Vladimir Putin is expected to regain Russia's presidency despite a surge in public disapproval. Unknown is whether the vote will trigger widespread domestic protest or spur a downturn in Russia's relations with Washington.

On the eve of the Russian elections, Masha Gessen, journalist and author of The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, and Stephen Sestanovich, CFR's George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, sat down to discuss Putin's strategy and public response.

On the eve of the Russian elections, Masha Gessen, journalist and author of The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, and Stephen Sestanovich, CFR's George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, sat down to discuss Putin's strategy and public response.

Ahead of the Russian presidential elections on March 4, 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.

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.

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.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee released this report on December 19, 2011. The press release states,

"As part of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ongoing oversight of U.S engagement in Afghanistan and the broader region, Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today released a report examining Central Asia's critical role in Afghanistan.

Central Asia and the Transition in Afghanistan is based on an October 2011 field visit by the Committee's majority staff to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as well as extensive staff meetings with experts and policymakers. It provides several important statistics and offers three overarching recommendations for the Administration as it prepares for the 2014 transition in Afghanistan and continues to engage with countries in the region."

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.