Skip to content

In the News: Brian Taylor

Taylor Quoted in La Presse Article on a Clash Between NATO and Russia

"He [Putin] could get drunk on his success, conclude that the West is just a paper tiger and decide to push further to see what happens," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

February 10, 2024

New Carnegie-Maxwell Policy Planning Lab Launches Foreign Affairs Training Program

International relations professionals may apply for the first-of-its-kind program supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

February 1, 2024

Taylor Comments on Declining Human Rights in Russia in Forbes Article

“Russia doesn't have real elections most of all because it's basically illegal to be an opposition politician or activist or independent journalist anymore, not just because of manipulating rules at election time,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.

January 30, 2024

Taylor Weighs In on President Putin’s Announcement That He Will Run Again in RFE/RL Article

"Everyone knew this was coming and the only questions were when and how exactly the announcement would be made," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. "Usually, things like this don’t happen by accident in Russian politics," he says.
December 20, 2023

See related: Elections, Government, Russia

Ukrainian Students Find Refuge in a Community with a History of Supporting Those Impacted by War

Nearly two years after the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian students find refuge in a community of scholars with a long history of supporting those impacted by war.

December 13, 2023

‘We Left Everything Because Life was More Precious,’ says Visiting Scholar from Ukraine

Since fleeing Kyiv at the start of the Russian invasion, Tetiana Hranchak has found community and continued her work in the Maxwell School.

November 13, 2023

Taylor Speaks with CBC News, International Business Times About the Prigozhin Plane Crash

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that he believes Prigozhin is dead and he agrees with Biden. "Putin made clear at the time he saw the mutiny as 'treason' and 'a stab in the back,' which he was unlikely to forget or forgive," he says.

September 1, 2023

Taylor Discusses the Wagner Group, Russian President Putin with Business Insider, DW and Newsweek

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that the mutiny fallout has put Putin in a position he's neither familiar nor comfortable with—often using his pulpit to blast political enemies, both inside and outside of Moscow. "Now he's applying that very same language to one of his own guys, someone he elevated to a position of power and responsibility," Taylor says.

July 7, 2023

Taylor Discusses Putin and the Wagner Group's Mutiny with Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters, Vox

"I think Putin emerges from this significantly weakened," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. "I think if you're a member of the Russian elite or are in fact a member of the Russian population, you're going to look at this and think, 'Wow, a private army just drove on Moscow for most of the day. No one stopped them and they're allowed to leave and no real consequences.'"

June 26, 2023

Taylor Discusses Wagner Group Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Slate Podcast

"He’s [Prigozhin] clearly trying to draw a sharp contrast between his presence directly on the battlefield, his engagement with his soldiers, and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, which he frequently attacks as being out of touch elitists who are damaging the war effort," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.

June 19, 2023

Taylor Quoted in Vox Article on Russian Paramilitary Network the Wagner Group

“Wagner was a very useful stopgap in that period between when [Russia] had so many of their regular forces attrited and Putin came around to the realization that he had no choice but to bring in hundreds of thousands of more people. That may, in some sense, prove to be that Wagner is at its sort of height of influence,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.

March 27, 2023

Putin’s War of Recolonization

Renée de Nevers, Brian Taylor

"Putin’s War of Recolonization," co-authored by Maxwell professors Renée de Nevers and Brian Taylor, was published in the Journal of Democracy.

March 23, 2023

Moynihan Institute’s Longtime Leader Says She Was ‘Honored to Be Part of the Mission’

Recent retiree Margaret ‘Peg’ Hermann greatly expanded the institute’s global reach and served as a mentor to countless students.

March 22, 2023

Taylor Discusses Russian Political Stability at CNAS Forum and in Washington Times Article

As we pass the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, numerous factors such as the Russian military’s poor performance, Putin’s botched mobilization, mounting casualties, economic challenges resulting from sanctions and export controls, and increasingly visible elite fissures are raising questions about the political stability of the Russian regime. Brian Taylor, professor of political science, weighs in.

March 6, 2023

One Year Later: Taylor Talks to WRVO About the Invasion Into Ukraine

For Brian Taylor, professor of political science, the biggest take from the one-year anniversary is Ukraine is still standing. "A year ago a lot of people might not have expected that, given Russia’s size, the size of the population, the size of its army, the size of its economy," Taylor says.

February 27, 2023

See related: Conflict, NATO, Russia, Ukraine

Taylor Speaks with La Presse About the War in Ukraine, Russia’s Persistence

The concentration of troops in the east of the country shows that the Russian president has not given up on his goal of enslaving Ukraine despite multiple setbacks since the launch of the invasion, says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.

February 22, 2023

See related: Conflict, Russia, Ukraine

Taylor Speaks with La Presse About Russian Oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin

"My impression is that his power and visibility have increased a lot since the start of the war in Ukraine," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. "He's a much more public figure than a year ago, and I think that reflects his ambition. And, up to a certain point, the impression it has of its current usefulness."

February 7, 2023

Taylor Discusses President Zelensky’s Visit to the US in Newsweek Article

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, tells Newsweek that Zelensky's visit is "well-timed" and intends to signal that U.S. support remains strong, despite the Republican Party soon taking control of the House.

January 2, 2023

Connected in the Capital: Washington, D.C., Is Home to a Vast Maxwell Network

The nation's capital is home to a thriving academic program and the greatest concentration of Maxwell School alumni outside of New York. 
December 14, 2022

Taylor Talks to Forbes About What the Future Holds for Russia

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, discusses the war’s progress, the state of the Russian economy, Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, Vladimir Putin’s view of Ukrainian sovereignty and other topics. 

December 9, 2022
Communications and Media Relations Office
200 Eggers Hall