
Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Putin Expands Use of Soviet-Style Punitive Psychiatry Across Russia
Executive Summary: Throughout his tenure, but especially since the start of his expanded war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dramatically expanded the use of punitive psychiatry against his opponents and other dissenters, a practice that its victims have said made the Soviet Union,... MORE

Russia Expands Nuclear Energy Influence in Southeast Asia
Executive Summary: Russia is increasingly involved in Southeast Asia’s nuclear energy market, most recently vis-a-vis the signing of a new memorandum on the development of nuclear energy between Rosatom and Vietnam Electricity. Once established, nuclear energy cooperation creates long-term commitments associated with power plant maintenance,... MORE

European Union Continues Dependency on Russian LNG
Executive Summary: Russian LNG exports and production increased significantly in 2024. The export of hydrocarbons, including LNG, remains one key means by which Russia finances its war against Ukraine. Other large LNG producers, such as the United States and Qatar, prefer to sell their energy... MORE

Belarus’s ‘Calmest Elections’ Hold Potential to Pave the Way for Rapprochement
Executive Summary: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was named the winner of Belarus’s seventh presidential election for his seventh consecutive term. This election starkly contrasted with the last election, as it was relatively calm without mass protests. The Western response to the election was overwhelmingly negative,... MORE

Trade Along Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Surges
Executive Summary: The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, has evolved as a key alternative for trade between Europe and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) due to sanctions against Russia. The route bypasses Russia and transits through Central Asia, the Caucasus, and... MORE

Armenia Moves Toward Europe While Still Dependent on Russia
Executive Summary: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signaled plans to pursue EU membership, which Moscow views as an attempt by Brussels and Washington D.C. to fully replace it. Armenia’s reliance on Russia for trade complicates the situation. The economic challenges posed by such a... MORE

Turkmenistan Expanding Military to Support Its Increased International Activity
Executive Summary: Turkmenistan is rapidly expanding and modernizing its military to allow Ashgabat to defend itself against domestic challenges, threats from Afghanistan, and increasing competition on the Caspian, as well as to support its expanded political and economic activity internationally. While it still lags militarily... MORE

European Union’s Top General’s Proposal Would Return Ukraine To The Grey Zone
Executive Summary: General Robert Brieger, chairman of the European Union’s Military Committee, proposed a UN-mandated peace-support mission to be deployed in Ukraine following a Russia-Ukraine armistice. The European Union or some of its member states would participate alongside countries from the “Global South” acceptable to... MORE

Russian Business Scheme to Circumvent Tariffs and Fund War
Executive Summary: Moscow introduced a new accounting scheme enabling European buyers to pay for gas in rubles, circumventing U.S. sanctions and using intermediaries and currency exchanges to bypass restrictions. Russia has expanded its shadow fleet and increased its oil tanker capacity by 70 percent, helping... MORE

Conversations on Ending the War in Ukraine Grow Louder and Emptier
Executive Summary: The beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration highlights contrasting views of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The West views it as a non-sensical distortion that should be stopped, and Russian President Vladimir Putin views it as a confrontation with the West. The state... MORE