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
Archive for ‘Putin’
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
What Impact has Prigozhin’s Mutiny really had on Putin?
CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT VIEW — Much debate is now underway about whether Russian president Vladimir Putin will sustain lasting political damage from the June 24 […] More
What We Know About Putin in his Own Words
OPINION — “Generally speaking, nothing can replace the school of war. People return entirely different, and they are ready to lay down their lives for the Fatherland, wherever they may be […] More
The Concerning Link Between Russian Military Collapse and Nuclear War
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has suggested that a Russian defeat in Ukraine could lead to nuclear war. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has […] More
What Churchill and Selassie taught us about Aggression and Ukraine
EXPERT PERPECTIVE/OPINION — On June 30th, 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia addressed the League of Nations in Geneva. His speech was an appeal […] More
The Danger of Losing Focus on Ukraine
During 2023, the West will be confronted by sudden new challenges over Ukraine. Any loss of policy attention, in spite of pressing domestic priorities, could […] More
Time to Get Tough on Putin’s Dirty Bomb Threat
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Russia is intent on inflicting massive destruction to break Ukrainian morale, to improve its bargaining position at a future negotiation, and to […] More
Putin May be the Victim of his own Reaping Whirlwind
OPINION — “He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind, as the saying goes,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin during his multi-hour lecture and press conference on world […] More
As Xi Consolidates Power, Nationalism Gains Ground
EXPERT Q&A Read also Is a US-China Face-off Over Taiwan Looming for Subscriber+Members The Cipher Brief: At the 20th CCP Congress, what stood out amid the […] More
Despite moves, Putin loses ground in Ukraine
EXPERT Q&A Read also How Dirty and Dangerous will Putin Get in Ukraine for Subscriber+Members The Cipher Brief: What do you see as the significance of […] More
How Low Is Putin Willing to Go in Ukraine?
EXPERT Q&A The Cipher Brief: Several media assessments suggest that within Ukraine, Russia will turn “dirtier and more dangerous,” replaying to a certain degree past tactics […] More
Putin’s Nuclear Risk Calculus
OPINION – Russian President Vladimir Putin is making his threats to use nuclear weapons clear. He recently elaborated on those threats after Russia’s recent humiliating […] More
Should We Worry About Putin’s Nuclear Threats?
OPINION — In an interview published by Al Jazeera last Thursday, Russian Lt. Gen. Leonid Reshetnikov (ret.) described as “impossible and would make little military […] More
A Credible Source on Putin’s Trolls
BOOK REVIEW: Putin’s Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia’s Information War Against the World By Jessikka Aro / Ig Publishing Reviewed by Dan Hoffman The […] More
What the CIA Director Knows About the Russian President
OPINION — No one has described today’s Russian President Vladimir Putin better than CIA Director William J. Burns did last Wednesday at a security forum […] More
The Biggest Winner in Ukraine is Beijing
Toby Esterhase: “You’re an old spy in a hurry, George. You used to say they “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for […] More