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Russia and Eurasia

The end of the Cold war marked the beginning of a new paradigm in US-Russian relations, which is no longer based on ideological chasm, but on geopolitical rivalry. While the U.S. was willing to embrace Russia in a new partnership, Moscow’s support of Iran’s nuclear weapons program; Syria’s Assad regime; pursuit of a "privileged sphere of interests" in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe, vociferous opposition to NATO missile defense; and internal repression, make such a relationship difficult.

Our Research & Offerings on Russia and Eurasia
  • Issue Brief posted February 20, 2013 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. U.S. Policy on Russia for Obama’s Second Term

    Since Vladimir Putin’s third inauguration as Russian president last May, U.S.–Russian relations have deteriorated sharply. Officials on both sides have moved past the “reset” honeymoon as disagreements over geopolitics and human rights abound. Spanning two continents and with a veto on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Russia is uniquely positioned to play a…

  • Issue Brief posted January 18, 2013 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Hagel and Kerry Views on Russia

    President Barack Obama’s new foreign policy team is facing Senate approval: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House chief counterterrorism advisor John Brennan for director of the CIA. All three will confront a truculent Russia. However, their past statements and support of the…

  • Testimony posted December 5, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Iran Threatens U.S. Interests in the South Caucasus

    Testimony before the Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives December 5, 2012 Chairman Burton, Members of Congress, Ladies and Gentlemen: My name is Ariel Cohen. I am the Senior Research Fellow…

  • Testimony posted September 21, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. The Importance of the Upcoming Georgian Elections for the United States and the West

    Testimony before The Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), U.S. Congress September 20, 2012 Mr. Chairman, Congressmen, Secretary Melia, Ladies and Gentlemen: My name is Ariel Cohen. I am Senior Research Fellow, Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy at The Heritage Foundation. The…

  • Issue Brief posted September 11, 2012 by Baker Spring, Michaela Dodge Annual Compliance Report: Lack of Clarity Damaging to U.S. Security

    The State Department’s August 2012 report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments (the so-called Annual Compliance Report) is an exercise in ambiguity which illustrates the difficulties involved in judging other countries’ compliance with multilateral and bilateral treaties related to weapons of mass…

  • Special Report posted June 26, 2012 by James M. Roberts, Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. How More Economic Freedom Will Attract Investment to Kazakhstan and Central Asia

    About the Authors James M. Roberts is Research Fellow for Economic Freedom and Growth in the Center for International Trade and Economics (CITE ) at The Heritage Foundation. Ariel Cohen, PhD , is Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy in the Douglas and Sarah…

  • Commentary posted June 1, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Russia's Double-Headed Government

    Last week, the Russian capital played a great parlor game: who is in and who's out in the Putin presidential administration and Dmitri Medvedev's cabinet. More important for U.S. policy makers is understanding the contradictory nature of the new double-headed government Mr. Putin has created. By applying the Roman dictum "divide and rule," Putin has enhanced his…

  • Issue Brief posted May 31, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. To-Do List for Hillary Clinton’s Upcoming Trip to the Caucasus and Turkey

    On May 31, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will begin her tour of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. In Scandinavia, she will address several forums on climate change and green energy. While in Sweden, she will also discuss Internet freedom, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. But it is in the Caucasus and Turkey that Clinton will…

  • Backgrounder posted May 14, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Bryan Riley After WTO Membership: Promoting Human Rights in Russia with the Magnitsky Act

    Abstract: Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will put U.S. companies at a disadvantage with their global competitors unless Congress first exempts Russia from the application of the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, a tool from the 1970s designed to promote human rights that no longer advances that goal. Russia admittedly suffers from weak rule of law and…

  • Lecture posted May 8, 2012 by Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D., Marc A. Thiessen, Clifford D. May, Helle C. Dale The Obama Doctrine at Year Three: An Assessment

    Abstract: Even before taking office, President Obama began laying out the tenets of a doctrine that would enable his Administration to remake America as one nation among many, with no singular claim to responsibility or exceptionalism. These tenets include a more humble engagement with the world and more reliance on others, as well as treaties and international…

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  • Backgrounder posted December 1, 2010 by Mackenzie Eaglen, Lajos F. Szaszdi, Ph.D. What Russia’s Stealth Fighter Developments Mean for America

    Abstract: Russia’s development of the PAK FA fifth-generation stealth fighter could challenge American air supremacy, especially if Russia sells the PAK FA to its usual buyers of military equipment. In the U.S., closure of the F-22 production line has severely limited America’s ability to respond to PAK FA proliferation by building more F-22s and potentially…

  • Backgrounder posted March 26, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. A Threat to the West: The Rise of Islamist Insurgency in the Northern Caucasus and Russia’s Inadequate Response

    Abstract: The Islamist insurgency in Russia’s Northern Caucasus threatens to turn the region into a haven for international terrorism and to destabilize the entire region, which is a critical hub of oil and gas pipelines located at Europe’s doorstep. Neither Russia’s excessive use of military force nor its massive economic aid to the region appear to have helped. The U.S.…

  • Issue Brief posted February 20, 2013 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. U.S. Policy on Russia for Obama’s Second Term

    Since Vladimir Putin’s third inauguration as Russian president last May, U.S.–Russian relations have deteriorated sharply. Officials on both sides have moved past the “reset” honeymoon as disagreements over geopolitics and human rights abound. Spanning two continents and with a veto on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Russia is uniquely positioned to play a…

  • Backgrounder posted January 9, 1980 by James Phillips The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

    (Archived document, may contain errors) THE SOVIET INVAS./ON OF AFGHANISTAN INTRODUCTION On December 27, 1979, under cover cf an ongoing Soviet military buildup, heavily-armed elements of a Soviet airborne brigade were airlifted into Kabul, Afghanistan, to violently overthrow the regime of President Hafizollah Amin. Within hours after the beginning of…

  • Backgrounder posted November 19, 2007 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Domestic Factors Driving Russia's Foreign Policy

    Russia's foreign policy assertiveness, funded by revenues from natural resources, makes many believe that a new energy empire is on the rise. The country today is ruled by post-Soviet security and military elites that have internalized the jingoistic values of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. These elites view the outside world almost exclusively through the…

  • WebMemo posted October 7, 2005 by The Honorable Kassymzhomart Tokaev Kazakhstan: The Democratic Path for Peace and Prosperity

    The challenges of creating a modern democracy after more than two centuries of foreign domination have made the Kazakh experience a valuable one to be shared with other nations. Today, Kazakhstan has one of the world's fastest developing economies with multibillion-dollar foreign investment and a vibrant growing democracy and is walking on the world stage as a full…

  • WebMemo posted April 26, 2007 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Boris Yeltsin's Historic Role

    Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, who passed away on April 23 at the age of 76, was a controversial ruler to whom the Russian people owe a debt of gratitude. U.S. leaders worked closely with Yeltsin to keep Russia on track during the hardest days of the post-communist collapse, to prevent the former Soviet Union from becoming a Yugoslavia-style bloodbath, and to keep over…

  • Backgrounder posted May 30, 2008 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Lisa Curtis, Owen Graham The Proposed Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline: An Unacceptable Risk to Regional Security

    The foreign policies of India and Pakistan are driven increasingly by energy security. To sustain their booming economies and growing populations amid tight oil and gas markets, Indian and Pakistani policymakers are turning to energy deals with unsa­vory regimes, such as Iran's. At the same time, energy-producing states including Iran and Russia are attempting to tap new…

  • WebMemo posted August 22, 2008 by Sally McNamara, Brett D. Schaefer U.S. Should Ensure That Georgia's Sovereignty and TerritorialIntegrity Are Not Undermined by the United Nations

    As Russia slowly begins to withdraw its troops from Georgia, attention now moves to the question of Russia's future presence in Georgia and in the secessionist Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia rejected a French-drafted U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling on Moscow to return to its pre-war position of August 6. Russia followed…

  • WebMemo posted July 21, 2008 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Ray Walser, Ph.D. The Russia-Venezuela Axis: Using Energy for Geopolitical Advantage

    When Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez touches down in Moscow on July 22 to meet with the duumvirate of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev, he will be ready for more than the usual diplomatic photo-op. This odd trio will be well-positioned to plan substantial international mischief. A Russian-Venezuelan axis is a 21st-century throwback to…

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  • Issue Brief posted February 20, 2013 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. U.S. Policy on Russia for Obama’s Second Term

    Since Vladimir Putin’s third inauguration as Russian president last May, U.S.–Russian relations have deteriorated sharply. Officials on both sides have moved past the “reset” honeymoon as disagreements over geopolitics and human rights abound. Spanning two continents and with a veto on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Russia is uniquely positioned to play a…

  • Issue Brief posted January 18, 2013 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Hagel and Kerry Views on Russia

    President Barack Obama’s new foreign policy team is facing Senate approval: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House chief counterterrorism advisor John Brennan for director of the CIA. All three will confront a truculent Russia. However, their past statements and support of the…

  • Issue Brief posted September 11, 2012 by Baker Spring, Michaela Dodge Annual Compliance Report: Lack of Clarity Damaging to U.S. Security

    The State Department’s August 2012 report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments (the so-called Annual Compliance Report) is an exercise in ambiguity which illustrates the difficulties involved in judging other countries’ compliance with multilateral and bilateral treaties related to weapons of mass…

  • Special Report posted June 26, 2012 by James M. Roberts, Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. How More Economic Freedom Will Attract Investment to Kazakhstan and Central Asia

    About the Authors James M. Roberts is Research Fellow for Economic Freedom and Growth in the Center for International Trade and Economics (CITE ) at The Heritage Foundation. Ariel Cohen, PhD , is Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy in the Douglas and Sarah…

  • Issue Brief posted May 31, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. To-Do List for Hillary Clinton’s Upcoming Trip to the Caucasus and Turkey

    On May 31, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will begin her tour of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. In Scandinavia, she will address several forums on climate change and green energy. While in Sweden, she will also discuss Internet freedom, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. But it is in the Caucasus and Turkey that Clinton will…

  • Backgrounder posted May 14, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Bryan Riley After WTO Membership: Promoting Human Rights in Russia with the Magnitsky Act

    Abstract: Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will put U.S. companies at a disadvantage with their global competitors unless Congress first exempts Russia from the application of the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, a tool from the 1970s designed to promote human rights that no longer advances that goal. Russia admittedly suffers from weak rule of law and…

  • Issue Brief posted April 25, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. Promoting Human Rights in Russia Through the Sergei Magnitsky Act

    Protection of basic human rights, including the right to own property, is an important issue for those who hold American values close to heart. In Russia, human and property rights violations are undermining the state and preventing investment and business development. The poor state of the rule of law and pervasive corruption—including the failing court and law…

  • Backgrounder posted March 26, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. A Threat to the West: The Rise of Islamist Insurgency in the Northern Caucasus and Russia’s Inadequate Response

    Abstract: The Islamist insurgency in Russia’s Northern Caucasus threatens to turn the region into a haven for international terrorism and to destabilize the entire region, which is a critical hub of oil and gas pipelines located at Europe’s doorstep. Neither Russia’s excessive use of military force nor its massive economic aid to the region appear to have helped. The U.S.…

  • Backgrounder posted March 15, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. How the U.S. Should Respond to Russia's Unhelpful Role in the Middle East

    Abstract: Russia is pursuing a Middle Eastern policy that is designed to reduce U.S. and Western influence in the Middle East, even at the risk of Islamist terrorism, which is a growing problem in Russia. It views the recent upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa as an American conspiracy to undermine Russia and friendly regimes in the region. Russia’s Soviet…

  • Issue Brief posted March 7, 2012 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. How the U.S. Should Deal with Putin’s Russia

    Vladimir Putin’s victory in Russia’s presidential election was marred with fraud, but nevertheless he appears to have a mandate from the Russian voters to rule for another six-year term. If re-elected in 2018, he may rule until 2024. Regardless of the outcome of the November U.S. elections, a clear Russia policy is necessary, and it should not be the ill-fated…

Find more work on Russia and Eurasia
Find more work on Russia and Eurasia