Best of the Moment
russia-cis
Christian Caryl | Foreign Policy | 26 July 2010
Popular wisdom gets history of Afghanistan back to front. For centuries it has been a cradle of empires, a land for conquerors. It chewed up Brits and Soviets, but Brits came back
Fyodor Lukyanov | Moscow Times | 20 July 2010
Think-tanker ranks Russian non-intervention in Kyrgyzstan rebellion as main foreign-policy event of past year—evidence of waning imperialism
Gideon Rachman | FT | 16 July 2010
Entertaining, well-researched account of meeting with usually reclusive, vastly rich, somewhat colourful Russian aluminium magnate. But why? Presumably Deripaska is up to something
Steve Levine | Oil & Glory | 6 July 2010
Boris Volodarsky, ex-Russian special forces officer, says spy-ring discovered in US was big, serious operation. Members not meant to spy themselves, but to recruit and run American agents
Robert Baer | Time | 29 June 2010
Former CIA agent mocks Russians' old-fashioned methods—but worries that Kremlin's strategic thinking hasn't advanced much since the Cold War either
Jeff Stein | Spy Talk | 28 June 2010
FBI rolls up Russian spy ring in US still using morse code and buried bags of cash. Tantalisingly good news story, and for much more detail on tradecraft, click through to the original FBI affidavit
James Kirchik | WSJ | 16 June 2010
Why neighbours won't help Kyrgyzstan. Russia prefers weak government there, easier to dominate. Central Asian states use rioting as argument that democracy creates instability
Dmitri Trenin | Moscow Times | 4 June 2010
Friendlier posture towards US and Europe marks real shift in policy. Russia now much less worried about Nato enlargement, much more worried about its own economy, and about China
Michael Idov | New York | 30 May 2010
Enjoyable, chatty account of "Global Russians" and their grip on New York cultural and business life. Pegged to Mikhail Prokhorov's purchase of New Jersey Nets basketball team
Esther Dyson | Project Syndicate | 19 May 2010
NASA has become too process-ridden, risk-averse. Inevitable for any mature government agency. Obama right to cut back NASA, encourage private sector to take lead in space race