From Afghanistan To Ingushetia
Recently, I have been receiving many calls from journalists who want me to discuss what lessons, if any, the United States can learn from the Soviet experience in Afghanistan. It…
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Derluguian
28 posts
What Happens When Russia is the West’s Ally? Some Historical Geopolitical Regularities
The geopolitical history of balance of power suggests that Russia is simply too big to be the West’s ally in normal times. In a pattern that has held for more…
The Forgotten Abkhazia: Anatomy of Post-Socialist Ethnic War
Local wars in the Caucasus have always tended to follow precedents–whether in the 19th century, in 1917-21, or in the period of 1989-94. It remains uncertain whether the NATO operation…
Reflections on Putin’s Rise to Power
Suddenly, something in the mysterious and unpredictable realm of Russia looks not merely predictable but destined to happen. It is almost embarrassing to analysts, who are used to the bubbling…
Putin in Russian Historical Context
The second president of Russia seems as surprised as anyone by his rapid ascension to the helm. Vladimir Putin's machismo, stiffness, the blurtings of hooligan jargon and the almost brazen…
The Invisible Fist: Russia’s Criminal Predators Against Markets and Themselves
How big and how real is the Russian mafia? I propose to treat it as a sociobiological object that occupies a place in food chains, with its proper morphology and…
Vladimir Putin’s Decision to Run for President of Russia in 2012
Insight by PONARS Eurasia Members Originally appeared on The Monkey Cage Dmitry Gorenburg, Senior Analyst, Center for Naval Analyses There has already been some loose talk about the potential…
A Week in the Life of the North Caucasus
I learned about my mother’s death once the airplane landed in Moscow and my phone could be switched back on. She died while I was on en route from…