On your marks, get set… intercept!

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(opendemocracy.net – Mark Galeotti – October 29, 2013) Mark Galeotti is Professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s SCPS Center for Global Affairs. He blogs on Russian security affairs at In Moscow’s Shadows and tweets as @MarkGaleotti. His most recent book is Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Osprey, 2013) Russia is devoting considerable effort to trying to […]

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Imposing political models on other states leads to escalation of int’l instability – Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov file photo

MOSCOW. Oct 23 (Interfax) – Namely the United States urged at some point to prevent organizations under its control from actions, which could undermine the security of another country or which are aimed at changing political regimes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Washington. Everyone who is currently attempting to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries should be […]

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Obama Joins Putin War as Syria Jihadists Stalk Olympics

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ilya Arkhipov and Henry Meyer – October 25, 2013) President Vladimir Putin is turning to Barack Obama for help protecting the costliest Winter Games ever from attacks by Islamic extremists, including hundreds of battle-hardened jihadists now fighting in Syria. About 400 Russian nationals, mainly from the North Caucasus, are currently battling President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in […]

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Volgograd Terror Attack: Loathing and Loneliness

Map of European Portion of Former Soviet Union

(RIA Novosti – Natalia Antonova, Acting Editor-in-Chief, The Moscow News – October 22, 2013) Perhaps one of the saddest aspects of the suicide bombing in Volgograd this week ­ assuming we were forced to pick one such aspect ­ is the amount of young people caught up in it. Among the wounded is a toddler. On top of that, that […]

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Russian Suicide Bomb Spurs Terror Alert as Putin Meets Muftis

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov – October 22, 2013) Russian investigators probed yesterday’s suicide bombing that killed six bus passengers in Volgograd as the southern region was placed on high alert hours before President Vladimir Putin met Muslim clerics. The suspected female suicide bomber arrived from the capital of the mainly Muslim region of Dagestan, disembarking […]

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Russians are still afraid of terrorist acts – poll

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – September 30, 2013, 2013) Over half of the Russians polled by Levada Center (62 percent) said they believe they or their relatives and loved ones could be hurt by terrorist attacks, Levada Center told Interfax. The poll, which was conducted on September 20-24, surveyed 1,601 people in 130 populated areas of 45 regions of Russia. Only 12 percent […]

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Interfax: Arab peoples may not be able to adapt European democracy model – Kremlin [Sergei Ivanov]

Sergei Ivanov file photo

(Interfax – STOCKHOLM, September 23, 2013) Sergei Ivanov, the head of the Russian presidential administration, believes the Arab peoples may not be able to adapt the European model of democracy quickly. “Yes, we support the Arab people’s ambitions for changes, for a better, calmer life. However, we understand very well that they will not be able to adapt the European […]

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Interfax: Kremlin aide [Sergei Ivanov]: attempts to export democracy via war don’t work

Sergei Ivanov file photo

(Interfax – STOCKHOLM. September 21, 2013) The Kremlin chief of staff has argued that foreign military intervention can neither democratize countries ruled by dictatorial regimes nor resolve domestic conflicts. “There hasn’t been any more democracy and freedom where military recipes were used, let’s not be hypocritical about that,” Sergei Ivanov said at the Global Strategic Review 2013 conference in Stockholm […]

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Russian strategy: new article in International Affairs

Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 Subject: Russian strategy: new article in International Affairs From: Andrew Monaghan <a.c.monaghan@gmail.com> Please find below a link to a new article just published in the current edition of International Affairs journal. http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/ia/archive/view/194090 The article reflects on the nature of strategy and explores how this can be applied to Russian strategic thinking and planning. This is […]

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NEW BOOK: Strategic Cooperation: Overcoming the Barriers of Global Anarchy

Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2013 Subject: New book: Strategic Cooperation:  Overcoming the Barriers of Global Anarchy From: Michael Slobodchikoff <mslobodchikoff@troy.edu> Michael O. Slobodchikoff Lecturer of Political Science Troy University Troy, AL TITLE: Strategic Cooperation:  Overcoming the Barriers of Global Anarchy AUTHOR: Michael O. Slobodchikoff PUBLISHER: Lexington Books (2013) ABSTRACT: Power inequalities and mistrust have characterized many interstate relationships. Yet most […]

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Russian territorial integrity must be protected at any cost – poll

Map of Russia

(Interfax – MOSCOW, September 18, 2013) Russia should be preserved within its current borders at any cost, said 93% of citizens polled by the Public Opinion Foundation in September. Some 57% of 1,000 respondents polled over the phone said there was a threat to Russian territorial integrity. Such answers were mostly given by citizens older than 60 (69%), vocational school […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Address by Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in St Petersburg

File Photo of Russia-Hosted G20 Banners Outdoors Before Yellow and White Facade of Historic-Looking Building

(Kremlin.ru – August 28, 2013) [The official website of the Russian G20 presidency http://en.g20russia.ru/] PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: This year marks the G20’s 5th anniversary. At the peak of the crisis the G20 members agreed on coordinated measures to support the global economy. We made the commitment to curb trade protectionism, developed new principles of financial regulation, and defined […]

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Thirty Border Conflicts Simmering Among Russia’s Federal Subjects

Map of Russia

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 8, 2013) At the present time, there are approximately 30 territorial disputes among Russia’s federal subjects, a situation that makes changing borders anywhere a such an extremely dangerous proposition  that one Moscow commentator calls these conflicts “a slow acting bomb under Russian sovereignty” as a whole. Indeed, Ruslan Gorevoy argues in […]

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The Foreign and Security Policies of the Central Asian States

Map of Central Asia, Including Commonwealth of Independent States Members

(International Relations and Security Network (ISN) – isn.ethz.ch – Stephen Aris for the ISN, senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) – 30 July 2013) Despite the potentially suffocating interests of external powers, the Central Asian states still have enough political space to pursue their own foreign and security policy agendas. In today’s Q&A session, the CSS’ Stephen […]

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Degree of secrecy of geographical data in Russia will be reduced – Medvedev

Map of European Portion of Former Soviet Union

(Interfax – July 31, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev intends to order the ministries and the Moscow government to draw up a document reducing the degree of secrecy of geographical data for the publication of digital maps on the Internet. “As regards the maps, the draft orders I will sign after our meeting expressly orders various agencies – the […]

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Influx of ‘Other Ethnicities’ Likeliest of Russia’s ‘Security Threats’ – Poll

Migrant Workers file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, July 22, 2013) ­ More than one in three Russians think the influx of people of “other ethnicities” is a very likely threat to national security, more so than terrorism or environmental disasters, according to a poll published Monday. Such an influx was cited as a “very real” threat by 35 percent of those surveyed by […]

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Gorbachev proposes establishing global peace movement

File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said he was concerned with the high number of armed conflicts around the world and that he proposed the creation of a global peace movement. “Something is not working in the world, the arms race is on again. Either protest movements or conflicts between tribes and entire nations are […]

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Challenges and cooperation for Sochi 2014 security; Russia’s reputation at stake in ensuring safe Winter Games

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Sergei Markedonov, special to RBTH – July 13, 2013 – Sergei Markedonov is a visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C.) In February 2014, the famous Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi takes on the XXII Winter Olympic Games. For Russia, the forthcoming games will be not […]

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Russians do not expect new world war – poll

Battle of Stalingrad file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 8, 2013) The majority of Russians (65%) do not foresee a new world war, although 35% describe interstate relations as tense or even hostile, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) said on Monday as it posted June poll outcomes. Muscovites and St. Petersburg residents (42%), residents of mid-sized cities (40%) and supporters of non-parliamentary parties […]

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Does Russia have external enemies?

Iskander Tactical Nuclear Weapon with Mobile Launcher File Photo

(Pravda.ru – Sergei Vasilenko – July 4, 2013) Nuclear weapons in Russia’s National Security Strategy are traditionally considered a priority. Since the end of the Cold War, the relations between Russia and the United States have undergone a complex transformation, but Russia still considers the strategic balance with the United States a status quo guarantee. During the recent negotiations on […]

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Russia 155th in 2013 Global Peace Index

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, June 12, 2013) ­ Russia slid two places to 155th slot among 162 countries in the 2013 Global Peace Index, an annual report by a Sydney-based non-profit research group published Tuesday. Russia’s downgrade was due to simmering violence in the North Caucasus and the country’s growing role as a global arms supplier, the Institute for Economics […]

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Putin Boosts Russian Role in Global War on Drugs

Russian Drug Den File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – June 6, 2013) In an effort to enhance its image as a global player in combatting drug flows, Moscow welcomed 120 top anti-drug officials from around the world on Wednesday to discuss possibilities for cooperation in curbing an issue responsible for an estimated 200,000 deaths annually. Addressing participants at the International Drug […]

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Experts in Russia Say Moscow Should Heed Lessons from Wars in Syria, Libya and Yugoslavia

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 10, Issue 101 – Valery Dzutsev – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – May 29, 2013) On April 26, the authoritative Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta hosted a roundtable of experts on the situation in Syria. Although almost all the experts, as usual, accused the United States and the West of fueling civil unrest in Syria now and […]

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Russians to Get Access to FBI Data

FBI Headquarters Building file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 27, 2013) After the Boston bombings last month and ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi next February, U.S. authorities are expanding their work with the Interior Ministry by granting the Russians access to some FBI information. The development, which came during a visit by Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to the […]

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Will spy scandal hamper U.S.-Russia collaboration on Sochi Olympics security?

File Photo of Partial FSB Headquarters Building Facade

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Mark Galeotti, special to RBTH – May 27, 2013) New York University’s Professor of Global Affairs Mark Galeotti reflects on the long-term consequences of the recent spy scandal and whether it will affect U.S.-Russia cooperation on security during the 2014 Olympics. The Moscow spy case, with its cheap wigs, compasses and cash, initially […]

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Russian PM against revising international laws; praises European integration

Dmitry Medvedev file photo

(Interfax – May 15, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev believes that the basic principles of international law must not be revised even in the face of global crises, Russian Interfax news agency reported on 15 May. Speaking at the International Legal Forum in St Petersburg on the same day, Medvedev admitted that “many things that seem unshakable to us […]

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Academics predict new world war for next decade

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Inna Soboleva, RBTH – April 18, 2013) Russian researchers warn that a new world war might break out in the next 10 years. They proceed from the theory of economic cycles and their impact on the level of military aggression in the world. The origin of the next world war’s breakout is expected […]

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BRICS format is non-military – top Russian diplomat

File Photo of Flags of BRICS Nations and BRICS Logo from Past Summit

MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) – The BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will not form a military alliance and will center its efforts on tackling economic and social issues, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. “I would like to reiterate once again that BRICS is not a bloc directed against third states. This principle was firmly […]

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Russia’s Rogozin Asks ‘Who’s the Enemy?’

Dmitry Rogozin file photo

MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia needs to determine exactly who its enemies are and develop its Armed Forces accordingly, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday. “We really need to understand what our strategic threats are, clearly define who our adversary is, what kind of adversary, and configure our Armed Forces and military-technical systems to counter those […]

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Putin wants to end Soviet secrecy over mineral resources

Diamonds generic file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.com – February 14, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an end to the long Soviet-era habit of classifying geological data as a state secret. As part of the new look Russia-can-do Inc, that he hopes will bring in more investment, the president said the information on the size and location of the countrys natural […]

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Munich security conference recognizes Russia’s crucial role in global politics – Pushkov

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Interfax – February 3, 2013) Recognition that no clues can be found to the most acute present-day problems without Russia ranks among major results of the Munich Security Conference, said State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Alexei Pushkov. “The speakers conveyed one fundamental idea: in NATO’s opinion it will be extremely difficult to find solutions to global present-day problems without […]

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Revealing the geopolitical threats of 2013

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Russia in Global Affairs/Russia Beyond the Headlines – Fyodor Lukyanov – January 14, 2013) Fyodor Lukyanov is the editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs and chairman of the Presidium Council for Foreign and Defense Policy. First published in Russian in Russia in Global Affairs. The year 1913 figured as a sort of milestone for the Soviet Union and […]

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