Russia

Turn on the TV today, and you could be forgiven for thinking it's 1999. Democrats and Republicans are bickering about where and how to intervene, whether to do it alone or with allies and what kind of world America should lead. Democrats believe they can hit a reset button, and Republicans believe muscular moralism is the way to go. It's as if the first decade of the 21st century didn't happen -- and almost as if history itself doesn't happen.… more

The intersection of ongoing structural shifts in international energy markets with strategic trends in global financial markets poses the most profound challenge to American hegemony since the end of the Cold War. In 2006, Pierre Noël and I wrote in these pages about an "axis of oil" -- a loose and shifting coalition of energy-exporting and -importing states, anchored by Russia and China, that is emerging as a counterweight to the United States (so far, most notably in Central Asia… more

What will Putin’s legacy amount to? For starters, let us dispense with a giant "red herring" that too many Western commentators have pursued for far too long.

What I am referring to is the question of whether Putin is a “democratic reformer” -- or a “Soviet authoritarian.”

The answer, of course, is that Putin is an authoritarian reformer. He is profoundly committed to reforms intended to make Russia into a successful modern state. But at the same time,… more

Our meal with President Vladimir Putin took place at the presidential villa at Novo-Ogaryevo in 2006.

The drive to the presidential village was a short tour of the world of the new Russian elite -- which is now not so very new anymore, given the years that have passed since the Soviet collapse.

The road led through the former village of Zhukovka, now containing enormous villas -- some almost as large as that of the president.

We… more

The Bush administration likes to boast that it has dramatically cut the size of the nation's nuclear stockpile. Meanwhile, it's busily trying to shore up congressional support for multibillion-dollar proposals to "modernize" the bristling U.S. arsenal. A world that's skeptical about the last superpower's intentions only gets more so when U.S. officials push unconvincing lines about the world's deadliest weapons. So here are a few myths about the U.S. nuclear posture of which the administration seems particularly fond.

He was a poet, a singer and a voracious reader. He memorized works by Gogol and Chekhov and amused himself with Thackeray, Balzac and Plato. At seminary, he'd sneak his worldly texts in and read by candlelight, sometimes hiding the banned books in stacks of firewood. He intensively studied Esperanto when he thought it the likely language of the future. "He didn't just read books," said a friend. "He ate them."

He had a lovely voice and was often hired to… more

Perhaps it's time to add the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to that list of things that, like houseguests and fish, can overstay their welcome. The bank now strays so far from its original remit that it risks spoiling the legacy of its earlier successes. The EBRD should quit while ahead, declare victory and be privatized.

At its pinnacle, the EBRD was a triumph of financial statecraft. Established in 1990 with funding from the U.S., the EU and other governments,… more

Only a few years ago, Russia and the United States seemed to be headed towards a mutually-beneficial partnership in the common fight against international terrorism. But Russia’s recent behavior has left many wondering about its intentions, particularly when it comes to the United States. Fundamental disagreements on key issues and strong anti-American sentiment among the Russian population leave little doubt the relationship is strained. The threat of a renewed Cold War—or, worse, yet, military confrontation—has put the two former rivals… more

Are we focused on Iran, or not? The Bush administration says that Iran is the greatest threat to our effort in Iraq, to the security of Israel and to the oil-rich Persian Gulf. Indeed, the White House says that Iran is the principal supporter of terrorism around the world. And, oh yes, Tehran is working to get a nuke.

So if all that’s true, why are we antagonizing the key countries we’d need to help us against Iran? Why drive away… more

The history of the world came down to this. Ronald Reagan is standing in a room in Iceland with three men: Richard Perle, the young hawk; Paul Nitze, the old sage; George Shultz, the steady counsel. Mikhail Gorbachev is upstairs. "Everything could be decided right now," Gorbachev mutters as he paces.

The four Americans are discussing a massive arms-control deal, and right now it depends on minutiae. The two sides already have agreed to fantastic reductions in the nuclear weapons that… more