Executive Summary: Poland is accelerating its military build-up for a projected war with Russia as Ukraine faces a potentially unfavorable outcome in the peace talks brokered by the Donald Trump administration. Warsaw plans to introduce voluntary military training for all adult males and bolster Poland’s... MORE

Executive Summary: Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a strategic hub for critical minerals, leveraging its vast reserves of copper, zinc, lead, and nickel to attract foreign investment and diversify economic partnerships amid growing global demand and geopolitical competition. Deepening cooperation with the People’s Republic of... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin is now actively debating what Moscow should do if and when Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine ends, focusing first and foremost on how to reintegrate veterans lest they spark unrest and even chaos on their return. Moscow is also... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia is accelerating societal militarization through aggressive conscription tactics and the rapid expansion of military training in civilian education, aiming to create a long-term, competent force while limiting civilian access to higher education. Russia is opening more Military Training Centers and reopening command... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin seeks to restore normal relations with the West as a bargaining chip for negotiations on Russia’s war against Ukraine, despite intensifying anti-European rhetoric in Russian media. Pro-Kremlin analysts, especially from military-linked outlets, increasingly accuse Europe of Nazism and suggest deliberate strategies... MORE

Executive Summary: The European Union’s 14th sanctions included restrictions on the transshipment of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) through EU territory to third-party countries. The sanctions related to contracts signed before June 24, 2024 came into effect on March 26. Russia’s LNG industry faces significant... MORE