Russia’s economic crisis is forcing the government to trim its prized defense budget, and if the situation worsens, President Vladimir Putin may have to choose between his current saber-rattling and buying the new equipment his Soviet-style forces have been promised. Back in 2011, when relations with the West were relatively tranquil and Russia’s shows of force […]
Current dialogue between Russia and the West scarcely deserves the name. Too often, it is simply a contest of postures and a recitation of grievances, each side clinging to positions stripped of nuance or scope for compromise. This is doing no one any good. For all kinds of reasons, the West needs more unsentimental Russophiles. Read Here – The Moscow Times
The build-up to this year’s Victory Day celebration has coincided with a Stalinist renaissance of sorts. Against the backdrop of the crisis in neighboring Ukraine, a state-sponsored effort to fan patriotic sentiment in Russia has brought about a reassessment of the dictator’s contribution to its history. In Moscow, bookshops are filled with volumes casting a […]
Rolling through Red Square to the tune of patriotic war hymns, Russia’s new battle tank, the Armata T-14, will surely steal the show on Saturday during Moscow’s blowout celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. But despite the pomp and circumstance of its unveiling, experts said that the massive new tank, hailed by Russia’s media as one of the best […]
This May’s parade in Moscow to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II promises to be the greatest Victory Day celebration since the Soviet Union’s collapse. Some 16,000 soldiers, 200 armored vehicles, and 150 planes and helicopters are set to pass through and over Red Square. It will be a scene […]
Amid Russia’s economic woes, billions of dollars continue to disappear in offshore havens. The net outflow of capital from Russia reached $32.6 billion during the first quarter of 2015, according to the nation’s Central Bank. Read Here – Eurasianet
It looks like a new Cold War between Russia and the West is inevitable, even if the conflict in Ukraine remains “frozen” in its current form until at least this summer. It became clear one year ago with the annexation of Crimea and the start of the war in eastern Ukraine that Russia’s relations with Europe — and especially with the United States — would not remain the same as before. […]
Russia doesn’t just need petroleum to fuel its tanks and planes, but to pay for them as well. Because oil and gas revenues comprise half the federal budget, defense spending is tethered to energy prices. Read Here – Moscow Times
Critical events of early 2015—cheap oil and Middle East violence—will probably continue to take their toll as the year goes on, according to a new projection of geopolitical hot spots. Lower overall prices for commodities may hurt the economies of resource-rich nations. Read Here – Bloomberg
For most of the West, Vladimir Putin is a bogeyman. His love affair with the thuggish separatists in eastern Ukraine has blotched his image across the democratic world. In November, he had to slink away prematurely from the G20 Summit in Australia after he was snubbed by just about every leader who counted. Yet the reception […]
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