Afghan forces are performing well so far amid the pullback of U.S. troops, but this summer’s fighting season will offer proof of their capabilities, says CFR’s Stephen Biddle.

CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich says Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s meetings in Silicon Valley represent the most interesting development of his U.S. trip, which culminates with a Washington summit wh…

Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s top Russia expert, says President Vladimir Putin’s choice for a successor, Dmitri Medvedev, is a relative “liberal.”

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.

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, sa…