Carnegie Moscow Center

Issues

The Carnegie Moscow Center hosts events and produces commentary and analysis addressing the most important issues in Russia’s domestic politics and international affairs, as well as the regions they affect.

Economic Crisis Русский

Despite the nascent recovery, many experts believe that the reasons for Russia’s downturn persist, including state-led monopolies, dependence on natural resources, non-market means of regulation, the lack of clear rules of the game and poor transparency. How will the crisis continue to affect the lives of Russians, and how effective is the government's response?
Energy Security Русский

What is the role of science and technology in strengthening energy security in Russia and Eurasia? Particular attention is paid to energy initiatives in which Russia can act alongside the U.S. and Europe. In addition, the Center examines Arctic technologies, the changing nature of hydrocarbon exploration, extraction and transportation, nuclear energy, clean coal and energy efficiency.
Iranian Nuclear Problem Русский

The U.S. sees Iran’s nuclear program as the biggest threat to security and insists on international sanctions. Iran argues that its program is exclusively peaceful and threatens to withdraw from the NPT if pressed. Will the international community pick up arms, or will it allow Teheran to achieve the full fuel cycle, under IAEA watch? That choice will determine regional and global security.
Korean Knot Русский

For decades, the North Korean nuclear problem has been at the center of Russian, American and Chinese foreign policy. North Korea seeks to exchange its nuclear program for security guarantees and economic support. Washington will not move forward until North Korea’s program is dismantled. China and Russia are active moderators between the two. But the issue is not only how to escape the crisis, but how to lay a new foundation for peace on the Korean peninsula.
Medvedev's Presidency Русский

As Putin’s successor, Medvedev operates within the inherited, clannish framework of “overmanaged democracy”, while Putin retains significant influence, now as a prime minister. The emergence of a second power center creates further uncertainty in a political system that faces inevitable change, driven by the myriad of social and economic challenges the country faces. Of particular importance is the strengthening and modernization of Russia’s weakened institutions.

Middle East and Central Asia Русский

Political transformation, state building, the development of civil society and international relations are reviewed in concert throughout the macroregion, whose borders stretch from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean and from the southern Urals to Xinjiang and which remains home to major conflicts of global concern. In recent years, these processes have been augmented by the issue of radical Islam, the roots of and prospects for which are at the center of analysis.
New Eastern Europe Русский

How stable are the new political systems in the region? Can these young states cope with the challenges of transition and modernization? Is there only one successful model, or is there also room for authoritarian-led economic growth, as in Russia and Belarus? How successful will the democratic projects be in the Baltic states, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova?
U.S.-Russia Relations Русский

Further improvements in the U.S.-Russian relationship would serve the interests of both countries, including by strengthening of Russia’s standing in the world, and would lay the foundation for solutions to such problems as collective security, nuclear nonproliferation, terrorism, energy security, the Iranian nuclear question and the stabilization of Afghanistan.
War and Peace in the Caucasus Русский

The emergence of the new states of the Caucasus has been strained by territorial disputes. Conflicts smolder in Chechnya, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Terrorism and extremism have spread into the region from neighboring Middle East and Central Asia. Islam has emerged as a factor of public life. Caspian oil and its transit routes to the West have become the object of rivalry between major powers. How these challenges are met will determine the security outlook for Russia, Europe and, in part, the United States.
Yukos Affair Русский

The imprisonment of Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his second trial reflect the strong-arm tendencies of Russian politics. What are the chances of a democratic reversal? How will the Khodorkovsky case develop, and what impact will it have on the country’s political life?