Leon Aron, Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., and Stephen Sestanovich assess recent demonstrations of public discontent in the Russian streets and discuss the future of the country, its leaders, and U.S.-Russia relations.

Leon Aron, Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., and Stephen Sestanovich assess recent demonstrations of public discontent in the Russian streets and discuss the future of the country, its leaders, and U.S.-Russia relations.

Putin is not encouraging Russia to subordinate its global aspirations to other countries' interests in return for investment and technology, but to create internal conditions in which working with Russia would be profitable for foreign business people and scientists, says Pavel Andreev for RIA Novosti.

Stephen Sestanovich, CFR's George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, discusses Russia's upcoming election and its outcomes.

Imre Nagy, prime minister and acting foreign minister of Hungary, sent this telegram on November 1, 1956 to diplomatic missions in Budapest, Hungary. Nagy asks for the withdrawal of Soviet troops, declaring Hungary's neutrality, and denounces the Warsaw Pact.

With oil supplies tight, regions most vulnerable to oil supply disruptions present a significant economic concern, particularly threats to the Strait of Hormuz and unrest in Nigeria, explains this Backgrounder.

This session was a meeting of the Emerging Powers in Global Health Governance roundtable series.

Leslie H. Gelb says that twenty years after the end of the Cold War, persisting myths about a U.S. victory based on military spending and toughness blind today's policymakers from seeing clearly what actually won the Cold War and what matters most in 21^st-century global affairs—the strength of the U.S. economy.

David Remnick examines how effective the resistance to Putin's next presidency can be.

Vaclav Havel went from designing theater sets to choreographing the Czech Republic's entry into NATO. One constant in his improbable rise to president was a steely commitment to human rights, as reflected in selected excerpts.

CFR senior fellow Stephen Sestanovich discusses the Russian elections and public demostrations stating, "[E]ven if the [presidential] election doesn't go against [Putin], there's a potential here for changing the atmosphere and rules of Russian politics in a fundamental way."

Russia's pending membership in the World Trade Organization could alter its global economic standing and boost trading partners. But experts say Moscow must restructure its economy to benefit from joining the club.

Russia's December 4 parliamentary vote has prompted mass demonstrations over allegations of electoral fraud. The protests also stem from public frustration with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to run again for president in March. CFR senior fellow Stephen Sestanovich says "[E]ven if the [presidential] election doesn't go against [Putin], there's a potential here for changing the atmosphere and rules of Russian politics in a fundamental way." Listen to Sestanovich as he discusses the elections and public demonstrations.

Frank G. Klotz, Susan J. Koch, and Franklin C. Miller argue that as the United States and Russia continue to reduce long-range, strategic nuclear weapons to increasingly lower levels, a disparity in tactical nuclear weapons has serious implications for the overall nuclear balance between the two countries and the continued efficacy of the U.S. nuclear umbrella for its allies.

The mass protests in Russia challenging the parliamentary vote reflect increasing hostility to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and have the potential to change Russian politics in a fundamental way, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

The sharp drop in support for the ruling United Russia party in parliamentary elections reflects growing public discontent with Vladimir Putin's decision to seek the presidency again next year, says analyst Maria Lipman.

The Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) was first proposed by China and Russia in February 2008 as an international legally binding treaty that would outlaw the weaponization of space.

Robert McMahon argues that unresolved conflicts haunting former Soviet states could hold clues to how the region develops in the decades ahead — or doesn't.

This report tracks the foreign investment portfolios of the BRIC governments— Brazil, Russia, India, and China—by looking at reserves holdings and holdings of U.S. assets.

Russia's accession to the WTO can boost U.S. exports to the country, but the U.S. Congress will have to graduate Russia from Cold War-era trade legislation, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.