Special Issue | Russia-Ukraine: where to now? | 31st May 2022
SPECIAL ISSUE RUSSIA-UKRAINE: WHERE TO NOW? Ukraine vs Russia becomes NATO vs Russia In early-April, there was a dramatic shift in the US/NATO approach to the Russia-Ukraine war. US and European statements defined new, maximalist goals for its endgame. President Biden’s remark in end-March that “Putin cannot remain in power” had been quickly ‘clarified’ by his aides […]
Special Issue | Russia Goes to War | 5th April 2022
SPECIAL ISSUE RUSSIA GOES TO WAR Russia leaps over the cliff After four months of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders, President Putin announced his decision to launch a “special military operation” into Ukraine, early in the morning on 24 February. This was preceded by an equally dramatic announcement on 21 February of Russia’s recognition of the two […]
Special Issue | War Clouds Over Ukraine ? | 25th January 2022
SPECIAL ISSUE WAR CLOUDS OVER UKRAINE ? Sabre-rattling and verbal volleys The decibel-level of the Russia-West standoff over Ukraine has been rising inexorably over recent weeks. Reports of the Russian military build-up near Ukraine’s borders quote ever-higher troop figures and more aggressive postures. Russia has been accused of political subversion in Ukraine, false flag operations […]
Russia Review | November 2021
Overview • India-Russia relations seek a revival• Re-engaging on Afghanistan• US & Russia spar and talk India-Russia relations seek a revival 2020 and 2021 have seen a litany of commentaries on the health and relevance of the India-Russia relationship, prompted by the postponement of the annual summit in 2020, the India-China standoff in Ladakh, President Putin’s comments on […]
Russia Review | October 2021
Overview • Russia shrugs off Nobel Peace Prize message• US & Russia tone down rhetoric and rev up engagement• Finding a modus vivendi on Ukraine Russia shrugs off Nobel Peace Prize message The award of the Nobel Peace Prize 2021 was awaited with expectant anticipation in various constituencies in the post-Soviet space. The responses to the announcement ranged […]
Russia Review | September 2021
Overview • Russia flexes oil and gas muscle• Retaining the initiative on Afghanistan• Parliamentary elections show public apathy Russia flexes oil and gas muscle About a couple of months ago, the Russian media bristled at President Biden’s comment that President Putin was in “real trouble”, because of an economy “that has nuclear weapons and oil wealth and nothing […]
Russia Review | August 2021
Overview • Afghanistan: Russian schadenfreude may be short-lived• Can/Will the US engineer a Russia-China split? • Russia and India re-engage on Afghanistan Afghanistan: Russian schadenfreude may be short-lived As the Taliban rolled into Kabul with unexpected ease, the first reactions in Russian media, academia and officialdom were of glee at the Americans’ discomfiture. The social media gloated that […]
Russia Review | July 2021
Overview • Russia’s National Security Strategy looks inward • India & Russia rediscover convergences • As India disavows non-alignment, Russia embraces it• Putin bats for Sputnik Russia’s National Security Strategy looks inward On July 2, the Russian president signed off on the country’s new National Security Strategy (NSS), succeeding NSS 2015. NSS 2021 has apparently been under discussion in the Russian […]
Russia Review | June 2021
Overview • Biden and Putin explore “rules of the road”• Proof of the pudding: Afghanistan, Iran, Syria• Russia and China transcend alliance• Putin skates around the Quad Biden and Putin explore “rules of the road” The June 16 Biden-Putin meeting in Geneva – awaited with anticipation in Russia, unease in Europe and scepticism in the US – generated just […]
Russia Review | May 2021
Overview • US & Russia move gingerly towards a summit • The US yields on NordStream2 • Ukraine feels let down by the US & NATO• Lukashenka challenges Europe by “hijacking” an aircraft US & Russia move gingerly towards a summit With the US Intelligence Community confirming Russia’s interference in the Presidential elections of 2020 and its involvement in the […]