
Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Karimov-Nazarbayev Summit Signals Shift in Central Asian Security
On June 13–14, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived in Tashkent for a summit with his Uzbekistani counterpart Islam Karimov. Although media coverage of this meeting differed in both countries, the summit witnessed the signing of a “strategic partnership” between Astana and Tashkent. Equally, despite the... MORE

Putin Hints at Normalization with Georgia on Russian Terms
Russia’s barbed-wire fence construction in Georgia beyond the occupation line (see EDM, June 3, 11–13, 17) has provided another demonstration of the shifting balance of power (“new geopolitical realities”) in this region. It drove home this point without resorting to outright military aggression; and it... MORE

Xenophobia and Desire for Monopoly of Power Dominate Kyiv’s New Approach to Crimea
When writing about xenophobia and racism, Western scholarly and media writing about Ukraine inevitably focuses on Western Ukraine and the rise of the Svoboda nationalist party. But in fact, Council of Europe reports, the United States’ diplomatic cables from Kyiv (released by Wikileaks), annual reports... MORE

Moscow Orders Crackdown on Kadyrov Personality Cult
On June 12, some of the most astonishing news in recent years arrived from Chechnya: the previously ubiquitous portraits of Ramzan Kadyrov had reportedly vanished from the streets of Grozny and other Chechen towns and villages. Until a few days ago, enormous images of the... MORE

Georgia’s Reset and Russia’s Response (Part Four)
One major assumption behind the new Georgian government’s Russia policy holds that Georgia might regain its Russian-occupied territories in the future through a negotiated solution. This presupposes making Georgia an attractive country to the occupied territories’ populations; de-isolating them to broaden their options; and—if those... MORE

Stalin’s Shadow over the Post-Reset Meeting Between Putin and Obama
The Group of Eight (G8) summits have traditionally been seen more for their vanity than substance, and the one that opens today (June 17) in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, will not be an exception. The members of this privileged club—the United States, United Kingdom, France,... MORE

Krasnaya Polyana: Breaking the 150 Years of Silence (Part Two)
The following is the conclusion to the two-part historical series in EDM by Ibragim Gukemukh of the end of the road to Krasnaya Polyana and the last stand of Circassian resistance against Tsarist Russia’s conquest of the Northeast Caucasus. To read Part One, see EDM,... MORE

Scandal in Scandinavia: Gulnara Karimova’s Shrinking Prospects to Become Next Uzbek President
The issue of power succession in Uzbekistan gained momentum as a serious investigation has been launched in Sweden against Gulnara Karimova, the 40-year old daughter of Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov. She is suspected of receiving a $320 million bribe, paid to her company Takilant Limited... MORE

The ‘Return’ of Geopolitics and Historical Memory
In his essay, “A Map of the World: The Return of Geopolitics,” Sergei Karaganov, a Russian pundit, analyzes the newly acquired legitimacy of geopolitics that, until recently, used to be “provincial,” “politically incorrect,” and even perceived by some as a vestige of Nazi ideology. Karaganov... MORE

Simmering Border Conflicts Erupt Between Tajik and Kyrgyz Villagers
Just days after the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in Bishkek to confront the periodic conflicts breaking out on their countries’ border (https://news.tj/en/news/tajik-kyrgyz-leaders-outline-main-directions-further-bilateral-cooperation), a new incident occurred between residents of Batken (Kyrgyzstan) and Isfara (Tajkistan) districts in the Ferghana Valley on May 31. Hundreds... MORE