia in Its Near Abroad”.
Read MoreAs predicted, Vladimir Putin won the March 4 Russian presidential elections with over 60 percent of the vote. What followed were the expected accusations of illegitimacy from members of the opposition.
Read MoreOn Sunday, Russians from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok will vote to decide who will be president for the next six years.
Read MoreThis month, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev sent a bill to the Duma calling for the reinstatement of direct gubernatorial elections by the people of Russia’s provinces.
Read MoreThe pose is almost menacing. Two penetrating, steel-blue eyes gaze downward at the viewer, the mouth calm but clenched. Russian president Vladimir Putin, Time’s 2007 Person of the Year, projects a threatening image in the magazine’s cover shot. The same could be said about Russia’s current image in the West.
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