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Carol R. Saivetz

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Carol R. Saivetz is Senior Advisor in the Security Studies Program at MIT.

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Foreign Policy Essay

Russia Might Regret the U.S. Drawdown in Syria

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Apr 14, 2019, 10:00 AM

Editor’s Note: The Syrian conflict, while hardly over, is diminishing. The Syrian people clearly lost, but who—other than the barbarous Assad regime—won? One candidate is Russia, whose military intervention helped save the regime and which has re-emerged as a power broker in the Middle East. Carol Saivetz of MIT, however, argues this may be a mixed blessing for Moscow. Although the regime has accomplished many things in Syria, these accomplishments have created new problems that will be tricky for Moscow to solve.

Daniel Byman

Foreign Policy Essay

Setting Expectations for the Helsinki Summit

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Jul 15, 2018, 10:00 AM

Editor’s Note: The U.S.-Russia relationship is at the center of the Trump administration. At home, the investigation over Russian interference in the 2016 election continues to enrage the president, while abroad Russia appears to be one of the few countries in the world the president respects. So it is not surprising that all eyes are on the Putin-Trump summit. MIT's Carol Saivetz surveys the summit landscape, assessing what might be on the table and how the summit might go.

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Foreign Policy Essay

Frenemies: Putin and Erdogan

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Mar 4, 2018, 10:00 AM

Editor’s Note: The relationship between Russia and Turkey has risen and fallen as the two have quarreled over Syria and their respective regional postures in general. MIT's Carol Saivetz examines this relationship and argues that the frayed ties are being repaired—but that there are serious limits to any rapprochement.

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Foreign Policy Essay

Putin's Pullout: A Failing Public Relations Campaign

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, May 8, 2016, 10:48 AM

Editor's Note: Russia won in Syria – or so Putin would like us to believe. The Russian intervention seemed to tip the balance of forces in Assad's favor, and Russia announced a pullout with its mission accomplished. Carol Saivetz of MIT, a regular Lawfare contributor, makes the case for skepticism. She points out Moscow is far more involved in Syria than it likes to admit and still runs many risks from its intervention.

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Foreign Policy Essay

Russia bets on Assad

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Oct 18, 2015, 10:37 AM

Editor’s Note: Russia's decision to double down on the Assad regime and play a direct military role is fundamentally changing the civil war in Syria — and upending U.S. policy in the bargain. Although Obama administration officials are convinced Russia's intervention will fail in the long term, it is difficult to judge this and understand what Moscow might do next without understanding the reasons for intervention in the first place.

Foreign Policy Essay

The Foreign Policy Essay: Much Ado about Ukraine

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Feb 22, 2015, 10:00 AM

Editor's Note: Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine and the civil war that has ensued have raised fears of a new Cold War. Indeed, many senior American and European officials have called for arming Kyiv against the Russian threat. Carol Saivetz of MIT explains why Russia is fomenting strife in Ukraine and calls for more support to bolster Ukraine’s fledgling democracy.

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Foreign Policy Essay

The Foreign Policy Essay: The Price of “Novorossiya”

Carol R. Saivetz   Sun, Sep 7, 2014, 10:00 AM

Editor’s Note: Pundits in the United States and Europe worry that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heralds the rebirth of an aggressive and dangerous adversary. Yet while Russia’s so-far successful military campaign in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea appear to be major advances for Moscow, the regime of President Vladimir Putin is also paying a heavy price. Carol R.