Executive Summary: The August 8 summit between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Washington, D.C., with mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump, reached a deal on the Zangezur Corridor, envisioning an “unimpeded” transit route through Armenia to Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave. Domestic opposition in Armenia has... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 5 attended the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and military parade in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). He discussed the war against Ukraine and Russia’s economic situation. The Kremlin likely... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin has seemingly reversed the Kremlin’s position toward cooperation with the United States and Ukraine at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) on September 2 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The Kremlin, until now,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian fatality estimates in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine vary widely, but analysis of open-source data suggests they exceed 175,000 between February 2022 and July 2025. Older Russian men and ethnic minorities are disproportionately dying in the war—many deaths come from... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing and Budapest have reportedly finalized the details of an extradition treaty that reflects Beijing’s growing involvement in Hungary’s internal security. The new treaty comes as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has begun investing heavily in various sectors of the Hungarian economy.... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian Foreign Ministry’s premier journal, International Life, says the Baltic Sea region has become “a potential theater of military conflict,” one where there is no chance that regimes more amenable to Moscow will arise in the absence of a radical shift in... MORE

Executive Summary: The recent peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8—mediated by the United States—has stirred great interest in Georgia, as it signals an increased Western presence in the South Caucasus. The ruling Georgian Dream party has sought to convince the West that,... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin is systematically erasing Ukrainian identity in occupied regions to solidify long-term submission and control by banning Ukrainian in schools, rewriting history, and indoctrinating children.  In the occupied territories, the Kremlin is linking Russian citizenship to access to healthcare, SIM cards, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Saida Mirziyoyeva, daughter of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was appointed head of Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration in June, a move likely used to stabilize and guide the country’s political landscape after the previous head of the administration stirred discontent.  Mirziyoyeva avoids divisive issues and... MORE