Outside the Beltway

The U.S. and Russia have reached a much-needed deal to avoid inadvertent confrontations over the skies of Syria.

With the exception of Rand Paul, the foreign policy discussion at last night’s debate was about as bad as you’d expect.

A well-founded fear of ISIS seems to be drawing many of the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia closer to Moscow.

In what seems to be a clear signal to Russia, the U.S. is considering pre-positioning military equipment in nation’s very close to Russian borders.

If a Russian solider dies, it’s now a secret thanks to a new decree signed by the Russian President.

Far from being a positive, Hillary Clinton’s time as Secretary of State provides ample material for those who would attack her over the next eighteen months.

Like nearly all of his fellow Republicans, Jeb Bush has adopted the disastrous foreign policy views that typified his brother’s Presidency.

Scott Walker’s response to the Iranian nuclear deal is perhaps the most irresponsible so far.

Ben Carson doesn’t seem to know much about foreign policy or history. And he doesn’t belong on anyone’s list of serious Presidential candidates.

A cease fire deal in Ukraine, but a long term settlement will require compromises from both Moscow and Kiev.

Pressure is building on the Administration to send military aid to Ukraine, but it would be a very bad idea.

For a year that started out with regaining long-lost territory in Ukraine, 2014 is not ending so well for Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The Obama Administration took some fire yesterday for recent Ambassadorial Appointments, but the President’s record has been consistent with those of his recent predecessors.

Russia’s own government is projecting that its economy will slip into recession next year. How that will impact Putin’s current belligerence remains to be seen.

A new poll finds that a majority of Germans support sanctions against Russia, even if those sanctions end up hurting the German economy.

Vladimir Putin’s latest actions seems to have exhausted Germany’s patience.

Vladimir Putin’s reception at the G-20 Summit in Australia has been less than warm thanks to recent events in Ukraine.

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

A major escalation.

The rebels in eastern Ukraine continue to suffer setbacks, and Russia is massing troops on the border again.

The U.S. and Europe have announced a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, but it’s not clear that the Russians will be motivated to change course.

What the West does in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is largely up to Europe, not the United States.

If you live in Russia, you’re getting a different version of the story of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Vladimir Putin has become immensely popular in Russia again, and its not hard to figure out why.

Yesterday’s events are likely to be a game changer, but how the game plays out depends largely on how Europe reacts.

In the end, the separatists in eastern Ukraine have always been expendable as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned.

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the city of Slovyansk from pro-Russian separatists.

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

Twenty-five years after his seminal “End of History” article, Francis Fukuyama reflects on its legacy.

They’ve got a new President, but there’s still much to do.

The European far right has found a friend in an unlikely place.

Vladimir Putin wants to put the Internet genie back in the bottle.

It appears what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.