Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2016

Al Jazeera/Inside Story: How will a Trump presidency impact sanctions on Russia?

Moscow opted to wait for Trump's move rather than retaliate after US expulsion of Russian diplomats.

US President Barack Obama slapped sanctions on Moscow and gave 35 Russian diplomats just 72 hours to leave the United States over alleged Russian interference in the US election.

Russia's foreign minister recommended Moscow does the same, but Russian President Vladimir Putin decided against that.

Putin wants to know where President-elect Donald Trump stands on the issue.

US intelligence agencies accuse Russia of cyber attacks in the recent election aimed at helping Trump defeat Hillary Clinton for the presidency.

Trump has praised Putin's leadership in the past - so will his first move in the White House be to lift the sanctions?

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2016

Putin’s Masterstroke of Nonretaliation -- Oliver Carroll, Foreign Policy

We're living through the first world cyberwar – but just haven’t called it that -- Martin Belam, The Guardian

The hacking is 21st-century, but US-Russia relations are stuck in the past -- Simon Jenkins, The Guardian

Russia and America's Cyber Deterrence Dilemma -- Matthew Rojansky, National Interest

Trump Must Choose Between Obama Sanctions and Putin Detente -- Nick Wadhams and Justin Sink, Bloomberg

Why Russia-brokered Syrian ceasefire has chance of succeeding -- Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

How Russia and Turkey brokered peace in Syria — and sidelined the US -- Tim Lister, CNN

What it means that the U.S. is not part of the Syria cease-fire -- PBS News Hour

The Syrian ceasefire agreement has shifted the balance of power to Assad -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

A good year for Xi Jinping – but trouble is heading his way -- Tom Phillips, The Guardian

Explaining China’s Involvement in the South Sudan Peace Process -- Aly Verjee, The Interpreter

Why the Resilience of Islamist Militants Will Threaten Security Across Africa in 2017 -- J. Peter Pham, Newsweek

Al Qaeda: Quietly and Patiently Rebuilding -- Bruce Hoffman, Cipher Brief

Serbia: The land of guns -- Nemanja Rujevic, DW

2017: Europe's year of rage: Across the continent, the pro-EU establishment has reason to fear the coming year's elections -- James Forsyth, The Spectator

Shattering All Those 'Norms' in 2016 -- Paula Dwyer, Bloomberg