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| A Different View on the European Anniversary |
Fyodor Lukyanov
Europe recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the anti-Communist revolution that put an end to the division of the world into two ideological blocs. The events of 1989 opened a new chapter in global politics; however, even two decades later, the full content of this chapter remains unclear. |
| Approaching the Far Away |
Alexander Chepurin
The presence of an influential and consolidated Russian community abroad meets Russia’s national interests. A community interwoven and integrated in the public and political life of the country where it lives – rather than an assimilated or marginalized one – could make up a full-fledged part of the global Russian world. |
| No Lull in Sight |
Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief
There has been no traditional summertime lull in Russian politics this year. The breath of the crisis is felt everywhere. In Russia, it forces the government to take preventive measures – many analysts predict a hot autumn prone with social problems. But in the international arena, new opportunities are opening up, which Moscow does not want to miss. |
| Transition to Uncertainty |
Fyodor Lukianov, Editor-in-Chief
The global crisis is being discussed so much that there seems to be no aspect left that has not been analyzed in depth. |
| Two Crises on the Way to Reshaping the World |
Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief
Two crises have occurred one after the other in the past few months that have had a significant impact on Russian foreign policy. The Russian-Georgian war in August and the upheavals on global financial markets in September and October are not related. Yet both events, each in its own way, have contributed to the formulation by Russia of its national interests. One can say that the two crises have set a conceptual framework of interests, defining a vector for the indispensable and boundaries for the possible. |
| In Anticipation of Change |
Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief
There is an anticipation of change in the world today, although no one can say exactly how things will change. This anticipation stems from the handover of power – already accomplished in Russia and which will soon take place in the United States; from new internal turbulence in the European Union; from the marked growth of China’s presence on the global stage; and from ever new signs of a crisis in various international institutions. |
| The Power Vertical and the Nation’s Self-Consciousness |
Ivan Sukhov
It is difficult to imagine how a country that has a huge and ethnically diverse population that does not feel united can experience stable development. Russia has not been “Soviet” for a long time and is gradually becoming an increasingly non-Russian country; however, the governing officials often behave as if they do not see the tectonic shifts that spark open conflicts and clashes. |
| Dictatorship of Law: Interim Results |
Vladimir Ovchinsky
The years of the Putin presidency saw controversial processes in the law enforcement system. The team of the new president will have no other choice other than to step up attacks on corruption and organized crime. The authorities will have to fight with embezzlers and gangsters at an outpacing rate. Otherwise not a single national project or program will ever bring the expected benefits. |
| Choosing a Path |
Fyodor Lukianov, Editor-in-Chief
The recent Russian presidential campaign was void of intrigue, but that does not belittle the significance of the election. Although Vladimir Putin is not leaving politics and will remain in power as the prime minister, a new stage is beginning in the country’s development. |
| Russia’s Policy Toward Compatriots in the Former Soviet Union |
Igor Zevelev
The official attitude of Moscow toward Russians outside the Russian Federation after the disintegration of the Soviet Union shows quite clearly the victory of pragmatism over the phantoms of imperial heritage. Yet the political rhetoric concerning this issue often has a neo-imperialist tone. It plays a compensatory role in the national consciousness and lays foundations for more resolute actions in the future. |
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