Resolving the Crisis
Vladimir Putin is presiding over Russia's economic crisis with an iron fist. Can the Left present a viable challenge?
485 Search Result(s) for: “russia”
With Putin’s Ukraine Incursion, Hawks in Washington Got Exactly What They Wanted
The latest escalation in the Ukraine crisis requires us to hold two ideas at the same time: that Vladimir Putin bears much responsibility for the immediate crisis, and that the long-standing US refusal to accept limits to NATO expansion helped bring it about.
Russiagate Targets the Left
Liberal conspiracy theorists are using Russiagate to smear Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. How long until they come for you?
Ukraine’s Trade Unions Face Russian Invasion and Homegrown Attacks on Labor Rights
In Ukraine, organized labor has rallied behind the resistance against Russia’s invasion. But rather than reward its contribution, the government is using the war to push through anti-labor measures, posing a long-term threat to workers’ right to organize.
In Georgia, Geopolitical Jousting Is Crowding Out the Real Issues
In Georgia, rival bills on “foreign agents” sparked mutual accusations of US and Russian interference. With all politics turned into jockeying over the country’s geopolitical position, discussion of its bleak economic record is quietly suppressed.
The Collision of Self-Importance and Despair
In the United States today, as in 1990s Russia, for a lot of intellectuals, total nihilism seems more plausible than hope for even modest reform.
Energy Politics Will Define the Future of Europe
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine transformed the energy politics of Europe: America became Germany’s main importer of liquid natural gas and Putin pivoted east. This new order is likely to generate more conflicts than the one that came before it.
The War in Ukraine Could Lead to Nuclear War
With his original war aims in shambles, a desperate Vladimir Putin is openly threatening nuclear warfare in Ukraine. The rhetoric of nuclear retaliation and escalation is a risk to the entire world, and, yes, you should be alarmed.
The Art World Is a Haven for the Superrich
Many of the Russian superrich who have had their assets frozen in recent weeks have deep connections to the art world. As the curtain is pulled back on these holdings, art’s role in creating and sustaining the 1 percent has once again been revealed.
Ukraine Faces an Imperial Carve-Up
The Trump administration’s proposals for peace in Ukraine sound like a real estate deal, where the United States gets a payoff for handing over Ukrainian land. But with Kyiv’s leverage shrinking, the country may be forced to swallow a grim deal.
The American Empire Isn’t in Decline
The foreign policy establishment remains confident it can steer the US into a new age of global hegemony.
For True Sovereignty, Ukraine’s Foreign Debt Must Be Canceled
Even before Russia rained terror on its cities, Ukraine was a poor country with limited economic sovereignty. Today, Ukraine’s creditors should free it of its debts, allowing it to rebuild on the basis of self-sufficiency and democratic choice.
Israel’s War in Gaza Could Be a Curse for Vladimir Putin
Israel’s war in Gaza has been portrayed as a gift for Moscow, helping it rally the Global South against the West. But Kremlin policy in the region has long relied on a tacit deal with Israel — and its unraveling is causing splits within Russia’s elite.
The Biden Administration Is in No Rush to Help Ukraine Negotiate an End to the War
Almost all knowledgeable observers believe the war in Ukraine will have to end with a negotiated agreement. Yet the US, Ukraine's leading patron, has signaled it has no patience for diplomatic efforts that cut against its hope for Moscow's "strategic defeat."
Collusion Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Russiagate looks less like a righteous crusade for truth and justice and more like the typical shenanigans for which the FBI and US security state have long been known: prosecutorial overreach, entrapment, and the criminalization of foreign policy dissent.
Before February
The February Revolution erupted 100 years ago today and swept away a blood-soaked monarchy.
Vladimir Sorokin’s Telluria Is a Dystopian Novel for Our Dangerous Times
In Russian novelist Vladimir Sorokin’s Telluria, inhabitants of a war-ravaged Europe can find solace only by hammering nails made of a hallucinogenic substance into their skulls. It's a postapocalyptic world that isn't quite like our own — yet.
Escalation in the Donbas Risks a Disastrous War
Russian president Vladimir Putin has sent tanks into the Donbas on dubious pretexts. But a far bigger danger awaits if the West seeks an escalation that will only pour fuel on the fire.
Vladimir Putin’s Referendum Today Is Just Papering Over the Cracks of His Rule
Today, Russians vote in a constitutional referendum designed to give Vladimir Putin a fresh burst of legitimacy. His feeble response to the coronavirus pandemic has ruined his “strongman” reputation — and it’s feeding a growing mood of popular discontent.
Stephen Kotkin’s Stalin Is a Distorting Mirror of the Russian Revolution
Stephen Kotkin aspires to give us the definitive picture of Stalin — and to bury socialism with his crimes. But Kotkin’s political outlook, neglect of ideas, and addiction to hindsight warp his presentation of Russian and Soviet history, undermining his entire project.