September 2, 2023 Eurasia, Kavkaz
The Nagorno-Karabakh enclave has been subjected to a devastating monthslong blockade. Wars have consequences — and they are drastically different for the winners and losers. In the South Caucasus, a region far from most Americans’ attention, the democratic republic of Armenia lost a short but devastating war three years ago …
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September 2, 2023 Eurasia, South East Asia
China is paying close attention to how Russia’s logistical failures hampered its invasion of Ukraine – particularly as China will face an even steeper logistical challenge should it attack Taiwan. In shaping patterns of future warfare, there is little doubt that militaries across the world will be seeking to absorb …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia
The aspiration of former Ukrainian politicians working in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to be treated as equals by the Kremlin has not been realized, and the unpredictability of the ongoing war makes them increasingly vulnerable. Ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has been integrating representatives of local …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia
Prigozhin’s media empire was conceived as a contractor that would perform functions for the state while remaining under external management. But it turns out that receiving billions of dollars in taxpayers’ money is no guarantee of either effectiveness or loyalty. One of the consequences of businessman and mercenary leader Yevgeny …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia
The way in which Prigozhin was apparently killed suggests the Kremlin wanted to show how it deals with traitors. Whatever really happened, the Russian elite will see the air crash as retribution for Wagner’s armed uprising. “They got him in the end.” This was a common reaction to the news …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia, Romania
Sensing the changing mood, many left-wing parties and politicians in Moldova have begun criticizing the war and reversing their pro-Russian positions. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned life upside down for traditionally pro-Russian political parties in Moldova. Public calls for closer ties to Russia have become extremely rare, and …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia, Kavkaz, South East Asia
With Western powers distracted by the war in Ukraine, China appears to be making cautious moves to cement its position in the wider Black Sea region. The strategic partnership agreement released by Beijing and Tbilisi on July 31 surprised many in Georgia and in the West. While this diplomatic advance …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia
Russia’s ultra-patriots are not a cohesive force. They are a motley collection of amateur groups that coalesce around leaders who are ambitious, jealous, and incapable of working with each other. The late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was until recently considered a leading Russian politician—with some even believing he could be …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia, Middle Orient, Turkey
Turkey’s advancements in defense technology, particularly the Bayraktar TB-2 drone, have played a pivotal role in conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey has also emerged as the largest exporter of drones since 2018, highlighting the importance of drone technology for its defense and projection on the …
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September 1, 2023 Eurasia, Middle Orient
In a recent article, the Turkish pro-government media outlet Daily Sabah introduced the concept of the “Aleppo model” — a scheme to make areas in northern Syria safe, secure and livable in order to encourage the repatriation of Syrian refugees. This follows a survey by the UN refugee agency UNHCR …
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