Carnegie Moscow Center
The West must look ahead to when President Lukashenka is no longer in office and help the people of Belarus develop its civil society.
President Obama's visit to Warsaw serves as a geopolitical re-investment in a region that hosts Europe’s most pro-American populace, and which had developed very serious doubts over whether the United States was still the reliable friend and ally they want so much.
As Belarus faces increased isolation and potential economic collapse, it is time for the international community to come together and seek a least bad outcome for the short term, while laying the foundation for long-term positive change.
Osama bin Laden’s death will not immediately deal a fatal blow to Islamic extremism, but it could potentially help to improve the situation in Afghanistan.
Twenty years after Russia cast off its Soviet economic model, its central bank is still struggling to keep inflation under control. To moderate price increases, the central bank must clarify its approach to monetary policy.
While China’s new aircraft carrier does not pose a major threat to U.S. forces or allies in the Western Pacific, the United States needs to take steps to communicate this message of reassurance to countries in the region.
Although movement is being made toward the resumption of six-party talks with North Korea, persistent disagreements will likely prevent any meaningful progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The most likely reason that Russians have not risen up in a revolution like the people in Egypt is not the Kremlin’s tight grip on power, but rather the fact that there is no widespread popular demand for democracy in Russia.
In spite of predicted growth in 2011, the Russian economy faces a number of serious challenges as it recovers from the global financial crisis.
The feelings of optimism and hope that accompanied the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions have recently been mixed with concern over the course of events in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and other countries.
The launch of U.S. and European military operations against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi could have unexpected consequences and encourage some regimes to step up their efforts to develop a weapons arsenal in order to prevent the possibility of outside attack.
Japan has been hit by the most powerful earthquake in recorded history and many countries, including Russia, have offered assistance. Russia should give Japan all the help it needs during this terrifying experience.
Amidst the drama of the worst seismic catastrophe in Japan’s recorded history, the Japanese government and its nuclear industry have been struggling to prevent a power reactor core melt accident similar to that which occurred at Three Mile Island in the United States three decades ago.
There is widespread concern both inside Ukraine and in the international community about the country’s course as fears grow that Viktor Yanukovych’s policies are rolling back Ukraine’s political freedoms.
The U.S.-Russia "reset" will face significant challenges as it matures. Both sides must show sensitivity and flexibility in recognizing each other’s political and security constraints, and think creatively to find possible common ground.
One major risk coming out of Libya’s escalating internal turmoil is the ability for dangerous Islamist fighters who were previously in custody to threaten U.S. interests.
Russia’s economic performance exceeded expectations in 2010, but inflation continues to worry policy makers. While they are attempting to curb rising prices, they are avoiding other necessary reforms for fear of inciting protests as elections approach.
In spite of the massive popular protests that have swept away two Arab strongmen and shaken half a dozen monarchies and republics, the Arab world has yet to witness any fundamental change in ruling elites and even less in the nature of governance.
While the EU and the United States enacted strong repercussions for the violent crackdowns following Belarus' December presidential elections, long-term stability will require moving beyond the current political stalemate.
The 1861 reform sounded the death knell for Russian feudalism, and attempts by the ruling bureaucracy’s to restore some aspects of feudal government should have no place.