Walter Russell Mead comments that the recent Ukrainian election was a "setback" to the spread of democracy in the world.

Buoyed by high oil prices, Russia finds itself embroiled in a number of disputes with foreign firms looking to tap its underdeveloped oil fields and with its neighbors that grew used to subsidized gas.

With or without a follow-on agreement to START, the number of warheads in the Russian nuclear arsenal continues to shrink. But that doesn’t mean Moscow has given up modernizing its strategic nuclear forces.

Although Russia made some progress in democratization during the 1990s, this was reversed after Vladimir Putin rose to power in 1999-2000. The sharp decline in oil and gas prices since mid-2008 put a halt to a Russian economic expansion, resulting in an officially reported 9.5% drop in gross domestic product in 2008. Russia's military has been in turmoil after years of severe force reductions and budget cuts, now numbering about 1.2 million, down from 4.3 million in 1986. Recent developments and the future of U.S.-Russia relations are outlined in this Congressional report.

This academic module features teaching notes by CFR Fellow Jeffrey Mankoff, author of Russian Foreign Policy: The Return of Great Power Politics, along with other materials to supplement the text. In this book, Dr. Mankoff analyzes Russia's interactions with major global actors and concludes that today's Russia is more interested in restoring what its leaders consider to be its rightful place among the world's major powers rather than in directly challenging the West.

John Vinocur of The New York Times examines news developments in the Arctic and explores Russia's goal of building a "comprehensive presence" in the area.

CFR nuclear arms expert Charles D. Ferguson says with an important nuclear arms control deadline approaching, the U.S.-Russia talks remain complicated by missile defense and verification issues.

Watch experts analyze reasons for the fall of the Berlin Wall and how this fit into the larger context of the end of the Cold War.

Today, Russia has more to gain by cooperating with the world's major powers than by opposing them.

Spiegel Online interviews Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia's relationship with the European Union, natural resource management, human rights, and corruption.

Watch experts discuss U.S.-Russia relations, including Iranian nuclear talks and regional security concerns.

Stephen Cohen, Dmitri Simes, and Celeste Wallander discuss Russia during the meeting Russia Update: Is the Reset Working? held at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York City.

Listen to experts discuss U.S.-Russia relations, including Iranian nuclear talks and regional security concerns.

Seth Roberts writes that Moscow's close economic ties with Tehran will make it hard to convince Putin to put pressure on Iran's nuclear program.

Paul Lettow reviews the book, The Hawk and the Dove by Nicholas Thompson. A joint biography of Paul Nitze and George Kennan--two Soviet-era State Department officials--the book is hailed as "well conceived and deftly written," by Lettow.

CFR's Stephen R. Sestanovich says the Obama administration believes it has put relations with Russia on "a more practical" basis but convergence remains elusive on how to address Iran's nuclear program.

Jeffrey Mankoff argues that the United States should find ways to solve the Iranian nuclear problem without Russia.

William Tobey argues that efforts aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has reached a roadblock as Russia continues to play a diplomatic "double game."