About the Lecture: 

The future trajectory of President Trump’s foreign policy is still uncertain, but a confrontation with China looks very possible. However, it is unlikely that the U.S. will be able to peel Russia away from its strategic partnership with China, a tactic which some U.S. advisers have suggested. It remains unclear to what extent Russia will continue to pursue military cooperation with China (including advanced arms deliveries), if China steps up its activities in the South China Sea. Russia’s deepening economic relationship with China is also not entirely welcomed in Moscow.

About the Speaker: 

Peter Rutland is Professor of Government at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He has a BA from Oxford and a Ph.D. from the University of York. He has also taught at Columbia University, the European University in St Petersburg and Sophia University in Tokyo. His research focuses on economic policy in the former Soviet Union, with a side interest in nationalism. He has written two books, edited a third, and published articles on Russian foreign policy, the failure of Russia’s democratic transition, and the political economy of Russia’s oil and gas. Since 2013 he has been editor in chief of Nationalities Papers, the journal of the Association for the Study of Nationalities, along with serving as associate editor of Russian Review.