US – Russian commercial relations changed their course in the period following the Crimean War. The traditional commodities that had dominated the trans-Atlantic trade were being replaced by newer, cheaper materials, as was the case with the Russian linen that held a prominent position in the sails of the American shipping industry. Guns over Sugar Changing […]

When I hear the words “sanctions” and “embargo”, I picture a roadblock: nothing gets through, no exceptions. While there are always exceptions, it’s not hard to imagine this applying to the U.S. and Russia. Recent stories, however, tell us that one arena – cultural cooperation – has been a highlight in relations that have been […]

The U.S. soybeans are no longer welcome in Russia. On February 15, Russia will enact a temporary ban on grain imports from the United States. Rosselkhoznadzor – the federal agency in charge of ensuring safe food – claims to have found 68 cases of bacterial contamination in grain imports between 2015 and 2016 and is subsequently […]

On January 22, the BBC reported that the U.S. State Department had stripped the credentials of five honorary Russian consuls.  This included the honorary consul for Minnesota, Raymond Johnson, who had served in the position since 2004.  It appears that the decision to strip the credentials was not a personal but a political move:  retaliation for what […]

The importance of successfully integrating business and education is increasingly important to economic growth in Russia, as evidenced by the recent meeting between Putin and  the Presidential Council for Science and Education. Putin addressed the Council, citing the need to increase the pace of innovation in Russia which, despite having three universities included on the […]