Edward Snowden Controversy
Russian-America, Part 5
The recent controversy surrounding Edward Snowden has again tested the relationship between Russia and the United States. On June 23, 2013, Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who leaked thousands of pages of classified information, arrived in the Moscow airport, creating a standoff between the United States and Russia. The United States requested that Russia extradite Snowden, who had been charged under the espionage act, while Russia claimed that Snowden was in the airport transit zone and not technically within Russia. After 40 days in the airport, Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum, much to the United States’ dismay. Snowden remains in Russia in an undisclosed location to this day.
Snowden's actions are representative of political dissent akin to the Rosenbergs' espionage that occured nearly half a century earlier. Both cases pitted Russia and the U.S. against each other. The most recent case has driven a significant wedge between the two countries.
Group 4
Luhn, Alec. "Edward Snowden passed time in airport reading and surfing internet." theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/01/edward-snowden-airport-reading>.
Walker, Shaun. "Edward Snowden: first photo appears since Russian asylum granted." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/10/edward-snowden-first-photo-russian-asylum>.
Merced, Michael. "Russia Plans to Extend Snowden Asylum, Lawmaker Says." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/world/europe/russia-plans-to-extend-snowden-asylum-lawmaker-says.html>.
RT. "Snowden can extend his asylum every year â lawyer - RT News." Snowden can extend his asylum every year - lawyer - RT News. N.p., 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://rt.com/news/snowden-extend-asylum-lawyer-176/>.
June 5, 2013 - Present
Yeltsin Visits the White House in 1992
Russian America, Part 4
U.S.-Russian relations improved following the collapse of the Soviet Union. President Boris Yeltsin's visited the White House in January 1992 in an attempt to strengthen ties between the countries. This was a momentous visit during which Yeltsin and Bush discussed nuclear arms proliferation and reduction terms, as well as economic issues. In fact, President Bush helped Russia join the World Bank and IMF.
A key quote from a declaration they ended up making together was that "Russia and the United States do not regard each other as potential adversaries," thus demonstrating that the established goal had been met.
Group 4
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/rs/200years/c30273.htm#yeltsin_visit
http://russiancouncil.ru/en/inner/?id_4=1694#top
January to February 1992