This study examines the origins and development of a specific strand in Russia’s political and strategic cultures — Russia’s ‘national security culture’ and ‘security vigilance norm’ – doing so in the context of Russian-Western relations.

Vladimir Putin would probably prefer to find an alternative way to derail a U.S. alliance with Ukraine if Biden is prepared to bargain. But if Washington refuses to recognize that Russian redline, he may well be prepared to fight—and there is not much the United States could do to stop him.

An outside observer could be forgiven for thinking that the current agitation about Russia resembles a carefully orchestrated pantomime of aggression, rather than real aggression. Were an invasion actually imminent, any military leader worth his salt would insist on it being swift, decisive, and above all, secret.

U.S. corporate media accounts of how tough President Joe Biden was at his virtual summit with President Vladimir Putin yesterday followed a weeks-long script recently catalyzed by the eye-catching Washington Post Dec. 3 story entitled: “Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, US intelligence warns.”

‘No one seems aware of how crazy’ pitching nuclear warfare with Russia is, Carlson says

US President Biden dismisses Russia’s red lines on Ukraine

As crises mount over Ukraine and Taiwan, an unprecedented bond between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping has allowed the United States’ two top rivals to force President Joe Biden into a two-front crisis that could spread his administration too thin to respond adequately to either.

Moscow has been supporting, not undermining, U.S. interests in the region.

If a dialogue produces positive results then of course such dialogue should be pursued earnestly. That’s a general rule.

The Kremlin’s sharpened rhetoric is accompanied by what some experts believe to be the early signs of Russia’s growing preparedness to escalate the military conflict in eastern Ukraine.