Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Belarus Prepares for a Transitional Election

Executive Summary: The upcoming Belarusian presidential election on January 26, 2025 will occur facing the aftershocks of the contested 2020 election, which disrupted domestic liberalization trends and triggered a geopolitical shift toward closer Belarusian-Russian integration. The election has garnered little international attention, with Western governments... MORE

Russia Seeks to Extend Transport Routes to Afghanistan

Executive Summary: Western sanctions against Russia have hampered northern cargo transportation routes used by most Eurasian states, leading Russia to increase relations with the Taliban government on transport communications to connect to the South Asian market. Extending the International North-South Transport Corridor to Afghanistan and... MORE

Airplane Crash Exposes Flaws in Baku-Moscow Relations

Executive Summary: On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, planned to fly from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after a Russian surface-to-air missile exploded near the aircraft mid-flight. The incident has strained Azerbaijan-Russian relations. Azerbaijani officials criticized Moscow’s denial, lack of... MORE

Georgia Faces Becoming a Pariah State to West

Executive Summary: The Georgian parliament inaugurated a new president, Mikheil Kavelashvili, on December 29 despite continuing protests calling for repeat parliamentary elections and the continuation of EU rapprochement. Western leaders have imposed sanctions on key Georgian officials, including informal leader and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, for... MORE

Moscow Sticks to Peace Denials Despite War Exhaustion

Executive Summary: The Russian offensive in Donbas has stalled, creating a deadlock with heavy casualties. The Kremlin remains committed to Ukraine’s capitulation, ignoring the heavy casualties in its stalled Donbas offensive, dismissing ceasefire discussions, and disregarding public support for peace.  Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks... MORE