U.S. Weakness and Russia's Window of Opportunity

In the international context, the power of a lame duck president depends on the options he has militarily. Foreign powers do not mess with American presidents, no matter how lame one might be, as long as the president retains military options. [more]

Russia began the week with more blunt messages to the West. [more]

Stratfor examines the current status of the U.S. military's operational capacity. [more]

Poland and the United States announced an agreement to permanently station elements of a U.S. ballistic missile defense system on Polish territory. [more]

Russia created a new reality with the conflict in Georgia, and the United States is willing to let the politics of that new reality unfold. [more]

The last week saw the Russian military move against Russia's small southern neighbor Georgia. [more]

Rumors of Russian bombers deploying to Cuba suggest Havana is weighing its options. [more]

Russia has taken advantage of the U.S. preoccupation with the struggle against global jihadism to attempt to re-establish its sphere of influence in the former Soviet Union. [more]

Many see U.S. President George W. Bush as constrained by his lame duck status, his unpopularity and a Democratic majority in Congress. But these factors might empower the president to shape the Middle East. [more]

Russia enters 2008 in the strongest geopolitical position it has known since the Cold War's end. This is one section of the Annual Forecast 2008. [more]

This is the introduction to Stratfor's Annual Forecast for 2008. Following the introduction are links to each regional section of the 35-page forecast. [more]

There are those who say that perception is reality. Geopolitics teaches the exact opposite: There is a fundamental reality to national power, and the passing passions of the public have only a transitory effect on things. [more]

Russia has denied Dec. 28 that it is exporting strategic anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran after a Dec. 26 statement by Iran to the contrary. [more]

Iran announced Wednesday that Russia had agreed to deliver the S-300 surface-to-air missile system in 2008. [more]

Rumors began to surface Dec. 26 about the delivery of a Russian strategic air defense system to Iran. [more]

Iran has rejected U.S. preconditions to direct negotiations, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Dec. 24. [more]

The Russian state contractor in charge of bringing Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on line, Atomstroiexport, announced Dec. 20 that the nuclear reactor will be delayed until after the end of 2008, indicating that Russia still holds considerable leverage in its dealings with Washington and the U.S.-Iranian negotiating track even though it already delivered fuel to Bushehr. [more]

The subject of independence for Kosovo is re-emerging as a serious issue. [more]

A Russian battle group led by Moscow's sole aircraft carrier is heading for the Mediterranean Sea. The sailing represents a significant demonstration, both military and political, by the Kremlin. [more]

Russia announced Dec. 17 that it had delivered the first shipment of nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station Dec. 16. [more]