Detention of Yukos C.E.O. Mikhail Khodorkovsky rekindles interest in Hudson’s 2001 study on U.S.-Russian relations

The arrest of Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the subsequent seizure of shares of his company have great implications for civil liberties and market systems in Russia. Hudson’s 2001 report, “Russia: Its Place in the 21^st Century and the Implications for the United States,” sheds some light on the current political landscape of the country.

In the spring of 2001 Hudson Institute sponsored a study of U.S.-Russia relations by leading foreign policy and defense experts.   The Hudson Study Group conducted extensive reviews of Russia’s internal situation, its post-Cold War foreign policy goals, and its military posture. Their findings were released in a report, “Russia: Its Place in the 21^st Century and the Implications for the United States.” Read the full report here:

http://www.hudson.org/files/publications/us_russia_study.pdf

The study group asked three main questions:

• How will Russia’s internal problems shape its sense of itself and the role it wants to play?

• What are Russia’s aspirations and how realistic are they?

• Where does Russia want to go as a military power and can it afford it?

The Hudson panelists were united in the belief that, although Russia has thrown off the yoke of communism, it remains a major concern for the West.  After dismantling its communist government, Russia failed to stabilize politically or culturally and instead became a haven for corruption.  Because Russia’s actions can have ripple effects outside of its borders and threaten the peace and stability of the West, the United States cannot afford to ignore what happens in Russia.

The Hudson Institute Study Group panels were led by Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA-7), and Lt. Gen. William Odom, director of Hudson Institute’s National Security Studies and former director of the National Security Agency.  Panelists included Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., Constantine Menges, Fritz Enmarth, David Satter, and Roger W. Robinson, Jr., among others.Former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey presented the keynote address.