Russia News
Explore in-depth coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine, its global influence, and how American policymakers respond. The Daily Signal provides news and perspective on this critical issue.
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opinion
Russia and Iran Are Winning a War of Images in Syria
The leaders of Russia and Iran both have ramped up their propaganda machines to project images of surging regional influence within Syria. This aggressive news management by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not so incidentally, coincides with the waning of U.S. power and influence. Since the start of the Russian… -
opinion
Obama’s Middle East Strategy Continues to Fail as Cuban and Iranian Troops Join Russian-Backed Offensive in Syria
Russia is not the only country that feels free to intervene in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime and attack U.S.-supported Syrian rebels. Cuba and Iran, two countries eagerly courted by the Obama administration that have recently signed controversial diplomatic agreements with the United States, also are deploying troops to join the fight there…. -
opinion
US Needs a Foreign Policy That Marginalizes Russia’s Ability to Mess With Us
The Kremlin is not our friend. Nor is Moscow a 10-foot-tall threat to our national interests. What America needs is a middling foreign policy that looks to marginalize Russia’s capacity to mess with us. And there is no better place to start this approach than in Syria. Putin has made a muscular move to support… -
news
The Consequences of Russia’s Bombing Campaign in Syria
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States has worked to isolate Russia from the Middle East. Now, in 2015 and five years into a devastating civil war in Syria, Russia has not only entered the most intractable situation in the Middle East, but also attacked the situation with indiscriminate authority. Under the… -
opinion
Russia Broke the INF Treaty (Again). What the US Should Do
On Sept. 2, Russia tested a ground-launched cruise missile named SSC-X-8, in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, according to reporting by the Washington Free Beacon. This test represents the latest in a long train of Russian violations of the 1987 treaty, which prohibits ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500… -
opinion
Is Russia Ramping Up Military Involvement in the Middle East?
As if Syria wasn’t nasty enough after four years of bloody civil war—a brutal Syrian regime, Islamic State barbarity, an Iranian and Hezbollah influx, and the presence of al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front and its bomb-building Khorasan group. Now reports of rampaging Russians. Reports indicate that Moscow has deployed a military expeditionary force of soldiers and equipment… -
opinion
Why Are Russian Hackers Posing as ISIS Propagandists?
The multi-front cyberspace information war in which we recently have found ourselves just got a little more complicated. A group which calls itself Cyber Caliphate, assumed to have ties to the terrorist group ISIS, may in fact be a creation of Russian hackers taking advantage of the havoc wrecked on social media and the Internet… -
opinion
Why Russia’s Arctic Positioning Should Worry You
The U.S. should be concerned about its lack of presence in the Arctic, according to one security expert. Speaking at the Wilson Center recently, Global Brief magazine founder Irvin Studin painted a picture of Arctic geostrategy in which “Russia is way ahead” of the U.S. in the region. Studin was referring to the Kremlin’s plans… -
opinion
Russia Is Showing Cold War-Era Levels of Aggression
President Obama’s nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joe Dunford, startled members of the Senate Armed Services Committee last week when he called Russia the gravest potential “existential threat to the United States.” But countries along Russia’s borders know exactly what the general means. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has launched an improbable,… -
opinion
How U.S. Plans Respond to Russia Breaking Yet Another Arms Treaty
In a turn of events that surprises no one, Russia continues to act in a belligerent fashion on the world stage. While testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on June 25, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work spoke strongly against Russia’s “provocations,” calling them “irresponsible” and an attempt to “intimidate our allies and us.”… -
opinion
A Space War With China or Russia Is a Real Threat
A war in space sounds like a great plot for a summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, a conflict in space isn’t just a Hollywood movie script anymore, but a threat in the real world. Both Russia and China have developed, or are developing, the ability to shoot satellites out of space. In addition to this, a number… -
opinion
Think That News Story Online Is a Hoax? It May Be Written By Russian Propagandists
Did you ever hear the one about the Columbian Chemicals factory in Centerville, La., blown up by ISIS terrorists on Sept. 11? Possibly not—because it did not happen. On Twitter and YouTube, however, such a “news story” did make the rounds, planted it appears by a St. Petersburg-based Russian propaganda outfit, innocently named the Internet… -
opinion
How the Next President Can Stand Up to a Resurgent Russia
Usually, domestic issues are front-and-center in presidential campaigns. Not so this year. From Islamist terror in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to the growing Iranian nuclear threat, foreign and national-security policy is the hot topic among White House aspirants. That’s not a bad thing. The next leader of the free world must be able… -
opinion
Europeans Agree to Counter Russian Propaganda War
Ministers from European Union countries decided last week to work strategically to counter Russian’s propaganda offensive in Ukraine and other former Soviet states. EU countries intend to collaborate on broadcasting to give citizens in the target countries, e.g. the Baltics, an alternative to the relentless bombardment of Russian media, which produces a highly distorted version… -
news
Amid Fear of Russian Invasion, Baltic Countries Welcome US Support
MARIJAMPOLE, Lithuania—Citizens of the three Baltic countries have showed up in droves to welcome a U.S. Army Stryker convoy, which is traveling across Eastern Europe to underscore NATO’s commitment to defend the region from Russia. Soldiers from Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment arrived here Monday after a three-day journey that began Saturday in… -
news
High-Ranking Democrat Pushes Back Against Obama Administration Policy to Counter Russia
Amid whisperings that the Justice Department will file criminal corruption charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the long-time senator today spoke about the importance of the U.S. standing strong against Russia and warned that inaction could embolden countries with nuclear capabilities. “The simple fact is we all want a diplomatic solution to this problem. But… -
opinion
Russia and China Aren’t Less Committed to Nuclear Force. So Why Are We?
As Russia and other nations around the world flex their “nuclear muscles,” when it comes to the United States, maintaining a credible nuclear force is certainly a tough task. Challenges include: declining research, development and acquisition budgets; uncertain prospects for modernization, and an American public that lacks a clear understanding of how nuclear weapons contribute… -
opinion
Could the Nicaragua Canal Project Bring Russia Back to Central America?
Following a unanimous vote in the National Assembly’s Infrastructure Committee, Nicaraguan officials have begun preparations for the so-called Interoceanic Grand Canal, which will connect to Lake Nicaragua by means of a 177.7 mile (286 km) waterway. President Daniel Ortega signed an agreement for the ambitious construction project with Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Company… -
opinion
Suspected Russian Penetration of U.S. Critical Infrastructure Calls for Firm Response
When people think of computer hacking, China immediately comes to mind. Recent news reports, however, puts the spotlight on Russia as a sophisticated state player silently infiltrating U.S. cyber systems. ABC News reported that a “Trojan Horse” malware program, reportedly of Russian origin, infiltrated the software of critical infrastructures in the U.S. and has been… -
opinion
Russia’s Relentless “Soft Power” Push
A new “Russian Soft Power” report from the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency has concluded that President Vladimir Putin is both the main asset and the main intellectual force in the Russian bid for global public opinion. Though Putin’s personal charisma may not be as overwhelming as ITAR-TASS reports to those of us here in the…