Putin’s World Is Now Smaller Than Ever
The moral and strategic disaster of the Russian leader’s war in Ukraine has ended his imperial dreams.
Be Wary of China Threat Inflation
Look at what happened with the Soviet threat in the Cold War.
Before Jihadi John, There Was George Blake
The British KGB double agent was a forerunner of today’s radicalized Western jihadis.
America, the Afghan Tragedy, and the Subcontinent
Four decades of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan have left South Asia transformed—and on the cusp of a realignment.
Chernobyl Has Become a Comforting Fable
The disaster isn’t just an easy metaphor for authoritarian failures.
What Biden and Putin Can Agree On
Both sides should take the long view if they are ever to reconcile.
Was George Shultz America’s Best Secretary of State?
Reagan’s top diplomat ended the Cold War and reshaped the world.
Biden, Asia, and the Politics of Nuclear Arms Control
To construct a new balance of power in Asia, Washington needs a better approach to nuclear arms.
‘Sex With Stalin’ Is Surprisingly Dull
A new Russian video game takes transgressive material but does nothing with it.
Russia’s Recent History Shows How Coups Fail—and Succeed
Without control of the media, military support, and international backing, seizures of power can flop.
Afghanistan Is Not Doomed to Repeat Its Past
Peace talks in Afghanistan may come down to an agreement between the Taliban and Kabul on an interim government. Here’s how the sides can avoid the pitfalls of 1992 and 2001.
China’s Nuclear Program Baffled Soviet Intelligence
Declassified documents show how Moscow struggled to understand Beijing’s efforts.
Without Russian Aid to Armenia, Azerbaijan Has the Upper Hand in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has overplayed his hand by spouting belligerent nationalist rhetoric and refusing to negotiate—and Putin isn’t coming to his rescue.
Document of the Week: The Birth of the Televised Presidential Debate Was a Sober Affair. Then Came Trump.
In an earlier age, the Democratic and Republican front-runners reserved their sharpest criticism for the Soviet Union and treated each other with respect.
In Afghanistan, the Dead Cast a Long Shadow
With Afghanistan again facing a political crisis, Mohammed Najibullah’s tarnished memory is being rehabilitated by some. But the crimes of the last Soviet-supported president, who was killed by the Taliban, are hardly forgotten.
Tearing Down Statues Won’t Undo History
From the Berlin Wall to Confederate monuments, destroying a historic marker means destroying a learning opportunity.
To Stop a U.S.-Iran War, Finlandize Iraq
By treating Iraqi territory as a neutral zone, Washington and Tehran can avoid conflict.
How Putin Changed Russia Forever
President Vladimir Putin has transformed his country and its relations with the world. We asked 11 leading experts to look back at his 20-year reign and predict what the future may bring.
The United States Forgot Its Strategy for Winning Cold Wars
The plan that worked to defeat the Soviet Union can work today against China—it’s just not what you think.
Selling Your Soul to the Kremlin
A new book chronicles the Faustian bargain that Russians—from holy men to human rights activists—have made with Vladimir Putin’s government.
Vladimir Putin Wants to Rewrite the History of World War II
The Russian president’s amateur history lessons are outraging neighboring countries. While he is right to criticize a recent EU Parliament resolution, his historical revisionism doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
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