Recent Publications

SSI Live 105 – The Dragon and the Bear in Africa
December 14, 2023 — Much is made of the ‘axis of authoritarianism’ emerging between Moscow and Beijing, and it’s clear the PRC is playing an important if only implicit role in supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine. But how do these two strategic actors collaborate in other regions? SSI’s Dr. Bob Hamilton spoke to SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni to discuss his latest research on whether and how China and Russia interact... MORE

SSI Live 101 – What’s the Real State of the Russia-China Relationship
June 15, 2023 — What’s the Real State of the Russia-China Relationship? – The debate over the nature of the Russia-China relationship remains unsettled. One side believes the two are strategic partners, while the other believes their ties are merely an “axis of convenience”. Understanding the nature of their relationship is of vital importance to U.S. national security, so how can we gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Russian-Chinese relations?... MORE

SSI Live 98 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine
March 17, 2023 — With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess outlook for Ukraine? Is there reason for Kyiv – or Moscow – to be optimistic, given the current trajectory? And what can we make of potential Chinese involvement? In this third (of three) SSI Live podcast marking one year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, ... MORE

SSI Live 95 – Putin Mobilizes as Ukraine Advances
October 5, 2022 — Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes, Putin’s partial mobilization, Moscow’s annexation announcement, and the Kremlin’s nuclear saber rattling all add up to a shifting outlook for Russia’s war of aggression. What do these events tell us about Russia’s strategy and the trajectory of the conflict? Do they signal instability within Russia? SSI’s own... MORE

The Russian Military and the Georgia War - Lessons and Implications
August 8, 2022 — How does the war in Georgia in 2008 relate to the war in Ukraine in 2022? Join Dr. Ariel Cohen and Dr. Robert Hamilton for an in-depth discussion, using their 2011 monograph, The Russian Military and the Georgia War: Lessons and Implications, as a launching point... MORE

“Soviet Reform–Surprisingly Prescient”
March 27, 2021 — Writing in 1971, economist Dr. John P. Hardt assessed the trajectory of the Soviet economy arguing the need for reform and evaluating the willingness of key actors in the Soviet bureaucracy to support such policies. Fifty years later, Hardt was remarkably prescient with regard to structural difficulties such reform posed and the costs of delay. The... MORE