Carnegie Moscow Center
Moscow does not believe that withdrawing the support from the Syrian government and giving this support to the opposition will resolve the conflict in the country.
Greater understanding and cooperation with China is crucial to Russia’s future as a Euro-Pacific nation-state.
The balance in Sino-Russian economic relations has shifted heavily in favor of the Chinese, and Moscow’s long-term strategy toward China will likely seek to make their relationship more equal.
Although Washington invested in Dmitry Medvedev as Russian president, they also kept in mind the power of Vladimir Putin. With Putin’s decision to return to the presidency in 2012, communication between the two capitals is likely to become more streamlined and straightforward.
The Middle East is in a state of heightened tension following Israel’s armed attack on a flotilla of humanitarian aid. If nations in the region are determined to provoke a war, little can be done to prevent conflict from escalating.
Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama recently signed a treaty to cut both countries' nuclear arms stockpiles. Although this agreement changes little in the strategic environment between the two countries, it may give a boost to the “reset” initiative.
The new nuclear arms reduction treaty is a positive outcome of the "reset" in U.S.-Russian relations, and will be a significant contribution to global non-proliferation efforts.
While U.S.-Russian strategic thinking is broadly aligned and an agreement replacing START I is expected to be signed in early April, it remains important to broaden the circle of nuclear powers engaged in the disarmament process.
Despite President Obama’s upcoming participation in the Russia-U.S. summit in St. Petersburg, much of the American foreign policy community remains at odds over U.S. policy towards Moscow.
Barack Obama’s term as U.S. president is likely to signal a change in U.S.-Russian relations, with U.S. foreign policy emphasizing pragmatism over ideology.