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Articles by Alexander Golts

opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's World Is Far Removed From Reality (Op-Ed)

In his recent speech at the Valdai International Discussion Club, Putin showed a certain disregard for elementary logic, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Syria Sparks Cold War Deja Vu (Op-Ed)

Those who today are so happy about Russian precision bombing in Syria should stop to consider the inevitable consequences of those actions, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

War Is Peace: Russia's Orwellian Propaganda (Op-Ed)

Most Russians approve of their country's involvement in the Syrian conflict without even taking the trouble to understand its purpose, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Is Entering a Long and Pointless War (Op-Ed)

It is already clear that Russia has become drawn into a useless war, one with no definite military objectives and that is impossible to win, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

How Moscow Forces Washington's Hand (Op-Ed)

If Moscow cannot offer anything constructive to the international dialogue, it must create new problems in order to remain relevant, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

The West Blinked First in Syria (Op-Ed)

The West's lack of resolve on Syria could embolden Moscow toward further adventurism. After all, the Kremlin is convinced it has the right to use...
opinion Alexander Golts

Will Putin Get Embroiled in Second War? (Op-Ed)

The Kremlin risks involving Russia in yet another grueling conflict. As everyone knows, it rarely ends well for those who fight a war on two fronts...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin Helps Distort History in Beijing (Op-Ed)

Was it wise for the Russian leader to take part in China's distortion of what really happened at the end of World War II, which essentially diminishes...
opinion Alexander Golts

MAKS 2015 Fails to Take Off (Op-Ed)

The MAKS 2015 air show was a symbol of the state of affairs in Russia's aviation industry.
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin and Kim Jong Un Are Not So Different (Op-Ed)

Are President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un really that different, asks columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

If Kursk Sank Today, It Could Set Off War (Op-Ed)

How would the Kremlin react if the Kursk tragedy were to occur today, during maneuvers when Russian and NATO forces carry out simultaneous war games...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Aerospace Forces Will Never Take Off (Op-Ed)

Russia's recent merger of the Air Force and the Space Force is inherently infeasible, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Kremlin's New Naval Doctrine Misses the Boat (Op-Ed)

Russia's entire shipbuilding industry stands in need of fundamental reform — much more than the swaggering and unrealistic naval doctrine, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

Army Brass Sabotaging Putin's Plans (Op-Ed)

Russia's military brass continues to ignore and sabotage orders from the top that it doesn't like, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Omsk Tragedy Shows Russia's Defense Weakness (Op-Ed)

The collapse of military barracks in Omsk is a sign that something is very wrong with Russia's defense procurement strategy, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

War in Ukraine Ruined Russian Military Reform (Op-Ed)

The war in Ukraine has dealt a devastating blow to Russia's armed forces, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Fortress Mentality Infects Russian Law (Op-Ed)

Whatever the Kremlin finds most advantageous at any given moment is what the authorities declare as law, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Top Brass Preparing to Battle Dissent (Op-Ed)

Fifty years from now historians will no doubt wonder why Putin was preparing to use force against his own people at a time when he enjoyed a nearly...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Should Lay Off the Saber Rattling (Op-Ed)

The only thing that Russia's civilian industry can learn from its military-industrial complex is how to accompany its bold lies with even louder fireworks...
opinion Alexander Golts

Cold War Is Back in Town (Op-Ed)

While experts debate whether a new Cold War is possible in the 21st century, such a war has already started, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Kremlin Rushing to Cover Its Tracks on MH17 (Op-Ed)

Coming on the heels of Russia's repeated falsifications over the past year on what happened to MH17, the recent "evidence" from Almaz-Antey is essentially...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Mistral Deal Was Sunk From the Start (Op-Ed)

Russia's plan to buy the Mistrals from France has been doomed from the beginning, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Military Spending Doesn't Add Up (Op-Ed)

Columnist Alexander Golts examines the widening gap between official pronouncements on military spending and Russia's financial realities.
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Is Moving From Merkel to Mugabe

The foreign policy results of the Victory Day celebrations clearly show the direction that Russia's future development is moving in, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

Sorting the Truth From the Lies on Victory Day

The Russian authorities used Victory Day to hide their selfish interests and, above all, their profound indifference to the tragedy and triumph that...
opinion Alexander Golts

No Victories in Sight for Russia's Space Industry

Russia's space industry continues to lurch from one disaster to the next, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Is the Ukraine Conflict a Victory or Defeat for Russia?

Russia's 'victories' in Ukraine and Crimea are really defeats, as Russia's international reputation continues to sink to new lows, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Military Lacks Direction

Russia's recent international security conference was almost entirely devoid of any interesting statements and this says a lot about the military brass...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Embezzlement Problem Is Out of Control

Embezzlement of state defense contract funds is rife, and even high-level figures like Rogozin seem powerless to stop it, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Keep Calm and Keep an Eye on Iran

The recent diplomatic breakthrough with Iran may be good news, but may also pose serious problems in the future, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Kremlin Nukes Every Spark of Revolution


Moscow considers nuclear weapons the basis of ensuring national security, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Why Russia's War Games Should Scare Nobody

Russia's General Staff has concluded that it must compensate for the "negligible size" of its Armed Forces with threatening statements and provocative...
opinion Alexander Golts

CFE Is Dead, Military Deterrence Is Back

Russia's departure from the CFE is a reminder that we now live in a new reality, where only military deterrence will ensure security in Europe, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin Can't Buy Votes With Tanks Forever

The UralVagonZavod tank factory fiasco shows that Putin's system of promising lucrative state contracts in return for votes might be breaking down...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Lost the Long Game at Debaltseve

The Russian-backed separatists may have gained a military victory at Debaltseve, but Russia is heading for a political dead end, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russian Army Facing Big Problems in Ukraine

Russia's army is unsuited to long-term conflicts like that in eastern Ukraine and faces a chronic shortage of soldiers, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Is Turning Into a Rogue State

Russia's behavior on the international stage is making it look increasingly like a rogue state, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's New Military Doctrine All Bark, No Bite

Russia's new military doctrine has failed to resolve the issue of how the military should respond to non-military threats, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Is Preparing for a New Arms Race

A new arms race between Russia and the U.S. could be looming, which would destroy the Russian economy and benefit only a handful of officials, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Is Returning to Soviet Military Strategy

The sunken Mistral deal reveals a great deal about the new direction Russia has taken, and shows that the country has reverted back to Soviet military...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Gunboat Diplomacy

Russia's increasing reliance on using its military might to solve all problems will ultimately end in failure, as the rest of the world is just not...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Frightening World of Vladimir Putin

Putin wants to regain that same "respect" that the West held for Khrushchev and he sees no other way but to underscore his own unpredictability, writes...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Ups Defense Spending Despite Slowdown

Despite the growing pressures on the Russian economy, defense spending is up on previous years, as Putin's close associates continue to plunder state...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia's Nuclear Euphoria Ignores Reality

Prompted by the national euphoria over Crimea, Rogozin's promise to modernize Russia's nuclear forces by 2020 is completely unrealistic, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Men Tussle for Power as Budgets Shrink


Russia's bureaucratic shake-ups are often a way to a determine who will have a chance to enrich themselves and who will not, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Has Dangerously Altered the Status Quo

The recent NATO summit has illustrated that the alliance now considers Russia to be as big a threat as IS, and also shows that the split between...
opinion Alexander Golts

Separatists' POW Parade Bodes Ill for Minsk Talks

With Putin and Poroshenko set to meet today in Minsk, many observers have low expectations — and with good reason, writes columnist Alexander Golts...
opinion Alexander Golts

Kremlin's Peacekeepers Won't Bring Peace

Of course, there's not going to be a war. But there will be such a struggle for peace that it will leave nothing but rubble." This Soviet-era quip...
opinion Alexander Golts

Cold War Strategies Are Back in Russia's Playbook

Russia is becoming a lonely pariah without alliances or military might, but its nuclear weapons may still give it leverage in world affairs, writes columnist...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin and the West Don't Play by the Same Rules

It is futile for world leaders to explain to Putin that they are not a threat, when, in his view, they undoubtedly are, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

For Duma, Putin's Policies Are a No-Brainer

The Russian parliament's obedient about face on Ukraine illustrates Putin's absolute power over the nation's legislative bodies, writes columnist Alexander...
opinion Alexander Golts

Kremlin Outfoxing NATO in Information War

Moscow could easily wage a proxy war in many of the former Soviet republics.
opinion Alexander Golts

Are Color Revolutions a New Form of War?

Moscow is using smoke and mirrors to prove that 'color revolutions' are a new form of warfare by the West, writes columnist Alexander Golts.
opinion Alexander Golts

The Last Laugh Is on Rogozin

Amid all of Rogozin's jabs at the U.S., he received a sharp jab of his own on Friday: Russia's Proton rocket crashed on Friday — the second time...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Bound to Win Its Proxy War in Ukraine

Russia wants to destabilize the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine with an insurgency. The resulting chaos and de facto civil war will enable...
opinion Alexander Golts

Despite the Odds, Putin May Still Invade Ukraine

A quick defeat of the weak Ukrainian Army is guaranteed, but Russia's rapid-deployment force is not strong enough to occupy several Ukrainian regions...
opinion Alexander Golts

Why NATO Should Erect a Monument to Putin

A NATO official once told me that Brussels is practically obligated to build a monument to French General Charles de Gaulle.
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Way of Reforming the Army

The Crimean annexation demonstrated that Serdyukov's military reforms were successful and that the Russian Army is capable of carrying out a military...
opinion Alexander Golts

How the West Encouraged Putin's Aggression

The weakness that the U.S. and other developed democracies have shown in standing up to Putin over the years has led in no small part to the rise...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin Is Not Afraid of Becoming a Global Pariah

President Vladimir Putin needed only two hours to get the approval from the Federation Council for the use of Russian troops in Ukraine. It gave...
opinion Alexander Golts

Turning Deterrence Into Absurdity

Nuclear deterrence remains an essential element of Russia’s foreign policy because nuclear parity with the U.S. offers comforting proof that Russia is...
opinion Alexander Golts

Stop the Drivel on Exiting Arms Treaties

After the U.S. stopped the senseless discussions on missile defense, there was nobody for the Russians to complain to. This, it would seem, was the main...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Paper Army

Few took notice when President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to stop military conscription in his mid-December address to the Federal Assembly...
opinion Alexander Golts

Shoigu's Crafty Numbers Game

Without a political decision to abandon the call for a million-man army, no serious changes to the system for manning the armed forces are possible...
opinion Alexander Golts

Too Many Officers Spoil the Soup

The mass production of officers also means a return to a mass-mobilization army. After all, a bloated officer corps will need larger numbers of soldiers...
opinion Alexander Golts

Shoigu Faces Bigger Challenges in 2nd Year

It is premature to report on Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's accomplishments in office because it seems that he is only now reaching the turning point...
opinion Alexander Golts

Ukraine Is Reforming Its Army Faster Than Russia

Unlike Russia, Ukraine has instituted a basic principle: better to have a smaller, but more capable, army than an ineffective and wasteful million-man...
opinion Alexander Golts

Colder War: The Militarization of the Arctic

The Kremlin is looking increasingly like the factory in the old Soviet joke that could take any manner of sewing machine and turn it into a Kalashnikov...
opinion Alexander Golts

Lukashenko Exploits Putin's Weakness

A dream has come true for Russians who thought that their country was incapable of protecting its citizens and sending aircraft carriers to their...
opinion Alexander Golts

After Russia's Victory, Now the Hard Part

Even in the best of circumstances, if the chemical weapons agreement is carried out, Russia's Syria problems are far from over.
opinion Alexander Golts

Calm Before the Syrian Storm

Obama's problem is not just that he intends to intervene militarily but that he intends to do it half-heartedly.
opinion Alexander Golts

While Obama Breaks the Reset, Putin Slouches

It is well known hat Putin has trouble forgiving an insult. How will he respond to Obama's dig about him looking like a slouching, bored school boy...
opinion Alexander Golts

Jumping Through Military Hoops

Putin all but admitted that the ambitious $650 billion program for rearming the military through 2020 had failed, and the authorities have little idea...
opinion Alexander Golts

Some Military Dreams Never Come True

Based on the recent military exercises, Russian leaders gratified themselves with the illusion that the army can deploy 160,000 troops in a single...
opinion Alexander Golts

Why the Defense Industry Is Always Sinking

Russia has proven unable to produce any technologically complex product, whether it be ships, aircraft, reactors, turbines or engines.
opinion Alexander Golts

Prompt Global Hysteria

The Soviets believed the U.S. "Star Wars" program would upset the balance of power between Washington and Moscow. Now they are saying the same about...
opinion Alexander Golts

Enemies From Outer Space

Instead of addressing Russia's real threats, the military is spending time and money to protect the country against an attack by martians.
opinion Alexander Golts

Spoiling U.S. Missile Defense at All Costs

Amid all of the bluster and spoiling on missile defense, Russia is determined to obstruct the West, not cooperate with it.
opinion Alexander Golts

Alone Against the Taliban

The Kremlin shouldn't blame the U.S. for its own failure to prepare for the post-2014 period, when Russia will have to defend its southern borders...
opinion Alexander Golts

Strong-Armed Tactics

If the Kremlin were truly worried about the 200 U.S. tactical nuclear bombs in Europe, it would be trying to negotiate with Washington on reducing...
opinion Alexander Golts

A Paper Army

Acting under President Putin's impossible orders, the armed forces must pretend that people who would normally do everything in their power to avoid...
opinion Alexander Golts

North Korea and Russia Flex Their Muscles

Both North Korea's Kim and Putin ordered military exercises to impress or intimidate foreign powers and to reinforce their authority at home.
opinion Alexander Golts

Obama's Flexibility Not Enough to Please Putin

The Kremlin desperately needs U.S. missile defense for propaganda purposes and to keep the Cold War-era concept of mutually assured destruction alive...
opinion Alexander Golts

Using Magic to Turn Russia Into a Superpower

The only real way Dmitry Rogozin can create a million-man army is if the Defense Ministry fudged the number of new recruits. Rogozin uses an ordinary...
opinion Alexander Golts

Why Putin Emulates North Korea

Nobody ever believed that Putin could be as reckless and irrational as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his late father. But more people are starting...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Days of Engaging Russia Are Over

The U.S. does not want to pursue its old policy of engagement with Russia. In Obama's second term, it seems that Washington will treat Russia as it...
opinion Alexander Golts

Decoy Maneuvers Near Syria

The main goal of the propaganda campaign surrounding supposed naval exercises near Syria was to parade the Russian flag in a global hot spot and try...
opinion Alexander Golts

One General Too Many

Russian generals are masters of the art of currying favor. Whenever a defense minister is appointed, the generals cunningly make him feel like a member...
opinion Alexander Golts

A Cossack Mafia in the Making

In patrolling Moscow streets, the Cossacks' real "patriotic" interest may be to control a lucrative business.
opinion Alexander Golts

How Ivanov Fiddled as Glonass Burned

Even the best stand-up comedian wouldn't have been able to get the laughs that presidential administration head Sergei Ivanov got from comments he...
opinion Alexander Golts

Shoigu Has Lots of Fires to Put Out in the Army

Let's hope that Shoigu as defense minister will stand up to the generals who dream of reversing Serdyukov's reforms.
opinion Alexander Golts

What Serdyukov and Sobchak Have in Common

Only a short time ago it seemed as if Serdyukov, a Putin loyalist, had nothing in common with the likes of opposition figures Alexei Navalny, Ksenia...
opinion Alexander Golts

Mutually Absurd Destruction

Putin's attempts to flex Russia's nuclear muscles has a serious flaw: the U.S. doesn't treat the threats seriously.
opinion Alexander Golts

Why Russia Smuggles U.S. Electronics

The way Russia tries to obtain intelligence and technology says much about the country.
opinion Alexander Golts

Pavel Grachyov, a True Soldier

Grachyov was a pre-eminent military leader who prevented Russia from lapsing into civil war several times. He struck me as the quintessential Russian...
opinion Alexander Golts

War Games Tailor-Made to Boost Putin's Ego

Putin wants a million-man army to put down any possible color revolution or maintain Russia’s superpower status.
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin Turns to Stalin for Modernization Ideas

President Vladimir Putin has called for a program to re-industrialize the country, echoing a similar call by Josef Stalin in 1931. But Russia can...
opinion Alexander Golts

Why Pussy Riot Is Scarier Than a Nuclear Attack

The Pussy Riot case suggests that Putin is prepared to do absolutely anything to remain in power.
opinion Alexander Golts

Throwing Trillions of Rubles Down the Drain

But even secrecy cannot change the sad fact that the defense industry is simply unable to produce high-quality weapons systems.
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Shouldn't Shield Syria's Chemical Weapons

If Damascus does use chemical weapons against its own people, what will happen to the reputation of Russia, a longtime and loyal ally of Assad?
opinion Alexander Golts

The Collapsing CSTO

A senior Russian official recently said, “If the price to be paid for stability in Central Asia is the appearance of U.S. bases in the region, such a...
opinion Alexander Golts

Serdyukov Puts Medvedev in His Place

When Vladimir Putin announced his intention to appoint Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, Institute of Contemporary Development director Igor Yurgens predicted...
opinion Alexander Golts

Nobody Is Listening to Putin Anymore

Members of Putin's "new nobility" have started to view their respective agencies as their personal property and they report to Putin on paper only...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin Between Assad and Mubarak

The reason for Moscow's stubborn defense of Syrian President Bashar Assad lies, it would seem, in the field of psychology.
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Postman Delivers Nothing at the G8

In the mid-1990s, former President Boris Yeltsin fought hard for the right to sit as equal at the same table with the leaders of the world's seven...
opinion Alexander Golts

A Digitally Enhanced Superpower

On every Victory Day for the last decade, the Kremlin has tried to convince Russians and the world as a whole that Russia is a major military power...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Miracle-Industrial Complex

Leaders are upset over the growing scientific and technical gap between Russia and the West. It's not the scarcity of high-technology products coming...
opinion Alexander Golts

Siloviki in a Panic

When Vladimir Putin created his power vertical and eliminated even the hint of civilian control over the government bureaucracy, he insisted that steps...
opinion Alexander Golts

Military Historians Will Applaud Medvedev

President Dmitry Medvedev has held his last meeting with the Defense Ministry collegium in his capacity as president, and I suspect that Defense Minister...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Pipe Dream for Building a Modern Army

Listening to Vladimir Putin's statements during his presidential campaign, you would think the country was at war.
opinion Alexander Golts

Rogozin's Three-Ring Circus

After Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, which political figure would you guess state-controlled television and Kremlin-friendly newspapers have been covering...
opinion Alexander Golts

Realpolitik Without Realism

People have been asking me all week why the Kremlin is so stubbornly supportive of Syrian President Bashar Assad. "Is Russia's support based solely on weapons...
opinion Alexander Golts

Why Putin Is Mad at Me

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin got very angry last Wednesday when he met with the editors-in-chief of Russia's top media outlets.
opinion Alexander Golts

A U.S. Defense Strategy for Russia to Emulate

U.S. President Barack Obama caused considerable damage to the Kremlin during a visit to the Pentagon last week when he announced a decisive reduction...
opinion Alexander Golts

How KGB Friends and Tanks Will Save Putin

During Putin's annual call-in television show, employees of Russia's top tank manufacturer in Nizhny Tagil offered to help break up the Moscow demonstrations...
opinion Alexander Golts

To Beat, or Not to Beat

Many observers have commented on how well-behaved, friendly and polite the police were during Saturday's opposition rally. The police did not blink...
opinion Alexander Golts

Medvedev Mollifies the West

For the last several weeks, President Dmitry Medvedev and senior Russian officials have tensely been promising to reveal which measures Moscow will...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin's Nuclear Submarine Boondoggle

There is one contradiction that will always be a part of the Russian military: Although it funds some programs that meet the country's security needs...
opinion Alexander Golts

When U.S. Plays 2nd Fiddle in NATO

As NATO officially wraps up its military mission against Libya, there are still many unanswered questions about NATO's future security role. According...
opinion Alexander Golts

Battle Unreadiness

The severe problems in the Russian army go much deeper than the military reforms implemented by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. General Vasily...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Kremlin's Missile Defense Follies

Every so often, a figure appears on the Russian political scene who acts as a pilot fish. By observing his actions, it is possible to deduce what...
opinion Alexander Golts

Kudrin's Wake-Up Call

United Russia's "Triumph of the Will" convention on Saturday caused quite a sensation. The bigger sensation was Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin's announcement...
opinion Alexander Golts

9/11 and a Lost Chance

In recent days, the world press has been full of articles devoted to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The jury is still out...
opinion Alexander Golts

Russia Needs the West in Central Asia

As usual, the good news comes with the bad. First the good news: The Kremlin has finally acknowledged that when U.S. and coalition forces withdraw...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Military's Role in Defeating the Coup

There is an old saying about the Soviet army: After every victory, the slackers are rewarded and the heroes are punished. This expression came to mind...
opinion Alexander Golts

FSB Turns Paintball Games Into Military Coups

As is well known, tragic events often repeat as a farce. As the 20th anniversary of the attempted military coup of August 1991 approaches, journalists...
opinion Alexander Golts

Bureaucrats Trying to Trump the Law of Physics

Long ago, I formulated what I humbly call the "Golts Principle" — the more absurd the idea, the more likely it is that the Russian bureaucracy will...
opinion Alexander Golts

Dreaming of Beria

In light of a recent quarrel between President Dmitry Medvedev, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Yury Solomonov, chief designer at the Moscow...
opinion Alexander Golts

Forget Missile Defense, the Threat Is Afghanistan

The more I cover global affairs, the more it takes me back to the 1980s when I wrote for the main Soviet military newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda.
opinion Alexander Golts

Tons of Ticking Time Bombs

It seems that Russia has invented a new way of getting rid of old, dangerous ammunition: blowing it all up, together with the depots where it is stored...
opinion Alexander Golts

Bluster and the Ballot Box

Anyone following the statements made by U.S. President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev during the recent Group of Eight summit in France...
opinion Alexander Golts

A Quiet Revolution in the Kremlin

Revolutions happen silently in bureaucratic circles, without a single shot from enemy forces. One fine day, the head of the government simply signs...
opinion Alexander Golts

May 9 Photo Op

Victory Day is a deeply emotional holiday for Russians, but it has been co-opted by the country's leaders. They take a purely utilitarian approach...
opinion Alexander Golts

NATO's Half-Hearted War

Having reluctantly agreed with France and Britain to begin the Libyan operation on March 19, Washington within days started to scale back its involvement...
opinion Alexander Golts

Not Your Grandfather's Army

General Staff chief Nikolai Makarov was the center of attention after delivering a speech in which he finally renounced archaic military principles...
opinion Alexander Golts

Once Bitten, Twice Backward

Russia's modern defense industry is little more than a parody of the Soviet-era military-industrial complex. Medvedev apparently realizes that investing...
opinion Alexander Golts

More Defense Spending but Less Defense

If the government follows through on its promise to allocate enormous sums for modernizing the army, the money will simply disappear. Surely, Prime...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Army's Bottomless Pit

For more than two years, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has been carrying out the most radical military reforms of the last half century without...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Boogeyman the Kremlin Loves to Hate

It is often said that young lovers argue for one main reason: to experience the sweet pleasure of making up shortly thereafter. The exact opposite is true...
opinion Alexander Golts

Army of Migrant Workers

In an effort to comply with quotas set by the General Staff, military authorities in Moscow rounded up everybody they could get their hands on — even...
opinion Alexander Golts

A Cold War Treaty

Republican senators in late December attached a last-minute resolution to New START that, among other things, committed the United States to modernize...
opinion Alexander Golts

Conscript Army of Flutists

General Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff, caused a stir last week after he said to journalists: "We aim to create a professional army. We can't...
opinion Alexander Golts

Superheroes Without a Superpower

It is very easy to predict the Kremlin’s reactions. Amid the general euphoria over the rapprochement between Russian and U.S. leaders at the November...
opinion Alexander Golts

Lisbon's NATO Celebration Misses the Point

It seemed like an occasion to fete. In Lisbon, NATO invited Moscow to participate in the European missile defense system, and President Dmitry Medvedev...
opinion Alexander Golts

Spy Flap Lets Tbilisi Make Russia Look Foolish

For some time now, the activities of Russia’s intelligence operatives have been a source of material for jokes rather than spy novels. Their foibles...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Paratroopers' Attack

You may be surprised to learn that Russia’s paratroopers are the most pious of all military personnel. Last week, retired chiefs of the paratrooper corps...
opinion Alexander Golts

The Mystical Million-Man Army

Every year in October, as the cold, damp weather sets in, it is time for the fall call-up of new draftees. The goal is to conscript 278,000 young men by...
opinion Alexander Golts

Trickle-Down Modernization

President Dmitry Medvedev made the same foolish mistake that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made 25 years earlier. He decided that his modernization drive...
opinion Alexander Golts

Military Reforms Must Begin in the Classroom

As each round of Russia’s series of military reforms gets under way, the military always laments over the destruction of its great army. Now it faces...
opinion Alexander Golts

CSTO Is Dead

Practically every hospital-themed television show has an episode in which doctors attempt to revive a dying patient without noticing that the person is...
opinion Alexander Golts

Putin’s Power Vertical Stretches Back to Kursk

The Kursk tragedy had a profound impact on Vladimir Putin’s management style. More than any other single event, it prompted Putin to construct his military-like...