Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 29, 2018

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Tatyana Makeyeva / Reuters

Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic: The U.S. and Russia Are Caught in a Downward Spiral

In a tit-for-tat move, Moscow expelled 60 U.S. diplomats and ordered the consulate in St. Petersburg closed.

Russia ordered 60 U.S. diplomats to leave the country by April 5, and said the American consulate in St. Petersburg must close by March 31. This action—the expulsion of 60 diplomats and the closing of a consulate—is a precise parallel to a move announced this week by the Trump administration, which was responding to Moscow’s alleged role in the attempted assassination by nerve agent of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter, Yulia, in the U.K.

The U.S. action was coordinated with its allies, who also expelled a varying number of Russians. The U.K. says Russia was likely behind the attack on the Skripals because the nerve agent employed against them was Russian in origin. Russia denies any such action and has called for an independent international investigation into the allegation. The U.S. and its allies say the U.K.’s word is good enough for them.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 29, 2018

A New Cold War Is Not Inevitable -- James Stavridis, Bloomberg

Russia's snark might have finally pushed the West too far -- Jill Dougherty, CNN

Does Europe Have a Russia Policy? -- Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Europe

Putin’s Arctic Dream Evolving Into Nightmare? -- Stephen Blank, Jamestown Foundation

Only the U.S. Can Sustain the Peace in Taiwan -- Hal Brands, Bloomberg

Koreas schedule summit, on south side of DMZ, for April 27 -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

What Can We Really Expect From North Korean Talks? -- John McLaughlin, OZY

Why Did Kim Jong Un Just Visit China? -- Ankit Panda, The Atlantic

Why Xi Jinping Wants to Broker the Trump-Kim Deal -- Oriana Skylar Mastro, National Interest

After Kim-Xi meeting, Abe eager to advance Japan's interests -- Julian Ryall, DW

Is it more difficult for Trump to handle Iran than North Korea? -- Shamil Shams, DW

Was the Arab Spring a black-swan event? -- Elena Ianchovichina, Brookings

How the West won and lost Myanmar -- David Scott Mathieson, Asia Times

Germany's New Foreign Minister Makes Waves -- Tobias Buck, Financial Times

Brazil's Upcoming Elections Could Put It on the Path Toward Social Instability -- James Roberts, National Interest