March 12 - Russian Expert on the Limits of U.S.-Russia Relations; Saudi Arabia's Threat to Blockade Qatar

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with one of the leading experts on U.S. – Russian relations Angela Stent, who served as an advisor on Russia under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and maintains close ties with key policy makers in both countries. We examine the crisis over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the likelihood of worsening relations between the two former rival Cold War superpowers and discuss her new book “The Limits of Partnership: U.S.-Russian Relations in the 21^st Century” which is an inside look into the recent post-Cold War history of presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama’s dealings with Russia under Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin.

Part 2

Then finally, following Saudi Arabia's threat to blockade neighboring Qatar, we assess the deepening rift between Qatar and its Arab neighbors Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain as well as Egypt. Toby Jones, a professor of history at Rutgers University and author of  “Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia” joins us to discuss conflict within the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council which mirrors a larger Middle Eastern struggle over systems of governance that has been playing out across the region since the Arab Spring”.