Volume 20 Issue 109 July 25, 2024 Strategic Indecision Prolongs NATO's Incremental Approach to Ukraine China Increasing Its Military Presence in Tajikistan Brutal Strikes on Ukraine Preserve Putin's Maneuverability
Volume 20 Issue 192 December 20, 2023 Ukraine at War: The Year Past and the Year Ahead (Part Two) Russian Armed Forces Remain Severely Understaffed Yerevan's Resettlement of Armenian Refugees in Zangezur Creates New Flashpoint Kazakhstan and Turkey Make Steady Progress in Expanding Military Cooperation
Volume 20 Issue 191 December 18, 2023 Ukraine at War: The Year Past and the Year Ahead (Part One) Russia's Row With Finland Exacerbates Baltic Solitude Armenia and Azerbaijan Conclude the Year With Hopeful Prospects for Peace
Volume 20 Issue 190 December 13, 2023 War in Ukraine Disrupts Russian Civilian and Commercial Aviation Symbol of Russian Occupation Taken Down in Sofia Poland's New Government Looks to Adapt Foreign Policy Approach
Volume 20 Issue 189 December 12, 2023 Moscow Faces More Problems in Achieving Its Ambitious Plans in the Arctic Increased Russian-Iranian Defense Cooperation Poses Threat to Ukraine and the West The Belarusian Triangle: Regime, Opposition, and Ordinary Belarusians
Volume 20 Issue 188 December 11, 2023 Kremlin Plays a Dangerous Game in Ignoring Protests Against Front-Line Conditions All Eyes on Hungary as Ukraine's EU Membership Hangs in the Balance Resurgent Dreams of Independence in the North Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 187 December 7, 2023 Ever-More Russians Write Putin Complaining About Impact of War in Ukraine The Russian Military's Inflation Paradox Unfit for Purpose: OSCE Cannot Bring Peace to Ukraine and Moldova
Volume 20 Issue 186 December 6, 2023 Russian 'Elves' in Georgia Fight Against Putin NATO and EU Seek to Ease Rising Tensions in Western Balkans Political Rhetoric Overshadows Belarus's Economic Reorientation Toward Russia
Volume 20 Issue 185 December 5, 2023 China Exploits Russia's Vulnerabilities Western Aid Strengthens Security of Ukrainian Grain Corridor Precedent-Setting Accord Between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan May Save Exclaves
Volume 20 Issue 184 December 4, 2023 Russian Energy Industry Faces Looming Investment Crisis Lagging Production of Machine Tools and Parts Plagues Russian Military-Industrial Complex OSCE in Russia's Tight Grip at Year-End Meeting
Volume 20 Issue 183 November 30, 2023 Moscow Uses Natural Gas to Fragment Moldova and Block Chisinau's Turn to the West Russia Playing Cat-and-Mouse With OSCE (Part Two) Expiration of UN Missile Sanctions Has Limited Effect on Iran's Arms Trade
Volume 20 Issue 182 November 29, 2023 Free Ingria Supporters Fight Against Moscow's Imperial Ideology The Lingering Debate Over Belarus's Historical Narratives Russia Playing Cat-and-Mouse With OSCE (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 181 November 28, 2023 Armenia and Azerbaijan Discussing a Swap of Exclaves Cossack Warriors From Russia and Abroad Meet in Moscow Kazakhstan Turns Toward China Amid Cooling Relations With Russia
Volume 20 Issue 180 November 27, 2023 Russian Influence Diminished in Remaking the Middle East Moscow Seeks Solutions to Growing Domestic Discontent Over War Effort Strained Relations Between Azerbaijan and the West
Volume 20 Issue 179 November 20, 2023 Russia's Restoration of Sukhumi Airport May Lead to Full Annexation of Abkhazia India to Build 24 Cargo Vessels for Russian Use in Caspian Trade Peace Unattainable Without Victory in Ukraine
Volume 20 Issue 178 November 16, 2023 The Kremlin Prepares for Winter in Ukraine Russia and China Develop New Grain Corridor Caspian Sea Drying Up, Forcing Coastal Countries to Respond
Volume 20 Issue 177 November 15, 2023 Ukraine Uses Innovative Drone and Missile Tactics to Combat Russian Dominance in Black Sea A Dose of Hardcore Realism for Belarus Azerbaijan Learns Important Lessons From Israel-Hamas War
Volume 20 Issue 176 November 14, 2023 Moscow Struggles to Deliver Supplies to Populations Along Northern Sea Route Russia in the Red Sea: Converging Wars Obstruct Russian Plans for Naval Port in Sudan (Part Three) European Commission Recommends Candidate Status for Georgia
Volume 20 Issue 175 November 13, 2023 Russia Tries and Fails to Gain a Foothold in Asia-Pacific Moscow Distances Itself From Repeat of ‘Afghan Syndrome’ Among Veterans of War in Ukraine Georgia Positions Itself as Mediator Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Volume 20 Issue 174 November 9, 2023 Ukraine Will Not Hold Elections During Wartime Russia's Manned Space Program Disrupted by War in Ukraine Moscow Purges Security Officials and Takes Preventative Steps in the North Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 173 November 8, 2023 Belarus Finds Economic Optimism Amid Political Freeze Cossack Education Becoming Further Institutionalized Across Russia's Regions Mongolia's Expanding Cooperation With China Has Limits
Volume 20 Issue 172 November 7, 2023 Dramatic Demographic Changes Threaten Stability in Kazakhstan The Kremlin Resumes Nuclear Testing in Escalation of War in Ukraine (Part Two) Russia Continues to Forcibly Recruit Prisoners and Migrant Workers for War in Ukraine (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 171 November 6, 2023 Russian Nuclear Blackmail Remains Ineffective France Agrees to Send Arms to Armenia in Another Blow to Russia’s Regional Influence Russia in the Red Sea: Port Options in Eritrea (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 170 November 3, 2023 Baku’s Plan to Reach Nakhchivan via Iran Unsettling More Than South Caucasus Moscow Re-Organizes Russian Armed Forces (Part Two) Lavrov’s Visit to Pyongyang Buries Russian Pivot to Asia
Volume 20 Issue 169 November 2, 2023 Ethnic Strife Resurgent in Russia Lukashenka Makes Unconventional Pronouncements on Sidelines of Eurasian Security Conference Ukraine and the Global South: Putin's Two-Front War Against the West (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 168 November 1, 2023 Pogroms in North Caucasus Highlight Fragility of Ethnic Relations in Russia Russia Exploits Israel-Hamas Conflict to Spread Disinformation About War in Ukraine Ukraine and the Global South: Putin’s Two-Front War Against the West (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 167 October 31, 2023 Balticconnector Leak Highlights Need for Stronger Coordination in Protecting Critical Infrastructure Third Quarter Arms Production Undermines the Kremlin’s Narrative Russia Continues to Forcibly Recruit Prisoners and Migrant Workers for War in Ukraine (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 166 October 26, 2023 China Expands Its Political Influence in Russia East of the Urals Bulgaria Strikes Back After Gazprom Suspended Gas Supplies Last Year The Israel-Hamas Conflict Reverberates in the South Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 165 October 25, 2023 Belarus Looks to Revive Its 'Multi-Vector' Foreign Policy Azerbaijan Advocates for Regional Solutions to Regional Problems in the South Caucasus Russia Experiencing a New 'Afghan Syndrome' With Soldiers Returning From Ukraine
Volume 20 Issue 164 October 24, 2023 Russia's Demographic Decline Will Be Deeper, Last Longer, and Hurt More Than Expected Moscow Re-Organizes Russian Armed Forces (Part One) The Kremlin Resumes Nuclear Testing in Escalation of Conflict With Ukraine and the West (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 163 October 23, 2023 Putin and Xi Meet as Hidden Differences Mount A Weakening Russia Becomes a Dangerous Paradox The Rise of Prison Labor in the Russian Economy
Volume 20 Issue 162 October 19, 2023 Russia's Combat Losses in Ukraine Deduced From Rosstat's 'Unassigned Deaths' Category Georgian Dream Officials Fear a 'Revolutionary Scenario' in Georgia Georgia Awaits EU Decision on Candidate Status
Volume 20 Issue 161 October 18, 2023 Russian Propaganda Efforts to Capitalize on Fighting in Gaza May Backfire Ideological Differences on the Israel-Hamas Conflict Divide Belarusians Fico's Unlikely Resurgence in Slovakia Explained
Volume 20 Issue 160 October 17, 2023 Kazakhstan Faces Variety of Separatist Threats, Any of Which Russia Could Use Finland Establishes Itself Within NATO to Moscow's Dismay US Summit Reflects Decline in Russia's Position in Central Asia
Volume 20 Issue 159 October 16, 2023 Moscow Seeks to Benefit From Fighting in Gaza Moldova's National Security Strategy Designates Russia as Existential Threat, Europe as Destination (Part Two) Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran Forge Ahead With Proposed Transit Corridor
Volume 20 Issue 158 October 16, 2023 Kyiv Expands Efforts to Attract Non-Russians in Russia Russia Moves to Cancel Ratification of Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Moldova's National Security Strategy Designates Russia as Existential Threat, Europe as Destination (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 157 October 12, 2023 The Wagner Group Evolves After the Death of Prigozhin Will Belarusian Westernizers Recover? Russian Naval Base in Abkhazia Strengthens Separatists Yet Weakens Pro-Russian Officials in Georgia
Volume 20 Issue 156 October 11, 2023 Russian Naval Base in Abkhazia Strengthens Separatists Yet Weakens Pro-Russian Officials in Georgia Tensions Rise Between Minsk and Warsaw on the Eve of Polish Elections Zangezur Emerges From the Shadows as a Dangerous New Hotspot
Volume 20 Issue 155 October 10, 2023 Putin Uses Valdai Club to Repeat Nuclear Bluff Russian Opposition in Exile Attempts to Influence Situation Back Home The Kremlin Uses Registered Cossacks as a Means of Stealth Mobilization
Volume 20 Issue 154 October 5, 2023 The Politics and Disinformation Behind Armenian Exodus From Karabakh Russia Struggles to Manage Defense and Security Budgets Radicalization of Muslim Migrant Workers Threatens Their Homelands and Russia
Volume 20 Issue 153 October 4, 2023 Ukraine's Slow-Moving Counteroffensive: Gaps in Russian Defense (Part Five) The West's Approach to Belarus Pushes Minsk Closer to Moscow Azerbaijan Moves to Disarm Karabakh Separatists (Part Three)
Volume 20 Issue 152 October 3, 2023 Baku’s Karabakh Victory Prompts Moldova to Mull Using Force in Transnistria License Plate Ban in EU May Alienate Russian Population Kazakhstan Cautiously Builds Ties With China
Volume 20 Issue 151 October 2, 2023 Winter in the Long War Is Coming for Russia Hungary Reiterates Commitment to Nuclear Cooperation with Russia Turkey Supports Azerbaijan's Operation in Karabakh
Volume 20 Issue 150 September 28, 2023 China Strengthening Its Position in Northern Russia and the Arctic Sea Russia Toys With Statistics on Contracted Soldiers Azerbaijan Moves to Disarm Karabakh Separatists (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 149 September 27, 2023 Radical 'Diplomacy' Harms Moscow's Allies Belarus's Disunity and Its Impact on European Security Polish-Ukrainian Grain Dispute Explained
Volume 20 Issue 148 September 26, 2023 Ukraine Using Asymmetric Countermeasures to Russian Power in the Black Sea Nansen Passports May Make a Comeback for Belarusian and Russian Émigrés Ukraine's Slow-Moving Counteroffensive: Russian Defense Continues to Adapt (Part Four)
Volume 20 Issue 147 September 25, 2023 Zelenskyy Fights Difficult Diplomatic Battles, as Russia's Isolation Deepens Ukraine's Drone and Missile Tactics Transform Battlefield India Expands Maritime Trade Corridors With Russia
Volume 20 Issue 146 September 21, 2023 Zelenskyy Calls for De-Occupation of Ukraine's Black Sea Domain Dubious Russian Claims of 'Doubling' Arms Production Tatarstan Capitalizes on China's Expanding Role in Middle Volga
Volume 20 Issue 145 September 20, 2023 Belarusian Opposition Faces Domestic Realities Russia Blocks Circassians Return to Their Homeland Azerbaijan Moves to Disarm Karabakh Separatists (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 144 September 19, 2023 Iran Losing Out to Turkey in Central Asia, Frustrating Tehran Russian Influence Fades in the Multi-Aligned South Caucasus Georgia Intensifies Its Relationship With China
Volume 20 Issue 143 September 18, 2023 Putin and Kim Meet at Russian Cosmodrome Ukraine's New Defense Minister Has Difficult Road Ahead Moscow Tries to Bolster Military Forces While Avoiding Overt Mobilization
Volume 20 Issue 142 September 14, 2023 Russia's Drone Industry Hits Serious Turbulence Papal Visit to Mongolia Touches on China, Russia and Future of Roman Catholic Church Ukraine's Innovative Black Sea Tactics Threaten Kazakhstan's Oil Exports
Volume 20 Issue 141 September 13, 2023 Russia Uses All Means to Recruit Central Asians for War in Ukraine Belarus's International Standing Improves as Domestic Culture Wars Heat Up Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Brink of Renewed Conflict
Volume 20 Issue 140 September 12, 2023 Putin-Erdogan Meeting Shows Turkey Unfit to Mediate Between Russia and Ukraine (Part Two) Iran Hopes to Play Spoiler With Planned EU-India Corridor Georgian Government Launches Impeachment Proceedings Against Pro-European President
Volume 20 Issue 139 September 11, 2023 Russia's Diminished Global Status Exposed in India Putin-Erdogan Meeting Shows Turkey Unfit to Mediate Between Russia and Ukraine (Part One) Russia in the Red Sea: The Search for Warm-Water Ports (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 138 September 8, 2023 United Russia Considering New Focus on Peaceful Regionalism Western Sanctions and Personnel Shortages Plague Russia's Aircraft Industry Russia Eyes Civilian Nuclear Markets in Africa
Volume 20 Issue 137 September 7, 2023 Belarus Resists Becoming a Mere Extension of Russia Russia Remains Stubborn on Non-Renewal of Ukraine Grain Deal Moscow Signals It Can Still Play Talysh Card Against Baku
Volume 20 Issue 136 September 6, 2023 Ukraine's Slow-Moving Counteroffensive: Russia's Evolving Defensive Tactics (Part Three) Putin Grows More Paranoid of Potential Threats to Power Moscow Reconsiders the Wagner Group's Role in Africa
Volume 20 Issue 135 September 5, 2023 Aggressive Nuclear Propaganda Sets Trap for the Kremlin Turkey Planning to Become Dominant Naval Player in the Caspian Moldova Reduces Russian Embassy Staff in Lead-Up to Busy Electoral Season
Volume 20 Issue 134 August 18, 2023 Ukrainian Naval Drone Warfare: Some International Political Implications Generation Z: Russia's Militarization of Children Kazakhstan Seeks New Energy Export Routes Azerbaijan Bolsters Cooperation With Balkan Countries
Volume 20 Issue 133 August 17, 2023 Clash of Moldova's Two Orthodox Churches Complicates Chisinau's Turn to the West Will Putin's Successor Be More Flawed, Brutal and Inept? Central Asia Cultivates Increased Attention on International Stage
Volume 20 Issue 132 August 16, 2023 Belarusians Reflect on Third Anniversary of 2020 Anti-Regime Protests Prigozhin's Failed Coup and the Future of Wagner in Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA (Part One) India Losing Its Steep Discount on Russian Crude Oil
Volume 20 Issue 131 August 15, 2023 Ukraine's Slow-Moving Counteroffensive: The Russian Response (Part Two) Russian Black Sea Fleet Intrudes Bulgarian Waters, Harasses Turkish Grain Freighter Belarus Remains a Persistent Vector of Russia's Hybrid Campaign Against the West
Volume 20 Issue 130 August 14, 2023 Hard Georgian Lessons for Ending the War in Ukraine Russia's Uncertain Aims for Moon Exploration Azerbaijan Concerned by India's Weapons Sales to Armenia
Volume 20 Issue 129 August 10, 2023 Patrushev Says West Organizing Terrorist Plots in Karelia to Promote Separatism Geopolitical Surprise in the Caucasus: Georgia Declares a Strategic Partnership With China During Past 15 Months, Russians Register Over 21,000 Enterprises in Georgia
Volume 20 Issue 128 August 9, 2023 When Will Western Naval Powers Return to the Black Sea and on What Conditions? (Part Three) Moscow's Mixed Signals About Its Strategic Intent in the Black Sea New Sanctions and Lukashenka's Improvised Reaction to Belarus's Western Neighbors
Volume 20 Issue 127 August 8, 2023 Ukraine's Slow-Moving Counteroffensive: Problems and Solutions (Part One) Moscow Shifting Focus to Sea Lanes Rather Than Railways for North-South Corridor Will Russian Youth Be Educated by Criminals?
Volume 20 Issue 126 August 7, 2023 Ukraine's 'Counteroffensive' in the Global South Russian Arms Production Q2 2023 When Will Western Naval Powers Return to the Black Sea and on What Conditions? (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 125 August 3, 2023 When Will Western Naval Powers Return to the Black Sea and on What Conditions? (Part One) The Anatomy of Prigozhin's Mutiny and the Future of Russia's Mercenary Industry (Part Three) In Opposition to Chisinau's Pro-EU Course, Gagauz to Open Representation in Moscow
Volume 20 Issue 124 August 2, 2023 Changing the Tune on Western Sanctions Against Belarus Turkey's Pivot West Disrupts Relations With Russia Gaia vs. Leviathan: Why Is Russia at War With the Modern World?
Volume 20 Issue 123 August 1, 2023 Turkey Set to Help Kazakhstan Expand Its Caspian Fleet Russia Deepens Military Cooperation With North Korea Turkey's Ambitious Bid to Diversify Natural Gas Sources and Reduce Dependency on Russia
Volume 20 Issue 122 July 31, 2023 Hollow Words and Apparent Setbacks at the Russia-Africa Summit Ukrainian Trade Blockade: Foretaste of Russian Hegemony in Black Sea (Part Three) Regional Ties Deepening Between Central Asia and South Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 121 July 27, 2023 Ukrainian Trade Blockade: Foretaste of Russian Hegemony in the Black Sea (Part Two) New Draft and Mobilization Rules in Russia: Increased Coercion Central Asian Countries Come Together to Pursue Ties with the Arab World
Volume 20 Issue 120 July 26, 2023 Ukraine's Manpower Requirements Reaching a Critical Threshold Belarus's Lukashenka Is Busier Than Ever Ukrainian Trade Blockade: Foretaste of Russian Hegemony in the Black Sea (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 119 July 25, 2023 Ukraine's Success on Land Raising Importance of Black Sea Fleet for Moscow Propaganda and Repression Turn Against Their Creators in Russia Ukrainian Resistance Adapts to Key Role in Counteroffensive
Volume 20 Issue 118 July 24, 2023 Russia Escalates War by Breaking Ukraine Grain Deal Where Can the Kremlin Go for New Officers? The Anatomy of Prigozhin's Mutiny and the Future of Russia's Mercenary Industry (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 117 July 20, 2023 Tehran's Anger Over Moscow's Position on Ormuz Islands Prompts Russia to Back Down Trade and Geopolitics in and Around Kazakhstan Russia Stresses Its 'Red Lines' as Armenia and Azerbaijan Continue Peace Negotiations
Volume 20 Issue 116 July 19, 2023 The NATO Summit, Western Sanctions and Belarus's Capacity to Act Independently Russia Pulls Out of Ukraine Grain Deal NATO’s 2023 Summit: Modest Expectations, Modest Results (Part Three)
Volume 20 Issue 115 July 18, 2023 Captive Nations Week Marked for First Time in Ukraine Russia Cancels Stealth Corvette Project After Prototype Launched Putin's Private Empire
Volume 20 Issue 114 July 17, 2023 Russia Reels From New Post-Vilnius Challenges NATO's 2023 Summit: Modest Expectations, Modest Results (Part Two) NATO's Indecision on Eastward Expansion Is a Window of Opportunity for Russia
Volume 20 Issue 113 July 13, 2023 Growing Problems With Russia's Waterways Restrict Moscow's Ability to Achieve Its Goals The Further Degradation of the Russian Army NATO's 2023 Summit: Modest Expectations, Modest Results (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 112 July 12, 2023 Belarus's Lukashenka as a Mediator? The Putin Vertical Will Continue to Collapse What Will Iran's SCO Membership Mean for Security Arrangements in Central Asia?
Volume 20 Issue 111 July 11, 2023 Reported Coup Attempt in Turkmenistan Could Threaten Ashgabat's Future Course The Anatomy of Prigozhin's Mutiny and the Future of Russia's Mercenary Industry (Part One) Is Chechnya’s Strongman Poised to Capitalize on Prigozhin’s Downfall?
Volume 20 Issue 110 July 10, 2023 A Vilnius Boost for the Ukrainian Offensive Allies Set to Consider Ukrainian Membership in Vilnius Revitalization of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor: From Afghanistan to Europe
Volume 20 Issue 109 July 7, 2023 Wagner PMC Exemplifies How Putin Has Destroyed Russian State Moscow in Urgent Search of New Space Partners In Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Talks, Disagreements Persist on Major Issues
Volume 20 Issue 108 July 6, 2023 Debating Lukashenka's True Role in Deflecting Russia's Domestic Crisis Prigozhin Mutiny Further Distances Central Asia From Russia How Will Hakan Fidan’s Appointment Shift Turkish Diplomacy in Its Neighborhood?
Volume 20 Issue 107 July 5, 2023 Moscow Announces End-Run Around Increasingly Hostile Kazakhstan Russian Think Tanks Enable the Kremlin’s Dangerous Delusions Uzbekistan’s Snap Presidential Elections Will Seal Its Future Trajectory
Volume 20 Issue 106 July 3, 2023 Failures of Putin Regime Distort Russian Political Perspectives Jet Engines and Commercial Aviation: Key Indicators for Russian Arms Manufacturing Russian-Georgian Business Council: A Platform for Political Destabilization in Georgia
Volume 20 Issue 105 June 29, 2023 Putin Propagandists Seek to Divide Others at Home and Abroad, Not Convince Them The True Lack of Regionalism Explains the Failure of Anti-Kremlin Military Projects Burgeoning Azerbaijani-NATO Relations
Volume 20 Issue 104 June 28, 2023 What Does Lukashenka's Role as Mediator in Russian Crisis Imply? Putin’s Nuclear Provocations Proliferate Kakhovka Dam Destruction: Russia’s Ecocide and Economic War Against Ukraine (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 103 June 27, 2023 Prigozhin’s Mutiny Took Russian Propaganda by Surprise Ethnic Russian Identity in Post-Soviet Space Not as Fixed as Moscow Thinks Political Posturing, Facts on the Ground and the West’s Belarus Policies
Volume 20 Issue 102 June 26, 2023 Mutiny Undercuts Russian Intrigues in the Global South Communication Entropy in the Kremlin vs. Putin’s Information Isolation Moscow Scrambling to Solve Manpower Shortages—Without Another Mobilization Yevgeny Prigozhin: Putin’s Political-Military Joker?
Volume 20 Issue 101 June 22, 2023 War in Ukraine Has Changed Circassian Movement, and Moscow Is Worried The Concept of Russian Victory Against a Background of Failure Moldova Outlaws Shor's Russophile Party, but the Threat Persists (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 100 June 21, 2023 Moldova Outlaws Shor's Russophile Party, but the Threat Persists (Part One) Military Buildup in Belarus and the Exiled Opposition’s Downfall New Trilateral Cooperation for Iran, Armenia and India in the South Caucasus: From 'Soft Balancing' to Regional Transit Balance
Volume 20 Issue 99 June 20, 2023 Moscow's Plans for Russian Fleet Unlikely to Be Realized Anytime Soon Dirty Business: The Russian-Iranian Strategic Partnership Intensifies Latvia and Estonia Agree to Joint Acquisition of IRIS-T Air Defense Systems
Volume 20 Issue 98 June 19, 2023 Russia Stays on the Course of Economic Delusion and Military Attrition Kakhovka Dam Destruction: Russia’s Ecocide and Economic War Against Ukraine (Part One) EU Set to Green-Light Suspension of Import Duties for Ukrainian Grain Exports
Volume 20 Issue 97 June 15, 2023 Occupying More of Ukraine Will Bring More Problems for Russia, Some in Moscow Now Saying The True State of Russian Arms Manufacturing, June 2023 Tajikistan Aims to Revitalize Transportation Corridor to Europe
Volume 20 Issue 96 June 14, 2023 Belarus Policy Lesson? Pursuing Geo-Strategic Interests May Be More Productive Than Direct Democracy Promotion Western Appeasement of Serbia Repeats Policy Mistakes Regarding Russia 'Nemesis' Monument Disrupts Turkish–Armenian Normalization
Volume 20 Issue 95 June 13, 2023 Moscow Seeks to Use Ammonia Pipeline Blast to Pressure West on Ukraine Ukraine Needs to Secure Its Maritime Future: 'Mosquito Fleet' Provides a Viable Strategy A New 'Georgian Dream?': Tbilisi Moves for Economic Gains Over Security Guarantees
Volume 20 Issue 94 June 12, 2023 The Counteroffensive, the Dam and the Proliferation of 'Peace Plans' Tricky Recruiting in Russia: 2023 Spring Conscripts and Volunteers Russia Planning Year-Round Navigation of Northern Sea Route in Early 2024
Volume 20 Issue 93 June 8, 2023 Moscow Alarmed by Kyiv’s Interest in Russian Far East—and With Good Reason Gloating and Anxiety: How Russians React to War Reaching Their Homes Armenia and Azerbaijan Inch Closer to a Peace Deal
Volume 20 Issue 92 June 7, 2023 As Raids Continue, Fractures Are Growing in Russian Border Defenses New Rumors on Lukashenka’s Ill Health and What Really Matters Growing Russian-Iranian Partnership Along the North-South Corridor
Volume 20 Issue 91 June 6, 2023 Moscow Reorganizing Russian Military for Offensive War and to Protect Putin Regime Lavrov Returns to Africa Revival of TAPI Pipeline Project Brings Serious Geopolitical Implications for Russia
Volume 20 Issue 90 June 5, 2023 Ukraine Takes the War Deep Into Russia Succession in Russia? Bringing Russia Back From the Cold at Ukraine's Expense (Part Three)
Volume 20 Issue 89 June 2, 2023 Moscow Fears Russian Fleet Could Be Incapacitated by Drones Bringing Russia Back From the Cold at Ukraine's Expense (Part One) Bringing Russia Back From the Cold at Ukraine's Expense (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 88 June 1, 2023 Russia's Weaponization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant External and Internal Factors of Belarus's Political Dynamics Relations Between Kyrgyzstan and Russia Wax and Wane
Volume 20 Issue 87 May 31, 2023 Kazakhstan's Uranium Exacerbating Geopolitical Conflict in Eurasia Anti-Kremlin Russian Volunteers Launch Border Incursion Into Russia's Belgorod Region The Nuclear Sequence of the Belgorod Raid
Volume 20 Issue 86 May 30, 2023 Three Russian Discourses and Significant Silence on the War in Ukraine Azerbaijan Is Drifting Away From Russia, and Moscow Has Only Itself to Blame Ukrainian Politician Promises to Help Pro-Western Political Forces in Georgia
Volume 20 Issue 85 May 25, 2023 Greenland Set to Become Cockpit of Controversy Between East and West Georgia Rapidly Cozying Up to Russia and Moving Away From the West Armenia's Role in Helping Russia Circumvent Sanctions
Volume 20 Issue 84 May 24, 2023 Lukashenka's Illness and the Uproar Over It China Makes Its Move in Central Asia Uzbekistan to Receive Russian Gas via Renovated Soviet-Era Pipeline
Volume 20 Issue 83 May 23, 2023 Moscow Faces Increased Difficulties in Countering Circassian National Movement The Nuclear Angle in Belarus Dynamics Intensify in Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Talks
Volume 20 Issue 82 May 22, 2023 Summit in Hiroshima Charts Ending for War in Ukraine Ukrainian Sabotage Operations Could Spell Increased Confrontation Between Russian Special Services A 'People's Constitution' for a 'New Uzbekistan'?
Volume 20 Issue 81 May 18, 2023 Russia’s Estimated Storage of Cruise Missiles, May 2023 Turkmenistan Steps Up Its Effort to Become an International Transit Hub Will the EU Slap Sanctions on Central Asia?
Volume 20 Issue 80 May 17, 2023 Italy Commits to Unwavering Support for Ukraine During Zelenskyy Visit Russian Imperial Movement Deepens Involvement in Ukraine War Prigozhin Takes On Russian Ministry of Defense
Volume 20 Issue 79 May 16, 2023 Ukraine Launches Sabotage Operations on Occupied Territories and Inside Russia Gagauz Election Outcome Creates Problems for Moldova and the West Turkmenistan Considers Sending Natural Gas Supplies to Europe
Volume 20 Issue 78 May 15, 2023 Russians Keep Nearly $1 Billion in Georgian Banks EU Set to Green-Light Suspension of Import Duties for Ukrainian Exports, Though Tough Council Debate Looms Azerbaijan Establishes Border Checkpoint Along Lachin Road
Volume 20 Issue 77 May 11, 2023 International Competition Over Turkmenistan's Transport Routes Intensifies Russian Arms Production for Q1 2023 The Geopolitics of Turkey's Upcoming Elections
Volume 20 Issue 76 May 10, 2023 The Fallacy of Negotiating With Putin Belarusian Opposition Preaching Gloom Amid Growing Distress As Kremlin Boosts Soft Power, Will Georgia ‘Fly’ to Moscow or Brussels?
Volume 20 Issue 75 May 9, 2023 Gagauzia Takes Center Stage in Moscow's Efforts to Rein In Moldova Can the Russian Opposition Foment Regime Change? Latvia Reinstitutes Conscription Amid Calls to Strengthen National and Regional Security
Volume 20 Issue 74 May 8, 2023 Muted V-Day Celebrations in Russia Amid Disastrous War Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Hold Marathon Peace Talks in Washington The Israel Factor as a 'Third Party' in Growing Tensions Between Iran and Azerbaijan
Volume 20 Issue 73 May 4, 2023 Baku’s Cooperation With West on Ukraine Leaves Moscow With Few Options Belarus and Russia Advance Economic Integration (Part Two) New Trends May Change the SCO
Volume 20 Issue 72 May 3, 2023 Collapse of the Russian Empire’s Main Historical Pillar? Will Russia Become a 'Complete Dystopia?' Debating Sanctions Against Belarus: How to Fix the Broken Record?
Volume 20 Issue 71 May 2, 2023 Japan Quietly Playing a Growing Role in Central Asia Russian Restrictions Foster FDI Boom in Kazakhstan Italy Builds Closer Ties to Uzbekistan
Volume 20 Issue 70 May 1, 2023 Political Games Abound Over Ukraine’s Coming Offensive What Can be Learned From the Xi-Zelenskyy Call? Abkhazian Official Hints Russia Using Its Territory to Avoid Western Sanctions
Volume 20 Issue 69 April 27, 2023 Russia Faces Serious Problems in Helping China Corner Rare Earth Mineral Market Russia’s Changing Navy India: One of the Biggest Beneficiaries of the War in Ukraine
Volume 20 Issue 68 April 26, 2023 Russia 'Recruits' Allies and Partners in the Global South Belarus and Its Neighbors in a Time of War: Attitudes, Perceptions and Realities Belarus's 'Neutral' Role in the Russo-Ukrainian War (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 67 April 25, 2023 Kazakhstan Building Up Caspian Tanker Fleet to Bypass Russia Defending Ukraine's Skies: Mission (Im)possible Will Moscow Turn Its Back on 'Systemic Liberals'?
Volume 20 Issue 66 April 24, 2023 Moscow Wants Russian Society to Pay for War in Ukraine (Part Two) Belarus and Russia Advance Economic Integration (Part One) Azerbaijan Pivots to the Balkans
Volume 20 Issue 65 April 20, 2023 Rising Russian-Chinese Tensions Over NSR Could Spark Russian Military Clash With West Russia's Main Strategy: Demonize Ukraine and Hope for Weakening Western Support Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Optimize Middle Corridor
Volume 20 Issue 64 April 19, 2023 Sisyphean Labor: Extracting Slivers of Optimism From Events in Belarus ICC's Arrest Warrant for Putin Divides Post-Soviet Space US Slaps Sanctions on Georgian Judges
Volume 20 Issue 63 April 18, 2023 Moscow Faces Serious Obstacles in Making Karelia a 'Second Kaliningrad' China's Growing Economic Power in Uzbekistan Azerbaijani-Iranian Tensions Disrupt the South Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 62 April 17, 2023 Moscow Engulfed by Anxiety About Impending Ukrainian Offensive The Sivash: A Key Strategic Point in the Retaking of Crimea Can Muscovy Be Considered a 'State-Civilization'?
Volume 20 Issue 61 April 13, 2023 Moscow Church Faces New and Greater Threat in Lithuania, Belarus and Russia Itself A 'Revolution' in Military Recruitment for Russia Regional Tensions Loom Over Multilateral Initiatives in South Caucasus
Volume 20 Issue 60 April 12, 2023 Exiled Belarusian Sociologist Critiques the West's Belarus Policies Moscow Wants Russian Society to Pay for War in Ukraine (Part One) Kazakhstan Proposes Gas Pipeline Project Connecting Russia and China
Volume 20 Issue 59 April 11, 2023 Russia Faces Serious Problems in Developing North-South Trade Corridor via Caspian Sea Potential for Conflict Growing in Russian Society Russia's Ongoing Impact in Latin America
Volume 20 Issue 58 April 10, 2023 Putin's Political Bubble Tightens Up The Role of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in the Russo-Ukrainian War China Unveils 'Grandiose Plan' for Central Asia
Volume 20 Issue 57 April 6, 2023 North Caucasus Descending Into Violence, Further Eroding Putin's Image as Strongman Spring 2023 Outlook for Russian Arms Manufacturing Bulgaria: Transatlantic Parties Have a Historic Opportunity
Volume 20 Issue 56 April 5, 2023 Lukashenka Addresses the Nation Georgia Dragged Into Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Controversy Is Kazakhstan Inching Toward a Multiparty Democracy?
Volume 20 Issue 55 April 4, 2023 Russia Risks Losing Its Dominance Over Arctic Sea Route to China and Turkey Lukashenka Explains the Russian Tactical Nukes The Future of Russian-Uzbekistani Energy Relations
Volume 20 Issue 54 April 3, 2023 New Decree on Foreign Policy Fails to Hide Russia’s Falsity Empire as Catastrophe: A Philosophical Reevaluation of the Russian State Czechia and Poland Eye Cooperation on Natural Gas Infrastructure
Volume 20 Issue 53 March 30, 2023 With Moscow's Encouragement, Iran Moves More Deeply Into Russia Than Ever Before Belarus and Iran: Minsk Goes Where Doors Are Open Belarus's 'Neutral' Role in the Russo-Ukrainian War (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 52 March 29, 2023 In Preparation for Spring Offensive, Ukraine Organizes Additional Assault Brigades A Closer Look at Belarus's New Political Party and Its Leader Kazakhstan Exports Oil to Germany as Russia Keeps a Close Eye
Volume 20 Issue 51 March 28, 2023 Amid Russia's Problems, China Assumes a Larger Role in the Arctic The West's Arctic Forge 23 Drills Unsettle Russian Military Putin's Regime Is Acquiring Features of Nazism
Volume 20 Issue 50 March 27, 2023 As NATO Gains New Strength, Moscow Resorts to Nuclear Bluff Going Beyond Mercenaries: Is Prigozhin Preparing for a Power Struggle in Russia? (Part Two) Iran Not Opposed to Deployment of EU Monitoring Mission Along Armenian-Azerbaijani Border
Volume 20 Issue 49 March 23, 2023 Cossacks Now Challenging Moscow on Multiple Fronts Russia's Mystery of Missile Defense Moldovan Government Finally Burns Bridges to Russia (Part One) Moldovan Government Finally Burns Bridges to Russia (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 48 March 22, 2023 Going Beyond Mercenaries: Is Prigozhin Preparing for a Power Struggle in Russia? (Part One) What to Make of the Escalating Repressions in Belarus? Baku Ramps Up Efforts to Re-Integrate the Karabakh Region
Volume 20 Issue 47 March 21, 2023 Russian Seeking Once Again to Use Gagauz in Blocking Moldova's Turn to the West The Depopulation of Russian Border Towns Accelerates in the Baltic Sea Region Azerbaijan Strengthening Its Position in Europe’s Green Energy Market
Volume 20 Issue 46 March 20, 2023 Four Complications for the Rushed Putin-Xi Summit Russia's Crisis of Restoring Manpower Armenian-Turkish Earthquake Diplomacy
Volume 20 Issue 45 March 16, 2023 Caspian Sea Trade Between Russia and Iran Booming Belarusian-Chinese Ties Draw Heightened International Attention Planned Rail Connection With China Will Elevate Kyrgyzstan's Strategic Importance
Volume 20 Issue 44 March 15, 2023 Moving the Goalposts: Russia’s Evolving War Aims in Ukraine (Part Three) Can a Deal Be Negotiated With Belarus's Lukashenka? Russia's Military Failures in Ukraine a Direct Threat to Abkhazia and 'South Ossetia'
Volume 20 Issue 43 March 14, 2023 Cossackia: A Potentially Powerful Bulwark Against Russian Imperialism Moscow Uses Tragedies Caused by War to Further Justify It What Is Behind Former Turkmenistani President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's New Title?
Volume 20 Issue 42 March 13, 2023 China Adjusts Limits on Partnership With Russia Moving the Goalposts: Russia's Evolving War Aims in Ukraine (Part Two) Georgian Government Withdraws 'Foreign Agents' Bill After Large-Scale Protests
Volume 20 Issue 41 March 9, 2023 Moving the Goalposts: Russia's Evolving War Aims in Ukraine (Part One) While Moscow Could Not Afford It, China Will Build Railway North to Sakha Is Chechen Leader Kadyrov Preparing to Pass Governorship to Son?
Volume 20 Issue 40 March 8, 2023 Belarus's Independence and Its Putative Defenders at a Time of War What the Election of Czech President Petr Pavel Portends for Sino-EU Relations De-Cossackization as a Key Part of Moscow's Russification Agenda
Volume 20 Issue 39 March 7, 2023 Putin Truly Fears Russia's Potential Rupture Kyiv Quells Russian Orthodox Church’s Influence Within Ukraine (Part Two) Uncertainty Looms Over Zangezur Corridor as Armenian-Azerbaijani Disputes Persist
Volume 20 Issue 38 March 6, 2023 Official Western Views Diverge With Ukrainian Views on War Outcomes (Part Two) The Strategic Implications of an Iranian Drone Production Facility in Russia Wagner in Serbia: A Fire Bell in the Night
Volume 20 Issue 37 March 2, 2023 Official Western Views Diverge With Ukrainian Views On War Outcomes (Part One) Russia's Questionable Naval Modernization During Wartime Moscow's Cutback on Icebreaker Construction Opens Door for China in the North
Volume 20 Issue 36 March 1, 2023 Belarus's Disappearing Flexibility for Geopolitical Maneuver Russia to Cut Oil Output in March 2023, Suggesting Retaliation for Western Sanctions Munich Conference Casts Optimistic Light on Azerbaijani-Armenian Peace Process
Volume 20 Issue 35 February 28, 2023 Grozny's Support for Ethnic Chechens in Dagestan Destabilizing North Caucasus Why Putin Cannot End His War Against Ukraine The 'Privatization of Force' Presses on in Russia (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 34 February 27, 2023 Putin's War-Mongering Spectacle Reveals War Fatigue Moldova Extricates From Russian-Dominated Process of Negotiations on Transnistria (Part Two) The 'Privatization of Force' Presses on in Russia (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 33 February 24, 2023 Why Did Russia Suspend the New START Treaty? Moldova Extricates From Russian-Dominated Process of Negotiations on Transnistria (Part One) Iran Joins China in Dredging Russia’s Volga River, Further Solidifying Anti-Western Axis
Volume 20 Issue 32 February 23, 2023 Putting the Belarusian President’s Unexpected Press Conference in Context Sergei Lavrov: The African Explorer Is Pakistan Truly Sending Military Aid to Ukraine for Its Fight Against Russia?
Volume 20 Issue 31 February 22, 2023 Scrapping of Northern Railway Undermines Russian Economy and Putin's Arctic Ambitions Why Do Russian Politics Tend Toward Notions of the End Of The World? Eschewing the West's 'Double Standards,' Georgia Favors Restoring Direct Flights With Russia
Volume 20 Issue 30 February 21, 2023 Biden Administration Signals Limits to Its Support for Ukraine's Just War Before Decisive Battles, Russia's War Against Ukraine Reaches a Political Culmination Russia's Arctic Crude Exports to China and India Increase
Volume 20 Issue 29 February 16, 2023 Russian Armed Forces Face Severe Demographic Challenges Moscow Continues Efforts to Penetrate Circassian Diaspora Russia Continues to Target Central Asian Migrants for War Effort
Volume 20 Issue 28 February 15, 2023 New Russian Offensive Underway in Ukraine Competing Media Agendas and the Geostrategic Interests of Belarus's Southern Neighbor Georgia Believes 'Modest Dowries' Are Enough for EU Membership
Volume 20 Issue 27 February 14, 2023 Putin’s War in Ukraine Hitting Russia’s Numerically Smallest Nations Hardest Cossacks Used to Promote Moscow’s War Against Ukraine Azerbaijan's Quest for a Renewed Foreign Policy Strategy in 2023
Volume 20 Issue 26 February 13, 2023 Russia, China and South Africa to Conduct Joint Naval Exercises Iran's Purchase of Russian Fighter Jets Underlines Shifting Regional Geopolitics Azerbaijan Grows Wary of Russian Oligarch Vardanyan's True Intentions in Karabakh
Volume 20 Issue 25 February 10, 2023 The Case for US Assent to Ukraine’s Further Dismemberment (Part One) The Case for US Assent to Ukraine’s Further Dismemberment (Part Two) Russian Space Spending for 2023
Volume 20 Issue 24 February 9, 2023 Crisis in Lachin Corridor Risks Triggering Broader War in South Caucasus Armenia Tries to Diversify Its Foreign Policy Away From Russia Bracing for a New Low? 2023 Outlook for Ukrainian-Hungarian Relations
Volume 20 Issue 23 February 8, 2023 What Does 2023 Portend for the Russian Navy? What Can Be Done to Slow Down Belarus's Eastern Drift? Yerevan and Karabakh Separatists Divided Over Russia's Regional Security Role
Volume 20 Issue 22 February 7, 2023 A Slow, Soft and Incomplete Exit? Moldova’s Relationship With the CIS Russia Reconsiders Its Air Defense Strategy Sweden’s Defense-by-Denial Options
Volume 20 Issue 21 February 6, 2023 What Are the Kremlin's Hopes for Its War Against Ukraine? The Russian Far East Is Becoming a Raw Material Colony for Beijing Russian Praise and Transatlantic Criticism Underline Growing Anti-Western Sentiment Among Georgia's Elite
Volume 20 Issue 20 February 2, 2023 The Kremlin’s Narratives for Its War Against Ukraine Kazan Surrenders Last Vestiges of Sovereignty Bulgaria: Russian Oil and Perpetual Elections
Volume 20 Issue 19 February 1, 2023 Russian-Ukrainian War Should Doom the '5+2' Negotiations on Transnistria (Part Four) Domestic Effects of Belarus's 'Partial Blockade' South Korea Grounds Its Position in the Central and East European Defense Market (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 18 January 31, 2023 Attack on Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran Further Divides the World Russian-Ukrainian War Should Doom the ‘5+2’ Negotiations on Transnistria (Part Three) Russo-Indian Economic Ties During Wartime: Oil, Currency and the Arctic
Volume 20 Issue 17 January 30, 2023 Russia Seeks to Circumvent the Advancing Western Alliance in Africa Russo-Ukrainian War Should Doom the ‘5+2’ Negotiations on Transnistria (Part Two) The Kremlin's 'Holy War' and Its Cossack Crusaders
Volume 20 Issue 16 January 26, 2023 The Political Considerations Behind Russia’s Military Command Chaos Belarusians ‘Disappearing’ More in Russian Census Than in Reality Russo-Ukrainian War Should Doom the ‘5+2’ Negotiations on Transnistria (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 15 January 25, 2023 Is Belarus Entirely Under Russia's Thumb? Prospects for Ukraine's Economy in 2023 Remain Cautiously Optimistic Kyiv Quells Russian Orthodox Church's Influence Within Ukraine (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 14 January 24, 2023 The Kuban: A Real ‘Wedge’ Between Russia and Ukraine What to Expect From the Azerbaijani–Armenian Peace Process in 2023 Ingushetia's Embattled Sufi Order Seeks Refuge in Chechnya
Volume 20 Issue 13 January 23, 2023 Davos Meets Ramstein: Russia's Global Standing Takes a Hit Russia's Nagging Arms Production Problems Iranian Ballistic Missiles Threaten to Change Battlefield Dynamic in Ukraine
Volume 20 Issue 12 January 20, 2023 Putin, Lavrov Set New Accents to Russia’s Case for War in Ukraine Upcoming Spring Draft Set to Be Most Difficult in Russia’s Recent History Georgia Attempts to Revive Strategic Anaklia Deep-Sea Port Project
Volume 20 Issue 11 January 19, 2023 Belarus’s Political Prisoners and the West Azerbaijan and Armenia Fail to Reach Agreement on Lachin Road Uncertain Political Consequences Hamper Proposed Russian-Kazakhstani-Uzbekistani Gas Union
Volume 20 Issue 10 January 18, 2023 Kremlin Worried About Ukrainian ‘Wedges’ Inside Russia Warfare in Kinburn Spit Emphasizes Ukrainian Navy’s Utility in Coastal Combat Operations South Korea Grounds Its Position in the Central and East European Defense Market (Part One)
Volume 20 Issue 9 January 17, 2023 As War Against Ukraine Lengthens, Russia Shifts Top Brass Will Russia Become an ‘Orthodox Iran?’ Will Abkhazia Become the ‘Georgian Monaco?’
Volume 20 Issue 8 January 12, 2023 Beijing Summit Cements China’s Role as Dominant Outside Power in Turkmenistan The Skyrocketing Costs for Russia's War Effort Why Is Russia Recruiting Former Afghan Soldiers for Its War Against Ukraine?
Volume 20 Issue 7 January 11, 2023 Tensions Simmer in Belarus: Delusions, Sanctions and Actual Decision-Makers The Results of Russia's 2022 Nuclear Modernization Capacities and Dimensions of Russian Investment in Iranian Oil and Gas Fields
Volume 20 Issue 6 January 10, 2023 5 Million Fewer Than in 2010, Ethnic Russians Make Up Only 72 Percent of Russia’s Population Can Kazakhstan Rescue Europe Amid the Russian Oil Embargo? Costs of Accommodating the Most Ukrainian Refugees Per Capita in the EU: The Czech Case (Part Two)
Volume 20 Issue 5 January 9, 2023 Putin's Lonely Christmas Amid His Hopeless War Missile Incident in Belarus Represents a 'New Normal' for Eastern Europe Russia Expanding Cossack Military Presence
Volume 20 Issue 4 January 6, 2023 The Russian Armed Forces on Steroids Ukraine Is Not Behind Recent Spate of Fires and Explosions at Russian Civilian Facilities Russia’s New Foreign Policy Orientation
Volume 20 Issue 3 January 5, 2023 Contrasting Messages Emanating From Belarus Will a Turkish Gas Hub Solve Eurasia’s Energy Troubles? Azerbaijan Set to Become a Green Energy Supplier to the EU
Volume 20 Issue 2 January 4, 2023 Russia Now Forced to Look East of Caucasus to Reach Iran Could Chechnya’s ‘Dark Horse’ Emerge as Kremlin King-Maker? Iran Looks to Turkmenistan for Energy Needs
Volume 20 Issue 1 January 3, 2023 Russia Remains Stuck in 2022, a Year of Miscalculated War and Deep Degradation To Ensnare or Repress? Russia and Belarus Debate How to Handle Expatriates Kazakhstan’s Expanding Multi-Vector Foreign Policy