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March 2, 2016


Why Putin Wants Syria

by Jiri Valenta and Leni Friedman Valenta
Middle East Quarterly
Spring 2016 (view PDF)

http://www.meforum.org/5876/why-putin-wants-syria


 






Russia has been largely landlocked for most of its history, and Moscow has always valued the Crimean peninsula for its coastline (see…

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March 1, 2016

The U.S.-Russia agreement on the Syria ceasefire was in the spotlight of global media and think tanks last week. Likewise, Russia Direct has been extensively covering this deal and its implications for the world and the Middle East.   With a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the agreement, foreign policy pundits and former diplomats…

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February 29, 2016

Sub-system formation is foreseen as a leading trend in international politics in 21st century and Eurasia is the region where the international public has already focused in anticipation of an emerging leader and architecture. Considering historical path-dependency and shared political traditions, it is not a surprise that Moscow is already a…

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February 29, 2016

Two centuries ago, the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich astutely observed: "Asia begins at the Landstrasse.” Nations east of this Viennese street, were already exhibiting parochial undercurrents that were contrarian to Western thought.  This fault-line remains with modified contours, exacerbated by the trifecta of EU failures…

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February 28, 2016

Recent 2 years there were some rumors in world media and blogosphere that North Korean leadership had been conducting remarkable economic reforms. However this hardly is true – perhaps we can say only Labour Party elite recognizes crisis of command administrative system and tries to enhance export production as well as ease burden of obligatory…

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February 26, 2016

Monday's agreement, described by a U.N. spokesman as "a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," is the fruit of intensive diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the 5-year-old civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.  Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed the accord by phone…

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February 25, 2016

Is there the way out of the current financial crisis? The answer to this question unequivocally depends on the prices of oil, fueled by the ongoing economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the West and worsening geopolitical situation. According to many western and eastern media, the forecasts about the future of the volatile oil prices are clearly…

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February 20, 2016

Amidst the increasing risks of a military confrontation between Russia and the West, politicians would better to take into account the experience of religious leaders like Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.       By Russia Direct  With a great deal of buzz about a global war, involving Russia and other great powers, the…

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February 17, 2016


             "Unafraid, Bi-partisan, Uphold U.S. and Freedom"

 

The 9/11 catastrophe again became a subject of contention at the South Carolina GOP debate on Saturday. Jeb Bush maintained that his brother George W. Bush kept us safe. Donald Trump argued that he did…

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February 16, 2016

With western media continuing to blame Russia and its allies for the escalation of violence in Syria and elsewhere, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told participants at the Munich Security Conference-- itself a relic of the Cold War designed to promote defense spending-- that  “all sides in Syria are guilty.”
 
Speaking…

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February 16, 2016

The world economy has perceived notable global challenges affecting the long term economic sustainability and stability of financial markets. The emergence of globalization has marked a period of rapid economic integration and interdependence among states, increasing the risks and vulnerabilities to external shocks in the international system. The…

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February 16, 2016

In totalitarian countries . .
The government tortures, kills and suppresses unions and the press.
Whereas in authoritarian countries . .
These functions are left to the private sector.
Jules Feiffer cartoon on statement by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Jean Kirkpatrick
 
In order to judge whether there has been a “rollback of…

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  1. In your opinion, what are the US long-term goals for Russia?
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     30 (28%)
    U.S. wants to dissolve Russia  
     24 (22%)
    U.S. wants to establish alliance relations with Russia under the US conditions to rival China  
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