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 →