RUSSIALINK: “State of Play: Russia and the Fraying West; Despite their troubles, Europe and the US are not withering away. It would behoove Moscow to avoid escalations” – Carnegie Moscow Times/Security Time/ Dmitri Trenin

“… Western economies, even if they may be facing yet another recession, are fundamentally strong. The United States still basically controls global finance and leads the world by a huge margin in both technology and innovation. For all the talk of fake news and Russian propaganda, mainstream Western media continue to dominate the information landscape across the globe. Migration waves to Western Europe and North America testify to how attractive Western living standards remain for the masses of less fortunate people all over the world. And, of course, the Pentagon wields phenomenal military power. So, unlike what happened to the Soviet Union and the communist system in the late 1980s, the West will live to see another day, even if it will have to transform itself in the process. So, how should Russia deal with America and Europe in their present condition? …”