Other than the repeated denunciations of the west aggravating the situation by a coterie of Russian government officials (Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed claims that Russian troops were in Crimea as an “act of provocation” and “utter nonsense”), one would be hard pressed to find any serious commentator still denying that the troops blockading Ukrainian […]
In Ukraine, the images of Berkut riot police fighting protestors on Kiev’s Maidan have been replaced by ones of the officers on their knees asking for forgiveness. And while Ukraine seeks to compose itself, questions have emerged in the wake of the fall of the government. The unifying objective of ousting Yanukovych has been replaced […]
It seems that Putin has ended the all-but-already-certain debate on whether Egyptian General and de-facto government caretaker Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will run for President by declaring, “I know that you, esteemed minister of defense, have decided to seek the office of president,” continuing to describe it as a “responsible decision.” The ebullient congratulations by Putin […]
Putin and Russia seem to have a seemingly endless ability to spend money to support the country’s political aspirations. Whether it’s the mindboggling $50 billion for Putin’s pet project on the Sochi Olympics (up from Putin’s initial estimate of $12 billion, with which he personally used to lobby the IOC in Guatemala), the $2 billion […]
In the aftermath of terrorist attacks and during times of societal turmoil, it is quite common to see the introduction of security or emergency measures which give security services increased powers. Sometimes these powers are time-constrained and meant as a temporary measure to—at least publicly—reduce the constraints on the security services ability to counter terrorism, […]
The recent bombings in Volgograd and a car bomb in Pyatigorsk (3 dead) have captured the attention of the international community, not only because of the horrific nature of the attacks but because they have taken place in cities outside the Caucasus republics that are normally the scene of such attacks, and due to the […]
The headlines over the last couple weeks have rightly been focused on Ukraine and its unenviable position as a pawn being torn asunder by the competing interests of the EU and Russia. The situation is merely another example of how Russia uses economic intimidation and its supply of hydrocarbons to enact foreign policy ambitions (Russia […]
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin attracted international attention when he appeared to publicly rebuke his Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. For all the attention the incident received, the reason for the dispute between Medvedev and Putin has been largely ignored by the media. The Interpreter’s Andrew Bowen examines the new tax fraud laws, backed by Putin, […]
The West and Russia continue to bicker over who can attend the much vaulted Geneva II peace summits, and the death and destruction has not stopped in Syria. While it seems that, for the moment, Syria is adhering to dismantling its chemical weapons programs, thousands of civilians continue to be killed by Assad, through a […]
To many commenters and analysts, the concept of the inviolability of law and individual rights in Russia is almost assuredly viewed as a fanciful or abstract idea that has yet to reach its shores. One need only to look at the trials of dissidents, from Oligarchs and investors to punk rockers, political opponents and business […]
