Eurasia

In occupied Ukraine, upcoming elections highlight the Kremlin’s limited room for maneuver following its declared annexation of parts of Ukraine last year: a costly decision forcing it to pretend that everything is going according to plan. Amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Kremlin is seeking to shore up its position in …

In the current political system, Prigozhin can only be against the elite so long as he is for Putin. It would take the slightest sign from the president for the Wagner boss to disappear.No one in Russia embodies the anti-elite essence of populist politics today like Yevgeny Prigozhin, formerly known …

Iran’s goal is to modernize its transport infrastructure using Russian money, and Moscow has little choice but to foot the bill.The North–South Corridor, a planned railway route that will connect Russia to the Indian Ocean via Iran, is gaining relevance as a means for Moscow to move goods around freely. …

All the actors supporting Ukraine need to work together now to establish a Euro-Atlantic strategy. Waiting for the war to end is not an option. The expected Ukrainian counteroffensive is underway. How it will unfold, how long it will last, and how much of the occupied territory Kyiv will be …

A new wave of arrests in Uzbekistan have centered on religious lectures, songs, and social media posts, calling up memories of the not-so-distant Karimov era. On May 31, a 57-year-old woman from Navai region was sentenced to three years of restricted freedom for liking a social media post in 2018, …

Dans une tournure imprévisible des événements, la Russie a asséné un coup calculé aux États-Unis et à Israël en armant l’Iran de missiles hypersoniques avancés, faisant de ce pays un instrument de choix. Les implications de cette manœuvre stratégique sont considérables et pourraient modifier l’équilibre des forces dans la région …

The recent escalation in Kosovo demonstrates the US and the EU have adopted a dangerous strategy of appeasing expansionist Belgrade. Images of pipe-wielding and stone-throwing Serb militant nationalists assaulting NATO peacekeepers in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan in late May put the Balkan country in the international spotlight once …

Al Jazeera’s Defence Editor Alex Gatopoulos explains the dynamics of a new phase in the 16-month war. Ukrainian forces have proved highly adept at masking their strategic aims with feints, disinformation and by shuffling troops from one area to another, keeping Russian military planners guessing as to their next move. …

The Country Will Struggle to Reckon With Its Crimes in Ukraine Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has become the defining event of his years in power. Even if he rules for another quarter century, Russia’s president will forever be considered a war criminal. But the consequences of the war are …

Days after welcoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken as part of efforts to reset relations with the U.S., Saudi Arabia turned its attention to boosting ties with one of Washington’s main competitors: China, says Bloomberg. A Bloomberg report — Saudi Arabia Looks to China for Business as US Influence Wanes …