Executive Summary: Human rights activists in Russia believe that the actual number of political prisoners serving time for anti-war views in Russia may be several times larger than is known to human rights organizations. Russia’s political prisoners increasingly come from non-political, working-class backgrounds, reflecting the... MORE

Executive Summary: Georgian officials and PRC diplomats present the PRC–Georgian strategic partnership as a path to Georgia’s prosperity, but reality shows minimal PRC investment in Georgia, trade imbalances that benefit Beijing, and PRC companies winning lucrative state contracts in Georgia. Beijing consistently abstains or opposes... MORE

Executive Summary: Moldova’s pro-European ruling party retained its majority in the September 24 parliamentary elections despite Moscow’s attempts to influence the elections in favor of pro-Russian parties. A series of setbacks in Russia’s policy toward Moldova undermined the position of Dmitry Kozak, former deputy chief... MORE

Executive Summary: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine during an October 16 phone call that preempted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington. Putin’s phone call yielded a short-term advantage by... MORE

Executive Summary: Uzbekistan’s plans to build infrastructure facilities at the Iranian Chabahar port to gain direct access to the Indian Ocean have not been implemented, indicating Tashkent’s possibly cautious approach to this issue. New Delhi is strengthening its economic ties with Russia and the People’s... MORE

Executive Summary: Ahead of winter, Russia launched another campaign of combined air strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including energy, gas production, and railway facilities. Russia is continually upgrading its missiles and strike drones, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of its air attacks. Several Ukrainian cities have... MORE

Executive Summary: Kyiv is moving toward more openly backing non-Russian national movements within Russia. It is convinced that such efforts will help it defeat Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and that the decolonization of Russia will ensure Ukraine’s future security. Such moves, which have their origins... MORE

Executive Summary: Late-Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, calls for Europe to develop a united, long-term strategy toward Russia while preserving the country’s territorial integrity. The Russian opposition remains fragmented, divided between Moscow-centric reformists such as Navalnaya’s camp and ethno-national or regionalist forces... MORE

Executive Summary: Western diplomats are coming under unprecedented pressure from the Georgian Dream government, with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kohakhidze accusing EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski of backing an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order. The European Union has categorically rejected and condemned disinformation... MORE