
Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Duma Defense Committee Head Calls for Processing Russian Men for Draft Year-Round
Executive Summary: The head of the Duma’s defense committee has called for processing men to be drafted not two times a year as now but year-round, something he says would reduce tensions in the spring and fall campaigns by giving all involved time to operate... MORE

U.S. Role in Armenia-Azerbaijan Transit Corridor Sparks Controversy
Executive Summary: Tensions linger between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a proposed transit route, better known to many as the Zangezur Corridor, through Armenia that would restore a Soviet-era connection between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan. Reports alleging that the United States had proposed that... MORE

Shoigu’s Pyongyang Visits Suggest Turbulence in Putin’s Security Council
Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu with strengthening the military-political alliance between Russia and the North Korea, sparking rumors of his potential appointment as Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang. The prospect of personnel changes in the Security... MORE

The Russian Community Casts a Menacing Shadow Over Putin’s Russia
Executive Summary: The nationalist, ultraconservative Russian Community has grown in popularity in recent months, with reports that the paramilitary group is coordinating closely with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Security Service (FSB), and other state structures. The organization differs from similar formations in... MORE

Ukraine’s Economic Struggles Signal Barriers to Post-War Recovery
Executive Summary: Ukraine’s soaring fiscal deficit, trade imbalances, and stalled reforms undermine post-war reconstruction planning. Foreign investments critical for recovery are also deterred by judicial inefficiencies, incomplete energy sector reforms, and entrenched corruption. Uncertain financial aid, monetary instability, and mismanaged state assets limit prospects for... MORE

Moscow Opens Door to Widespread Digital Surveillance
Executive Summary: New laws upping the penalties for Russians who access “extremist” content through unauthorized means reflect Moscow’s growing paranoia with an increasingly frustrated population. Russian officials have justified widespread Internet outages as necessary to the war effort, though many see it as a smokescreen... MORE

Moscow and Tehran Working to Block U.S. Involvement in Zangezur Corridor
Executive Summary: Azerbaijan and Armenia are considering an agreement featuring U.S. management of transit through Armenia via the Zangezur Corridor to link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. Russia and Iran are staunchly opposed to the proposal because they fear that U.S. involvement in the route... MORE

Romania Attempts to Modernize Naval Forces
Executive Summary: Romania’s new government, sworn in on June 23, appears committed to modernizing the Romanian Naval Forces, but its naval forces remain severely underfunded and outdated. Bucharest has made some questionable decisions in its effort to regain lost time and opportunities to develop and... MORE

Belarus Looking to Normalize Relations with the United States
Executive Summary: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka welcomed U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, to Minsk on June 21 in the highest-level meeting between U.S. and Belarusian officials since February 2020. The talks resulted in a goodwill gesture from Minsk with the release of... MORE

Putin Tries to Build Himself a Position of Strength
Executive Summary: The July 23 Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul yielded no diplomatic progress, as both sides remain entrenched in incompatible positions. Both sides, however, found it important to demonstrate readiness for further communication and to continue the exchange of prisoners. Both Ukraine and Russia appear... MORE