![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/region-europe.jpg)
Latest Articles about Europe's East
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Lukashenka-state-of-the-nation-2023-1-640x360.jpg)
Lukashenka Addresses the Nation
On March 30, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka delivered his state of the nation address to the Belarusian parliament (Belta, March 31). The speech lasted over three hours and was followed by a more than 90-minute Q&A session. The four main themes of the Belarusian president’s... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Lukashenka-March-31-address-640x499.jpg)
Lukashenka Explains the Russian Tactical Nukes
On March 31, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka delivered his annual address to the Belarusian people and parliament (President.gov.by, March 31). A week earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that Moscow would deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory (see EDM, March 27). The announcement... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Russia-in-the-Arctic-March-2023-640x397.jpg)
Russia Risks Losing Its Dominance Over Arctic Sea Route to China and Turkey
In a development with enormous consequences both for international trade and for Moscow’s control of its far-flung regions across the country’s northern third—places not linked to the center by roads or railways—the Russian Federation is rapidly losing its historical dominance over the Northern Sea Route... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Putin-Paper-1-640x407.jpg)
New Decree on Foreign Policy Fails to Hide Russia’s Falsity
On March 31, President Vladimir Putin signed a new decree on Russia’s “Foreign Policy Concept,” an odd document that attempts to combine the Kremlin’s distorted worldview with an inflated perception of Russia’s role in the world, aiming to beguile the states of the Global South.... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Russian_vehicle_in_Bria-640x542.jpg)
Central African Republic Mine Attack: Can China Protect its Overseas Nationals?
On March 19, gunmen stormed a gold mine near Bambari, in the heart of the Central African Republic (CAR), killing nine Chinese workers. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) Embassy in the CAR issued successive warnings for Chinese nationals to evacuate all areas outside of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/W020230220456124386144.jpeg)
Wang Yi’s European Tour: China Seeks a Trans-Atlantic Wedge
Introduction On February 14, China’s senior-most diplomat, Politburo member and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi embarked on a week-long tour of Europe, which culminated with a stop in Russia that paved the way for General Secretary Xi Jinping’s... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Belarus-military-March-2023-640x336.jpg)
Belarus’s ‘Neutral’ Role in the Russo-Ukrainian War (Part One)
Belarus, despite all of Russia’s attempts to somehow lure it into the war against Ukraine, remains at least nominally neutral in the conflict. However, Moscow’s pressure is still strong on Minsk, and a number of reasons demonstrate that, each month, the Belarusian army is preparing... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Lukashenka-in-Iran-640x335.jpg)
Belarus and Iran: Minsk Goes Where Doors Are Open
On March 12 and 13, just ten days after his state visit to China (see EDM, March 16), Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka paid an official visit to Iran. For similar reasons with the visit to Beijing—that is, widespread speculation that Minsk might be joining Russian-Iranian... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Iran-and-Baskkortostan-640x418.jpg)
With Moscow’s Encouragement, Iran Moves More Deeply Into Russia Than Ever Before
Not surprisingly, given Russia’s war against Ukraine, Iran’s decision to supply Moscow with drones and other military technology has attracted some of the most attention around the world (Cursorinfo.co.il, March 30). And equally unsurprising, given the long-term consequences of any change in east-west and north-south... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Belaya-Rus-Congress-640x320.jpeg)
A Closer Look at Belarus’s New Political Party and Its Leader
On March 18, the pro-presidential social movement “Belaya (White) Rus” became a political party. This decision was made by the organization’s inaugural congress in its new capacity. The respective aspirations have been repeatedly voiced since 2008—that is, almost from the very foundation of Belaya Rus.... MORE