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In The Media

Putin’s Op-Ed

Although Vladimir Putin used his New York Times op-ed to reiterate his position on Syria in an aggressive tone, there is now a potentially productive discussion of Assad’s chemical weapons underway.

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By Andrew S. Weiss
Published on Sep 13, 2013
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Eurasia in Transition

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Source: AirTalk

Speaking on AirTalk, Carnegie’s Andrew Weiss explained that there are two important issues tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New York Times op-ed: the political tensions surrounding a possible United States intervention in Syria, and the rhetoric and timing of the op-ed. Weiss explained that there is now a real political discussion underway about international control over Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal, a major step that could possibly deter Syria from using these weapons again and prevent a U.S. intervention. Weiss also emphasized that Putin’s op-ed makes few new points, instead presenting old ones in an “in-your-face tone” that shocked some readers.

This interview was originally aired on AirTalk.

About the Author

Andrew S. Weiss

James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies

Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. His graphic novel biography of Vladimir Putin, Accidental Czar: the Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin, was published by First Second/Macmillan in 2022.

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Andrew S. Weiss
James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies
Andrew S. Weiss
Foreign PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesMiddle EastSyriaRussiaLevant

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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