Latest Articles about Europe's East
Belarus and Its Neighbors in a Time of War: Attitudes, Perceptions and Realities
As a relatively small country squeezed between two increasingly antagonistic centers of power, Russia and the European Union, Belarus has always stood out for its dependency on multifaceted external factors. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated this dependency and added new aspects to it. Thus,... MORE
Russia ‘Recruits’ Allies and Partners in the Global South
On April 24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, presiding over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, delivered an important speech devoted mainly to accusations of the collective West in revising the principles and values of the UN Charter (Mid.ru, April 24). In this... MORE
Will Moscow Turn Its Back on ‘Systemic Liberals’?
Recently, the so-called “national-patriotic” elite in Russia have intensified their attacks on the government’s financial and economic bloc. On April 21, well-known Russian propagandist and economist Mikhail Khazin revealed, “Liberals remaining at their posts in the Central Bank and Ministry of Finance significantly contribute to... MORE
Defending Ukraine’s Skies: Mission (Im)possible
On April 17, the Slovak Defense Ministry announced that Slovakia had delivered the promised 13 Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine (Kyiv Independent, April 17). Earlier, the German government had authorized Poland to hand over an additional five MiG-29s, originally from the former reserve of... MORE
Azerbaijan Pivots to the Balkans
On April 13, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. While there, Aliyev met with his counterparts, the members of the Bosnian tripartite presidency, Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić (Azertac, April 13). Despite the shortness of the visit—Aliyev departed... MORE
Belarus and Russia Advance Economic Integration (Part One)
Russia’s war against Ukraine has understandably overshadowed numerous other developments across Eastern Europe that would normally attract significant international attention. One of these is the lingering theme of bilateral integration between Belarus and Russia under the auspices of the Union State. And even with the... MORE
Moscow Wants Russian Society to Pay for War in Ukraine (Part Two)
*Read Part One. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is creating a myriad of problems for the Russian economy. While the Russian state budget is experiencing a deficit, the Russian Central Bank posted some uninviting news: its annual deficit for 2022 was 27 times higher... MORE
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Optimize Middle Corridor
On April 10, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a one-day official visit to Kazakhstan (President.az, April 10). This visit took place about six months after the first official visit of Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the head of state to Azerbaijan in August 2022 (The... MORE
Russia’s Main Strategy: Demonize Ukraine and Hope for Weakening Western Support
As the United States continues to investigate the massive leak of classified Pentagon documents that include key strategic insights into plans for a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russian propaganda is trying to make the most of the situation (Euromaidan Press, April 10). In doing this, propagandists are... MORE
ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Putin Divides Post-Soviet Space
In the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 14 independent states of the post-Soviet era have been forced to improvise their policies vis-à-vis the Russian Federation. These measures range from the Baltic states’ total repudiation of the Soviet experience by joining... MORE