• Commentary
  • Research
  • Experts
  • Events
Carnegie China logoCarnegie lettermark logo
{
  "authors": [
    "Andrew S. Weiss"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Increased Anxiety Over Olympic Security

In advance of the Sochi Winter Olympics, mounting security threats are worrying guests and athletes alike.

Link Copied
By Andrew S. Weiss
Published on Jan 23, 2014

Source: MSNBC

Speaking with MSNBC’s Andrew Mitchell, Carnegie’s Andrew Weiss discussed Russian security preparations for the Sochi Olympics. He explained that the Kremlin has spared no expense in creating an intrusive “ring of steel” around Sochi, but this may leave Moscow and other Russian cities vulnerable to an attack. The typical modus operandi of terrorist groups in the region makes them more likely to plan an attack on a soft target, likely outside Sochi, said Weiss. He added that “this is Russia’s show and that that’s why U.S. officials, when you speak to them privately, are still pretty worried.” The U.S. presence in Sochi is very small, primarily a liaison function, so evacuating people and dealing with an attack or the aftermath of a crisis would fall to the Russians.

This interview originally aired on MSNBC.

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.

    Recent Work

  • Research
    Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow’s Influence and Its Limits
      • Nate Reynolds
      • +11

      Frances Z. Brown, Nate Reynolds, Priyal Singh, …

  • Other
    Unpacking Trump’s National Security Strategy
      • Cecily Brewer
      • +18

      James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …

Andrew S. Weiss
James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies
Andrew S. Weiss
SecurityCaucasusRussia

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.

More Work from Carnegie China

  • Commentary
    China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast Asia

    The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.

      Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat

  • Trump and Xi on a red background
    Commentary
    Emissary
    China Is Determined to Hold Firm Against Trump’s Pressure

    Beijing believes that Washington is overestimating its own leverage and its ability to handle the trade war’s impacts. 

      • Sheena Chestnut Greitens

      Rick Waters, Sheena Chestnut Greitens

  • Commentary
    A Second Trump Term: Will Southeast Asia Tilt Toward China?

    Tapping our network of China experts in the region, Carnegie China offers this latest “China Through a Southeast Asian Lens” report to offer preliminary assessments of whether the U.S. effort to reshape the global trading order will lead countries in the region to tilt toward Beijing. 

      • +6

      Selina Ho, Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee, Joseph Ching Velasco, …

  • Commentary
    Is China Willing to Influence Russia on the Ukraine War?

    Beijing is trying to navigate the overall situation regarding Ukraine, especially the substance of interactions between Washington and Moscow.

      • Ellen Nakashima
      • Zhao Long
      • +1

      Ellen Nakashima, Zhao Long, Pavlo Klimkin, …

  • Commentary
    The Challenges Behind China’s Global South Policies

    While China will remain a significant political and economic force in the Global South, its ambition to leverage the Global South as a counterbalance to the United States and the Global North is far from assured.

      Xue Gong

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie China
Carnegie China logo, white
  • Research
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie China
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.