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

U.S. military bandwidth — and the domestic political bandwidth of the Bush administration — is stretched to the point where Washington cannot respond to another major crisis in the world. This creates an immense opportunity for other global powers (especially Russia) to push their own agendas.

Key Analysis
Geopolitical Weekly
Graphic for Geopolitical Intelligence Report
Russia's Window of Opportunity
August 21, 2007 1854 GMT
The United States has entered a place where it has almost no room to maneuver. President George W. Bush is becoming a lame duck in the fullest sense of the term. This opens a window of opportunity for second-tier powers that would not be prepared to challenge the United States while its forces had flexibility. One power in particular has begun to take advantage of this opportunity -- Russia. [more]
Geopolitical Weekly
Graphic for Geopolitical Intelligence Report
Russia and Rotating the U.S. Focus
April 1, 2008 1659 GMT
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]
Geopolitical Diary Graphic -- FINAL
Geopolitical Diary: Bush's Last Chance in the Middle East
January 29, 2008 0352 GMT
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]
Annual FSU Map - Real One
Annual Forecast 2008: Beyond the Jihadist War -- Former Soviet Union
January 8, 2008 1800 GMT
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]
Annual Forecast Graphic
Annual Forecast 2008: Beyond the Jihadist War -- Introduction
January 7, 2008 2359 GMT
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]
U.S. Flag and Federal Reserve Flag
Net Assessment: United States
December 31, 2007 2343 GMT
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]
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