... a firsthand account of the scale and scope of Beijing’s economic and, to a lesser extent, cultural investment in the region and of the way that local society is reacting to the changes. The essay also considers what the effects are for the traditional regional power, Russia, and looks at the Kremlin’s...

...Stephen Blank The Obama administration touts the reset policy with Russia as one of its signal achievements in foreign policy. One of the key elements of its argument is Russia’s help with Iran. Upon closer inspection it appears, however, that this support is tenuous and limited. Indeed, we may...

...Stephen Blank Stephen Blank is professor of national security affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. Copyright 2008 by Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2008 Russia and the Black Sea’s Frozen Conflicts in Strategic Perspective...

...Gregory Hall; Tiara Grant Increasingly, Central Asia, and specifically the Caspian Sea Basin (CSB), is becoming a crowded place, as government officials and oil interests from European Union countries, the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and elsewhere (including increasingly energy...

... with Russia. Upon further scrutiny, it is concluded that cultural affinities do not determine or even greatly influence contemporary Greek foreign policy. Rather, Athens' various decisions are better explained on the basis of more traditional realist concepts. Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2010...

... on US financial excesses and felt that their economies would remain immune from the contagion. However, this proved to be a false comfort. The subprime-induced contagion spread to Europe with unprecedented ferocity, rapidly engulfing the entire continent. This essay explains why Russia, deemed...

...Richard F. Staar Amy Nelson: Music for the Revolution: Musicians and Power in Early Soviet Russia . University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press,2004. 330 pages. ISBN 271-02369-4. $45. Richard F. Staar is a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution on War,Revolution, and Peace...

... Partnership: A View from Russia Alexander V. Safronov Since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s assault on a sovereign state in southeastern Europe, the region has become a testing ground where the will of the international...

...Sergei Khrushchev Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2000 Sergei Khrushchev is senior fellow, Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies, Brown University. MQ 11.3-01.Khrushchev 7/20/00 2:59 PM Page 1 Russia after Yeltsin: A Duel of Oligarchs...

...Richard F. Staar Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2000 Richard F. Staar is senior fellow at the Hoover Institution on War,Revolution, and Peace and served as visiting professor of political science at Duquesne University, 1999-2000. He is the author of The New Military in Russia , among other...

...Richard F. Staar Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2002 Richard F. Staar is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution on War,Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University and the author of The New Military in Russia . Decision Making in Russia Richard...

...Igor Torbakov This essay investigates the ideational aspect of contemporary Turkey's identity politics and international conduct and compares these to Russia's. Over the past decade, several analysts have speculated that Russia and Turkey could form a strategic axis based on the shared vision...

...Petros Vamvakas Review Costas Melakopides: Russia-­Cyprus Relations: A Pragmatic Idealist Perspective. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. 211 pages. ISBN 978-­1-­137-­347145-­2. $84.00. Reviewed by Petros Vamvakas. Set...

...Costas Melakopides Having previously applied the concept of pragmatic idealism to the “like-minded middle powers” during the Cold War, the author now aims to extend its application to great powers and even superpowers. This essay challenges the stereotypical realist conception of Russia’s Cyprus...

...Anna Borshchevskaya A superficial look at Russia’s current problems with terrorism and Muslim extremism may lead to the conclusion that the United States and Russia have similar views on this issue, which would therefore make them obvious partners in addressing the problems. Russian president...

... at Old Dominion University and the Joint Forces Staff College. Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2004 Russia’s Security Services Richard F. Staar and Corliss A. Tacosa A strong belief prevails within the Russian security services that post-Soviet changes in Russia...

...Deborah Sanders As a powerful littoral state with important security interests in the Black Sea, Russia has the ability to use the maritime domain to advance and protect its interests, which will affect regional and international security. Using the currently available literature, this essay...

...Michael B. Bishku Ukraine is a country with close ethnic and historical ties to Russia, although it seeks to limit the political and economic influence of its more powerful neighbor. Therefore, since independence Ukraine has attempted to diversify its international relations as much as possible...

...Doug Bandow For the past decade, the United States has been promoting national transformation in the Balkans. In pushing the independence of Kosovo, Washington policy makers apparently believed that Serbia would acquiesce, most nations would recognize the newest independent state, and Russia would...

... sensitive bilateral relations with the countries along the corridor but also with others that can influence the operation of this corridor, mainly Russia. The quality of relations among Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Russia, and the EU should be considered of fundamental importance...