Carnegie Moscow Center
From Vladimir Putin’s perspective, U.S. policies in the Middle East since the beginning of the Arab Awakening have been misguided, unprincipled, and dangerous, and Washington’s record of prognostication and intervention has been abysmal.
Snowden did not create the security-privacy dilemma, but he did illuminate a deeply rooted problem that Western leaders have long tried to obscure.
Putin will make it clear again that Russian domestic politics is off limits to Washington. By the time Obama arrives for his scheduled visit to Moscow, Snowden will have left the airport, and be silent.
Edward Snowden’s stay in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport has contributed to the already charged atmosphere of U.S.-Russia relations.
The Euro-Atlantic security community is the most successful to date. But can it rise to the challenge of integrating post-Soviet nations—perhaps even Russia itself?
There are growing signs that strategic relations between China and Russia are on an upswing. Yet the nuclear and strategic relationship between these two powers remains largely unexamined, as do their long-term prospects for cooperation.
Russia has the potential to play a critical role as a global mediator, moderating international tension and fostering global understanding. Unfortunately, as things stand today, this potential remains unrealized.
Shifts in Russia’s foreign policy following Putin’s return to power result from significant changes in the country’s domestic situation and a shifting global environment.
The Russian and Chinese states are trying to use Snowden, as well as Assange, to discredit liberal democracies—above all, the United States. The Kremlin also sees the Snowden case as a way to crack down on democratic freedoms inside of Russia.
Snowden’s continued stay in the Moscow airport has put new strains on the U.S.-Russian relationship. While Moscow is unwilling to extradite Snowden, it has also stopped short of embracing the fugitive.