The Art of Negotiating with Vladimir Putin
OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – As talks move forward between the U.S. and Russia with the intention of an agreement to end Moscow’s war in […] More
Putin
Why our Presidential Candidates Must Choose Ukraine
OPINION — As the days wind down to what will arguably be the most consequential election in the first half of the 21st Century, there […] More
Putin is Offering the West a Choice between War and Dishonor
OPINION – Russian President Vladimir Putin has started the largest conflict on the European continent since World War II. He is the architect and driving […] More
This Administration’s Final Decisions on Ukraine could be its most important
An Open Letter to U.S. National Security Advisor, The Hon. Jake Sullivan Dear Sir: The world is still at a critical inflection point in history. […] More
The Latest
Putin’s Greatest Weapon Remains the ‘Scare Tactic’
EXPERT Q&A – World leaders are promising much-needed additional aid to Ukraine at this week’s NATO Summit in Washington DC with the U.S., Germany, Romania, […] More
Open Letter to The Hon. Jake Sullivan: Help Ukraine Finish This War
OPINION – Sir, We are at a pivotal point in history. You have the ability to influence the course of history with the advice you […] More
‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’ and the Global Threat of Putin’s Nuclear Narcissism
OPINION — “Soviet nuclear weapon technology appears to be highly sophisticated and adequate for present delivery systems, but significant advancements can still be made through […] More
Expert Opinion: Bringing Down Putin’s House of Cards
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION (Part two of two) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and the kleptocratic regime he has created are the problem. The Putin […] More
Expert Opinion: To Win in Ukraine, We Must Prove Putin Wrong
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION – (Part one of two) – There was an air of critical importance to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s most recent trip […] More
Want to Know if Putin will ever give up Ukraine? History offers clues.
REVIEWS / BOOKS — Two books appeared this year that offer helpful and enlightening insights into the importance of history and its perception – or […] More
Russia, Hamas and a Moment of Global Challenge
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE – Hamas thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support as it released 25-year-old Russian-Israeli dual national Ron Krivoi from captivity on Sunday in […] More
History Makes the Case for Helping Ukraine
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — Prior to the horrific events of 7 October 2023, the issue of providing Ukraine with military assistance was likely the […] More
Security Guarantees for Ukraine: Reshaping Russia’s Incentives
OPINION — Peace in Ukraine remains a long way off; even peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are probably at least one to two years […] More
Diogenes the Cynic’s Job in Russia just got harder
OPINION — No one should lament the passing of Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin. According to Russian officials, Prigozhin was a passenger on an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft […] More
Could Prigozhin’s Death be a Step Toward Sudden and Catastrophic Collapse for Putin?
OPINION — Who can be surprised that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin met his timely end? Many have cited variations of the quote attributed to Ralph Waldo […] More
With Prigozhin Presumed Dead, What Happens to the Wagner Group Now?
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — The news was perhaps as unsurprising as it was shocking: Russian officials say that a plane that crashed northwest of Moscow […] More
Putin’s Godfather Role of a Lifetime
In light of the reported death of Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, The Cipher Brief tapped a number of experts for their thoughts on what […] More
Prigozhin’s Final Lesson was that not even He Could Escape Kremlin Rules
OPINION – Wagner Group Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was a violent man who lived life on a knife’s edge; that he reportedly met a violent end […] More
Prigozhin’s Uncertain Fate
EXPERT PERPECTIVE — In the wake of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s 36-hour mutiny and the scant and the confusing smoke signals emanating from the Kremlin […] More