
Latest Articles about Europe's East

Moscow Actively Conscripting Central Asian Migrant Workers for War Effort
On October 24, dozens of Uzbekistani citizens living in the Russian town of Orel received draft orders as part of the “partial mobilization” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21. The Russian government’s intent to shore up as many able-bodied men as possible... MORE

Ukraine Launches Unprecedented Drone Attack on Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Sevastopol Headquarters
Eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin began his unprovoked “special military operation” against Ukraine, one of the most striking emerging aspects of the conflict has been the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ surprising and increasingly effective denial of Russian naval efforts to establish “command of the... MORE

Iranian Drones Are Changing the Battlefields of Eurasia
On October 10, Iranian loitering munitions rained over Ukraine’s urban centers, including Kiev. Two weeks later, Israeli forces struck an Iranian drone factory in Syria (Al Arabiya, October 23). This demonstrated how Iran’s drone program is now beyond Iran, both in terms of production and... MORE

The Ukraine Grain Agreement After Three Months: Moscow’s Blackmail, Boa Constrictor Tactics and Russian Gas
Three months ago, the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs From Ukrainian Ports (“Grain Agreement”) was signed in Istanbul, Turkey (see EDM, September 13). The deal lifted the Russian naval blockade of three key Ukrainian seaports—Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi—for the safe passage... MORE

Is Mobilization Really Over in Russia?
On October 28, Russia announced the successful end of its “partial mobilization” campaign. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared that 300,000 soldiers had been mobilized, with 13,000 volunteers among them. Moreover, he added that further mobilization will not be needed, and the armed forces will... MORE

The Russia-Ukraine War: Has Beijing Abandoned Pragmatic Diplomacy?
Introduction Chinese diplomats contend that Beijing’s position on the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” (俄乌冲突 E wu chongtu) or the “Ukraine issue” (乌克兰问题, Wukelan wenti ) is “consistent and clear” (一贯的、明确的, yiguan de, mingque de) (People’s Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs [FMPRC], May 5). However, China’s... MORE

Viktor Orbán’s Anti-Sanctions Campaign Sparks Fears of EU Disunity on Russia
On October 14, the Hungarian government and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán launched a nationwide survey regarding the European Union’s sanctions policy against Russia. The survey asked Hungarian citizens to share their opinions on the energy sanctions introduced by the European bloc in response to Russia’s... MORE

Counterintuitive Consequences of Western Disregard for Belarus
In the wake of caustic remarks directed by Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka toward former British Prime Minister Liz Truss (YouTube, October 22), the former Belarusian diplomat, now a political commentator in exile, Pavel Matsukevich was asked “if the election of a new British prime minister... MORE

Ukraine’s and Chechnya’s Veteran Anti-Russian Movements Signal Mutual Support
Two recent events—the Ukrainian parliament’s October 18 declaration that Chechnya is a Russian-occupied territory and the arrival in Ukraine of a group of Chechen and Syrian war veterans led by Abdulhakim al-Shishani—reflect a significant shift in Kyiv’s policy toward non-Russian minority groups, especially in the... MORE

Infantilism and Sacrifice: Why Russians Go to War Even When They Disagree With It
The Russian authorities have seriously embraced the ideological indoctrination of children through “patriotic propaganda” to guarantee their unwavering loyalty as adults. Meanwhile, psychologists point out that Russian society embraces numerous circumstances in which even those who do not wish to go to war do so... MORE