Carnegie Moscow Center
Russia is no longer an empire, but it is not yet a nation-state either. To be seen as a great power in the twenty-first century, it has to reform its institutions and economy and become a great country.
While Russia is still an important global strategic player, thanks to its oil and gas reserves and nuclear arsenal, it lacks the will and the resources to enact a return to the Russian empire.
Mikhail Gorbachev reflects on the fall of the Soviet Union, U.S. actions in the last twenty years, and Putin and Medvedev’s roles in Russia today.
Putin’s return to the Russian presidency will not undo the U.S.-Russia reset, but it will change the dynamics of the relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Putin’s new term will largely bring a continuation of the status quo and while his grip on power will arouse anxieties in the West, he will not undo the U.S.-Russia reset.
British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Moscow resolved few of the fundamental issues afflicting UK-Russian relations. Yet by moving the relationship on beyond politics, the visit proved to be a rather useful one.
Turkey’s approach to regional tensions and other looming security challenges is shaped by its deep commitment to building stability and cooperation in its neighborhood and the wider Euro-Atlantic community.
The fall of the Soviet Union and end of communism in Russia caught the world by surprise twenty years ago.
Russian liberals, like many of their counterparts across Russian society, need to set aside their patronizing attitude toward Ukraine and their longing for the historical might of the Soviet Union.
The U.S.-Russian bilateral relationship is still vulnerable, and the United States and Russia should take steps now to build a foundation for cooperation that is so broad and deep it cannot easily be upset.