Is Kyrgyzstan’s New Political System Sustainable?
Speaking in July 2011 on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s new constitution, then-President Roza Otunbaeva declared that the key task for the Kyrgyz citizenry was “to make…
Bolstering Exchange Programs to Link University Education with Liberal Views in Russia: A Different Perspective on “Democracy Assistance”
Efforts by the United States to promote democracy and civil society in Russia by directly supporting institutions such as political parties, nongovernmental organizations, alternative media outlets, and opposition groups have…
Russia’s “Libya Debate”: Political Meanings and Repercussions
Russia’s reaction to the recent uprisings in the Middle East and Libya, in particular, was striking for two reasons. First, it unmasked multiple trends in the Kremlin’s foreign policy machinery.…
Yawning through the Arab Spring: Resilient Regimes in Central Asia and the Caucasus
In the weeks and months after the January 25 Revolution in Egypt, there was hope among commentators and opposition figures that some post-Soviet regimes might be equally susceptible to uprisings…
Direct Impact: The Influence of the Arab Spring on the Circassian World
The Arab Spring is an interregional and multinational event, with many ethnic minorities participating from afar and in situ—the Jewish community in Tunisia, Copts in Egypt, Berbers in Libya, Darfuris…
GLONASS: Problems and Challenges
Russia‟s Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is expected to become fully operational this year. Heavily endorsed in recent years by both members of the ruling tandem, it was designed…
Ending Bilateral U.S.-Russian Strategic Arms Control
For more than 40 years, negotiators from Moscow and Washington have engaged in countless meetings about strategic arms control. Several bilateral agreements resulted from these talks during the Cold War,…
The New European Missile Defense Architecture: Is There a Place for Ukraine?
U.S. President Barack Obama rejected his predecessor’s proposed ballistic missile defense system in Europe and substituted it with a localized theater system. This was generally understood to be a significant…
Nuclear Weapon Disagreements within NATO: Sources and Implications
In the last few years, debates within NATO on the future of the Alliance’s nuclear policy have gone through a number of twists and turns. The adoption of the new…
Sochi Surprise: Imagining Change in Moscow’s Caucasus Policy
Let us imagine… at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the United Nations Secretary General announces a new peace deal for the Caucasus, surprising everyone. The…
Iran and Georgia: Genuine Partnership or Marriage of Convenience?
Since regaining its independence two decades ago, Georgia, a small weak state, has developed close relations with both regional and great powers and aligned with them in order to compensate…
Georgia’s Foreign Policy Impasse: Is Consensus Crumbling?
A broad, pro-Western consensus over foreign policy goals has existed in Georgia since the late 1990s, but it is not certain whether this will be sustained in the future. The…