Recent Posts

Russia in the South Caucasus: two factors explaining what has changed

Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus has decreased in recent years. Well beyond Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and long-term trends, two factors in particular help understanding why things have changed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the authoritarian turn in Georgia have all contributed to …

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How Ukraine’s Major Corruption Scandal Reached Slovakia

An investigation into corruption at the Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom reveals several links to Slovakia. According to the findings of the Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK), in cooperation with Radio Free Europe’s project Schemes, based in Kyiv, individuals linked to the Midas case did business in Slovakia, owned companies …

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“We Know that the Kremlin is Very Worried” – Interview with Estonian Foreign Intelligence’s Top Analyst

For the past five years, Andres Vosman was responsible for analyzing intelligence on Russia at Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS), until his appointment as ambassador to Israel in August. He gave his first comprehensive interview to Estonian investigative journalist Holger Roonemaa. The interview took place just days before the US …

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Erdogan chooses the ayatollahs over the Iranian people

While Iranian protesters are being beaten, imprisoned, and killed by the Islamic Republic, Turkey’s government is busy running diplomatic interference for the mullahs. Ankara’s effort, marshaled by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, is not an aberration or a miscalculation. Rather, it is a revealing confirmation of Turkey’s long-standing ideological sympathy for …

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Iraq majority bloc backs Nouri al-Maliki as next PM

Iraq’s main Shia alliance, which holds a parliamentary majority, endorsed on Saturday former prime minister and powerbroker Nouri al-Maliki as the country’s next premier. The nomination effectively guarantees Maliki, 75, the post that he last held more than a decade ago. The politician is set to return to power today …

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