What if the sides cross the “red lines” and the warning shots, for one reason or another, take a toll in human life?
The incident in the Black Sea concerning the manoeuvres of the British destroyer HMS
Defender
led to an exchange of information and diplomatic jabs between Russia and the UK. Russia and the West have a fundamentally different understanding of the legal status of the Republic of Crimea, and hence its sea borders. The British do not recognise Crimea as Russian. They regard the territorial...
June 28, 2021, 15:00 GMT+3
On June 28, 2021, Russian International Affairs Council and the Middle East Directions Programme at the European University Institute (EUI) will hold a webinar meeting “A Gradual Approach Towards a New Security System in the Persian Gulf”. Andrey Kortunov, Director General, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Luigi Narbone, Director of the Middle East Directions Programme, European University Institute (EUI) will deliver opening remarks.
Speakers:
Abdolrasool...
Extending the mandate of the Arctic Council to include security issues would likely discourage efforts to cooperate on pressing issues in the region
The 2021–2023 Russian chairmanship of the Arctic Council comes at a watershed moment for the region and the institution alike. Climate change has become an omnipresent threat in the region. The Arctic experiences the effects of climate change three times faster as compared to other areas of the globe. Climate change has allowed for greater accessibility...
Resounding "No" to Nuclear War
Given the harsh words and shrill tone from the Biden team preceding his meeting with Russian President Putin on June 16, it seemed realistic that both sides were lowering expectations in pre-summit pronouncements. In the days before the summit, Biden met with G7 leaders and NATO officials to create an impression of a united front against the "threats" posed by Russia and China. His spokesmen repeatedly painted a picture of an "Alliance of...
On June 15–17, 2021, Bratislava hosted GLOBSEC 2021, an annual international forum on security issues
On June 15–17, 2021, Bratislava hosted GLOBSEC 2021, an annual international forum on security issues.
The Forum has been held since 2005 and is one of the most prominent European platforms for dialogue between diplomats, experts, public figures and journalists. The 2021 event, held in a hybrid online and in-person format, brought together about a thousand participants from seventy countries.
Andrey...
The time has come for SCO member states to bring this body out to the light and to rise up to a new, post-US Afghan challenge
The US is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Twenty years of the US-led foreign intervention has brought neither prosperity, nor stability, to the country. With hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the seemingly endless military operations and with thousands of Americans killed, the Biden Administration faces a harsh reality: A Western type political system is not likely...
On June 11, 2021, Ivan Timofeev, Director of Programs, Russian International Affairs Council, spoke at the webinar “Prospect for Progress on North Korea and Northeast Asian Security” held by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP).
On June 11, 2021, Ivan Timofeev, Director of Programs, Russian International Affairs Council, spoke at the webinar “Prospect for Progress on North Korea and Northeast Asian Security” held by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP)...
US-China relations are unlikely to develop into an open conflict in the foreseeable future because the price would be too high for both sides
Introduction
In 2014, Russia and the West entered into a serious conflict due to the Ukrainian crisis. At that time, it seemed that Moscow was doomed to oppose a powerful and consolidated enemy on its own. In a matter of months, their relations lost all remnants of partnership of the previous 20 years and entered a stage of a new Cold War. As distinct from...
... political risks, chose not to put the meeting off any longer. The leaders of the world’s preeminent nuclear powers thus made it clear that they see the gravity of the current situation and have no intentions of shirking the responsibility they bear for international security.
Andrey Kortunov:
Will Geneva Be Any Different Than Helsinki?
The wheels for the summit have been set in motion. While diplomats and senior officials are busy ironing out the details, the sides are working closely on a number of ...
Russia and the United States are approaching the summit in strategic confrontation mode
The upcoming summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States has raised hopes for an improvement in Russian-American relations. Similar hopes have accompanied most of these summits over the past quarter-century. Nevertheless, historical experience shows that excessive optimism is hardly appropriate. Many summits were held in a positive manner, but did not lead to the resolution of fundamental contradictions...
