Tag: Russia
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Short-term thinking in Libya hurts diplomacy elsewhere.
Why has Russia blocked UN Security Council’s authorization of force to stop bloodshed in Syria. There are several obstacles to the resolution of the Syrian Civil War (mutual fear among ethnic groups, Iran’s patronage of Assad, rise of Islamist radicals), but a big obstacle is Russia’s opposition at the UN Security Council. Russia’s material interests…
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The limits of diplomacy
US Ambassador to Russia (and Stanford professor) Michael McFaul leaves his post after only two years. He was an outspoken advocate of Russia’s democratization and strongly disliked by the Russian government. He admits that he has failed to improve human rights in Russia. The most important quote is this: I think it’s easy to overestimate…