The Kremlin and the Kingdom: Contradictory Signals?

by Mark N. Katz Two storylines about Saudi-Russian relations have recently dominated the airwaves. One is that Moscow and Riyadh are sharply divided by several issues: not only Syria and Iran, but also Crimea and the Russian belief that the… Continue Reading

Leon Wieseltier Rewrites the Very Recent Past in Ukraine

by Derek Davison This Monday marked the end of a five-day conference (May 15-19) in Kiev, called “Ukraine: Thinking Together,” organized by The New Republic and specifically its literary editor, Leon Wieseltier. The conference press release promised that “an international group… Continue Reading

Ukraine Primer IV: Competing Narratives

by Derek Davison Russia moved to annex Crimea this week, as Ukraine evacuated most of its soldiers from the peninsula. Tensions in eastern Ukraine seem to have reached a tense equilibrium, even as reports of a Russian military build-up along… Continue Reading

Ukraine Primer III: Crimea’s Secession Vote

by Derek Davison Crimeans voted “overwhelmingly” to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a March 16 referendum. The Obama administration declared shortly after that “the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of… Continue Reading