Section: The National Interest (USA)
How Just One Bomb Could Take America and Russia to the Brink of World War III
Harry J. Kazianis Security, Middle East Clearly all the bombs in the world won’t put Syria back together again — but could spark a military showdown not seen in decades. So how easy would it be to start World War III with Russia over Syria? Over at the Week, I have a new piece out today the explores just that. Partially based on various war...
If a War Between Russia and America Went Down: 5 Deadly Weapons Moscow Would Use
Dave Majumdar Security, Middle East Could it happen? While anti-ship missiles get a lot of attention, submarine launched torpedoes are arguably a much more dangerous threat to U.S. Navy surface warships. Perhaps the most dangerous torpedoes that the Navy might encounter are high-performance Russian-made wake homing torpedoes. Wake-homing...
The Balkans Will Be America and Russia’s Next (Virtual) Battlefield
James Jay Carafano Security, Europe If Putin wants to stir up trouble anywhere else, it’s the obvious place to start. U.S. interest in the Balkans has waxed and waned. It is time for wax on. The Balkans have been on America’s back burner since the end of the Clinton era. Investing some attention and exerting some influence on the...
The TOW Missile: The One Weapon That Could Make Russia’s Suoer Armata Tank Obsolete?
Sebastien Roblin Security, Who wins? Time to consider matchmaking Russia’s favorite new Armata tank with America’s ex-favorite antitank missile, the TOW! Yes, you heard that last part right, the TOW has been sold all over the world—but America’s starry eyes of antitank love have wandered to greener pastures. Ever since the...
Where Will Russia’s Protests Lead?
Alexander Lukin Politics, Eurasia The anticorruption wave could give way to greater instability. March 26 saw widespread protests against corruption in Moscow and several other big Russian cities. The formal cause was the absence of reaction by the authorities to the film He Is Not Dimon to You, produced and distributed online by the Foundation...
Belarus: Between Russia and the West
Kenneth Yalowitz, William Courtney Security, For 22 years Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has tacked toward Russia but kept channels open to the West, while maintaining an authoritarian grip on power. Frightened by Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine, he assumed the mantle of defender of Belarusian sovereignty. Reverting to form,...
Sergey Lavrov: The Interview
Sergey Lavrov Politics, Eurasia An “absolutely artificial hysterical situation was created” in U.S.-Russia relations—but not quite yet a Cold War. Paul Saunders, associate publisher of the National Interest, interviewed Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, March 24, 2017, in Moscow. Their wide-ranging and blunt conversation, which...
Putin Could Use ‘Anticorruption’ Protests to His Advantage
Nikolas K. Gvosdev Politics, Eurasia The protests come at a time when the different political clans within the Kremlin have begun to accelerate their jockeying for position. Protest marches were held over the weekend in one hundred cities across the Russian Federation, the largest manifestation of political discontent in the country since...
We Can’t Afford to Lose U.S.-Russian Nuclear Cooperation
Nicolai N. Petro, Josh Cohen Security, Eurasia Rather than engaging in nuclear saber-rattling, the Trump administration should widen and deepen its cooperation with Moscow. In the rancorous aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, Russia is often depicted as the greatest national-security threat facing the United States. The intense heat...
Does NATO Really Need Montenegro?
Doug Bandow Security, Europe Elevating today’s Duchy of Grand Fenwick to NATO status won’t help keep the peace. If denizens of Washington wonder at the appeal of Donald Trump’s America First rhetoric, they need look no further than the concerted effort to bring Montenegro into NATO. A Senate vote is scheduled for this afternoon....
