Andrei Piontkovsky has an incendiary column published through Project Syndicate alleging the economic interests of some Russia commentators in the United States.  This one is bound to raise some controversy.

The
Kremlin’s achievements in securing the help of Americans willing to
offer their influence are equally impressive. Indeed, the Obama
administration’s Russia policy is being nurtured with advice from
people who have no official position in the administration, but close
business ties to Russia and the Kremlin: Henry Kissinger, James A.
Baker, Thomas Graham, and Dimitri Simes. The first two are major
geopolitical figures; Graham and Simes are respected as outstanding
Russia specialists. They write key reports for the administration, and
shuttle between Moscow and Washington, coordinating the parameters of
the Obama administration’s effort to “reset” the bilateral relationship.

Like
Schroeder, all these people are not economically disinterested. Baker
is a consultant for the two companies at the commanding heights of the
Russian economy, Gazprom and Rosneft. The Kissinger Associates lobbying
group, whose Russian section is headed by Graham, feeds in to the
Kissinger-Primakov working group, a quasi-private-sector effort,
blessed by Putin, to deepen ties between Russia and the United States.

Continue reading here. Photo above is of Thomas Graham (source: Flickr)

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