Recent Posts

Russia Ready to Allow Iranian Ships Access to the Volga River and Volga-Don Canal

By strengthening alternative transit corridors, Moscow hopes to counter tightening Western economic sanctions and transit restrictions adopted in response to Russia’s all-out assault on Ukraine. One of the most important prospects for Russia in this regard is to strengthen shipping and transit cooperation with Iran in the Caspian Sea. To …

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Putin’s Fear of Retreat

How the Cuban Missile Crisis Haunts the Kremlin Sixty years ago, the White House and the Kremlin peacefully resolved the most dangerous nuclear crisis of the modern era. Neither superpower had wanted the dispute over the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba to end in war, but both sides threatened …

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Russia’s Road to Economic Ruin

The Long-Term Costs of the Ukraine War Will Be Staggering After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the Russian economy seemed destined for a nosedive. International sanctions threatened to strangle the economy, leading to a plunge in the value of the ruble and Russian financial markets. Everyday Russians appeared poised …

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