Mounting Tensions Inhibit U.S.-Russia Relations

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In The Media

Mounting Tensions Inhibit U.S.-Russia Relations

The Obama administration was correct to cancel the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin because Russia had recently stonewalled Obama’s agenda.

By Andrew S. Weiss

Published on Aug 12, 2013

Source: NPR’s Diane Rehm Show

Speaking on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, Carnegie’s Andrew Weiss explained that President Barack Obama made the right choice in cancelling his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin because Russia had stonewalled Obama’s agenda over the past several months. Given the already slim prospects for the summit, Russia’s handling of Edward Snowden showed that the Russian government was not willing to make serious progress on the issues, he said. Weiss described the Russian government’s growing anti-American and anti-gay rhetoric as an effort by Putin to reach out to “Ivan Sixpack”—the Russian political base—and portray his opponents as un-Russian.

This discussion was originally aired on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show.

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

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Foreign Policy North America United States Russia

Carnegie India 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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