Georgetown University
Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and Eastern European Studies at Georgetown University and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; author of The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the 21st Century
The Struggle for Peace in a Polarized World Syria's civil war has dragged on for five years, killing hundreds of thousands and turning millions more into refugees. UN-sponsored peace talks were scheduled to start today, but they've been delayed until Friday. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other regional powers disagree about which rebels should be at the table. Russia still supports President al-Assad. The Obama administration says Assad must go, but is resisting calls for military action. Is it time for the US to assert its Superpower status or pursue continued restraint in a multi-polar world.
Ukraine's Future and Russian Politics Despite last week's plan to "de-escalate" the crisis, Ukraine and Russia are now exchanging accusations over Saturday's deadly shootings near the Eastern city of Sloviansk. Russia says Ukraine has failed to crack down on "extremists" as promised last week in Geneva. Ukraine says people were killed in a "crude provocation" staged for Russian TV. Vice President Biden has arrived in Kiev for talks with Ukraine's interim government starting tomorrow, while the Obama White House decides whether to escalate economic sanctions. Would they make any difference in the short term? Does Vladimir Putin want to invade Ukraine, or will continued destabilization suit his purposes? His domestic approval rating is 80% based on nationalism and conservative values. Is that more important than the economy in the short term?
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?