Section: The Jamestown Foundation (USA)
From Assurance to Deterrence: The Russia Question and NATO’s Summit in Warsaw
Be careful what you wish for because it just might come true. In the past, this author had often heard Russian diplomats complain that the West fails to pay proper attention to Moscow and that Russia’s position is being ignored. But the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) recently concluded (July 8–9) summit in Warsaw...
US Diplomacy, Ukraine Diverge on the Minsk ‘Agreement’
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s public message in Kyiv on July 7 (see accompanying article) reaffirms, broadly, the talking points that Assistant Secretary Victoria Nuland had been delivering in Kyiv since May 2015 (see EDM, May 26). It was at that point that Kerry and Nuland initiated non-transparent bilateral discussions with Moscow...
John Kerry’s Unwelcome Message in Ukraine
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Assistant Secretary Victoria Nuland held talks with President Petro Poroshenko and other Ukrainian officials, in Kyiv on July 7. At the joint news conference, Kerry urged Ukraine to help jump-start the implementation of the Minsk armistice through unilateral steps, in “the days ahead,” “the next days,” as he...
Alleged Chechen Mastermind of Istanbul Airport Attack Unpopular Within Chechen Diaspora
From the start of the conflict in Syria, access to the conflict zone has only been possible from the Turkish side. The militants’ dependence on Turkey forced them to avoid spoiling relations with the Turkish government. Even if Ankara did not help the militants in Syria, at least it allowed non-state actors to help the Middle Eastern...
Putin Makes Promises on Confidence-Building Measures Russia Cannot Keep
Last week (July 1), during a visit to Helsinki, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened that Finland’s security would be undermined if the Nordic country decided to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Speaking at a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö, Putin insisted, “We cherish Finnish...
The Russian Baltic Sea Fleet—A Nest of Crime?
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu sacked the commander of the Baltic Sea Fleet (based out of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad oblast), Vice Admiral Viktor Kravchuk, and his chief of staff, Vice Admiral Sergey Popov, on June 29 (Vesti.ru, June 29). Days later, news emerged that a number of other Baltic Fleet officers—about 50 according to Russian...
US, Russia Reactivate Bilateral Negotiations on Ukraine (Part Two)
*To read Part One, please click here. President Barack Obama’s administration seems to pursue two contradictory goals: support Ukraine’s sovereignty and security in general terms but, at the same time, seek a short-term compromise that might satisfy Russia in Ukraine’s east. Preoccupied with “legacy” issues in foreign policy as...
US, Russia Reactivate Bilateral Negotiations on Ukraine (Part One)
US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland completed another round of shuttle diplomacy in Kyiv and Moscow (June 22–24), following up on her visits to the two capitals in April and May, on direct instructions from the White House. This effort will undoubtedly continue after the time out necessitated by the North Atlantic Treaty...
Chechen Ruler Apparently Gains More Influence in Neighboring Dagestan
The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta has blasted the country’s political parties for using well-known public figures who are unlikely to make good lawmakers as front men. The United Russia party, for example, has touted several actresses; the notorious prosecutor in annexed Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya; and General Vladimir Shamanov,...
Belarusians Debate Their Development Path
The Fifth All-Belarusian People’s Assembly (ABPA) opened in Minsk, on June 22. The two-day gathering brought together 2,500 delegates representing managers from all levels of power along with publicly acclaimed “rank-and-file” workers, scientists, students, and so on (Belta.by, June 22). It is debatable why there is a need in Belarus for...
