Call it a new cold war or a “hot peace,” US-Russia relations are terrible, yet within recent memory the two countries still cooperated on a range of issues. To answer which side is to blame for current tensions, Stephen Cohen debated Michael McFaul at Columbia University.
Continue reading...Post-Soviet Political Theater
Ben DaltonJessica Pisano spent 15 years learning why everyday Russians and Ukrainians choose to participate in “theatrical” elections. She found coercion, but also individual agency.
Continue reading...Do anti-corruption campaigns work? David Szakonyi presents evidence from Russia.
Ben DaltonResearch from Russia suggests that financial disclosure requirements may dissuade corrupt incumbents from seeking re-election.
Continue reading...Entrepreneurs and Political Prisoners: Ksenia Sobchak at Columbia University
Ben DaltonRussian presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak capped her US visit with a talk at Columbia University.
Continue reading...The Long Hangover – Putin’s Russia and the Ghosts of the Past
Ben DaltonShaun Walker discussed his new book, which examines the Kremlin’s use of Russian and Soviet history to reinforce Putin’s regime.
Continue reading...Cecilia Banke and Flemming Hansen on the use of history in shaping identity
Nigar HacizadeResearchers from the Danish Institute for International Studies explore Russian identity under Putin, and the role of politics of memory in European-Russian relations.
Continue reading...Journalists discuss the role of race in US-Russia relations
Nigar HacizadeJordan Center Director speaks with Sky News
adminJordan Center Director Joshua A. Tucker spoke to Sky News on Saturday November 19th about the future of US-Russian relations following the US elections. Here is the interview:
Continue reading...Here’s How Trump’s Election Will Affect U.S.-Russian Relations
Joshua TuckerDonald Trump broke new ground — especially for a Republican candidate — with his consistent praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Continue reading...Trump, Russia, and “Rigged” Elections
Scott Gehlbach and Konstantin SoninPanel on Russian-Ukrainian conflict urges constructive dialogue and a global perspective
Natasha BluthOn May 4, 2016, the NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia and the NYU Russian Club held a panel discussion entitled “Beyond Political Games,” dedicated to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict from the historic and cultural point of view. Panelists included Yanni Kotsonis, Director of the Jordan Center, Lucan Way, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative. The panel was introduced by Rossen Djagalov, Assistant Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU. “In my experience, [this is a topic] that doesn’t really encourage meaningful dialogue for the most part, which is precisely why it’s important,” Djagalov said.
Continue reading...Nancy Condee discusses the politics of seizure in Russian culture today
Ilaria ParogniOn September 25, 2015, the NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia welcomed Professor Nancy Condee for its 2015 Distinguished Lecture. Condee, who teaches Slavic and film studies and serves as director of the Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh, delivered a talk titled “Property Rites: Russian Culture Today and the Politics of Seizure.”
Thomas Bremer discusses religious dimension of Russian World
Anastassia KostrioukovaOn April 29, 2015, the NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia welcomed Thomas Bremer – a current Jordan Center Fellow and a Professor of Ecumenical Theology, Eastern Churches Studies and Peace Studies at Münster University, Germany – to speak about the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Russian World (Russkii mir), a foundation instituted by Vladimir Putin in 2007. In his brief introduction, Jordan Center Director Yanni Kotsonis expressed his excitement in welcoming Bremer to present on the subject, since not many people work on questions of religion.
Fake Putin, Real Pussy Riot, Fake Obama, Real Diplomacy
Frank VericiWatching Fake Putin go around being a charming bully is funny (as they say, because it’s true.) Watching the US President ignore gay rights protesters in the face of a diplomatic mission is funny for the same reason
Continue reading...Why We Must Return to the US-Russian Parity Principle
Stephen F. CohenWe are in a new Cold War with Russia today, and specifically over the Ukrainian confrontation, largely because Washington nullified the parity principle. Indeed, we know when, why, and how this happened.
Continue reading...By Misunderstanding Crimea, the West Is Pushing Russia Further Away
Ilaria ParogniOn the recent anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea, residents of the peninsula came out on the streets to celebrate waving flags, cheering and clapping. There was music and dancing. The Night Wolves, a biker gang known for having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, joined all the way from Moscow.
Crimea escaped civil war, but for some it remains a battleground.
Continue reading...Thomas Graham: US-Russia relations need new framework
Ilaria ParogniOn April 1, 2015, the NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia welcomed Thomas Graham, managing director at Kissinger Associates, for a lecture titled “Rethinking US-Russian Relations.” During a brief introduction, Jordan Center Director Yanni Kotsonis described Graham, who has previously served as a Special Assistant to the President during the administration of George W. Bush, as “one of the sounder minds when it comes to Russian issues.”
Continue reading...NYU Abu Dhabi Institute hosts lively debate on Russia-Ukraine relations
Anastassia KostrioukovaOn February 25, 2015, a large crowd convened at NYU’s Abu Dhabi Institute for a panel on the current relations between Ukraine, Russia and the West. The panel, titled “Russia-Ukraine Relations: A Neighborly Spat or Back to the Cold War?,” was held in collaboration with the Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia and was convened by Leonid Peisakhin, Assistant Professor of Politics at NYU Abu Dhabi. Peisakhin was joined in discussion by Yanni Kotsonis (Director of Jordan Center and Professor of History at NYU), Joshua Tucker (Professor of Politics at NYU) and Arturas Rozenas (Assistant Professor of Politics at NYU).
What does Boris Nemtsov’s murder mean for Russia?
Joshua TuckerThe more I think about Nemtsov’s murder, the more worried I am about what comes next.
Continue reading...Nemtsov and the Smoking Gun
Eliot BorensteinIn the absence of facts, the speculation about possible culprits says far less about reality than it does about the speculators’ worldviews.
Continue reading...