Washington seems to believe that isolating Russia from the world economy will compel the Kremlin to align more with American interests. However, this belief is premised on the idea that there is no alternative to SWIFT or the Western economic order.
Category: russia
Losing at Home, Putin Gambles Abroad
Even in the very beginning, Putin owed his popularity to his wartime policies. His handling of the Chechen Wars at the turn of the century earned him widespread support at the end of a period of severe economic decline under his controversial predecessor, Boris Yeltsin.
It’s Time To Take Some Responsibility In Ukraine
It should be no surprise to anyone in Washington when Russia invades or uses pro-Russian actors as proxies to prevent Western encroachment into its sphere. Over seven years removed from the annexation of Crimea, it is a fool’s errand to continually try to attribute blame to Russia when many actors are clearly responsible.
The Winner of a US-China War over Taiwan Is…Russia?
Russia does not possess enough latent power to seek military entanglement, but it might not have to if the U.S. and China were to fight a long and costly war. Russia would be thrilled with a conflict that saps the strengths of both its largest competitors.
The Poland-Belarus Scenario Nobody is Talking About
A shooting scenario must be taken seriously. It could happen one of two ways. First, someone on the Belarussian side could provide one of the trapped, freshly traumatized and outraged migrants a gun and let them do what they will. Second, an agent provocateur could infiltrate a migrant camp to gesture threateningly or pull the trigger themselves.
Northern Syria’s Status Quo: Kind Words and Cruel Airstrikes
Putin and Erdogan like to look friendly for the cameras, but Moscow and Ankara oppose each other in almost every regional conflict in which they are involved. Their friendship is not meant to last.
Sino-Russian Military Cooperation: An Overblown Affair
On the surface, Sino-Russian cooperation speaks to some level of improving relations and expanding capabilities. But what does that truly mean for the US?
[ACE Explainer] EU and NATO Expansion in the Soviet Bloc
The Realist Review is pleased to provide this briefer courtesy of the Alliance for Citizen Engagement (ACE).
Russia Moves to Censor Internet
Image by Matt Brafman Written by Christina M. Vogel A series of bills in Russian parliament passed making “disrespect” to the Russian government and spreading “fake news” a criminal offense. Depending on the offense, these crimes result in jail time or fines. The bills themselves include Sovereign Internet. With this new bill, Russia follows China’s … Continue reading Russia Moves to Censor Internet
The Democratic Party’s Foreign Policy Drift on Russia
Image source: wikimedia By Coleman Hopkins Since the Vietnam War, Americans could largely count on Democrats, particularly those in Congress, to be voices for moderation in international relations. Their support for debate before action provided calming introspection in deliberation on foreign affairs discourse in government. Oftentimes, they were the few domestic critics of … Continue reading The Democratic Party’s Foreign Policy Drift on Russia