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Latest Articles about Kaliningrad/Baltic
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Moscow Focusing on Gotland and Other Baltic Sea Islands as Potential Targets
Executive Summary: Moscow says that Western actions in Gotland, Bornholm, and other islands in the Baltic Sea threaten Russian national security and that Russia will soon have no choice but to respond militarily. Russian President Vladimir Putin has regularly used the logic that Russia wants... MORE
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Transition to a ‘Post-Putin’ Russia Threatens to Be Prolonged
Executive Summary: President Vladimir Putin once again installed new governors in several of Russia’s regions, with special focus given to the expected regional response to the appointments in Khabarovsk Krai and Kaliningrad oblast. The mission of these new appointees is to suppress the interests of... MORE
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Despite Disowning Plan, Moscow Sends Clear Message of Intentions With Baltic Borders
Executive Summary: The Russian Defense Ministry posted and then took down a plan for Moscow to unilaterally redraw sea borders in the Baltic region, alarming and then reassuring observers inclined to dismiss this as bureaucratic infighting. The document as first posted is consistent with Russian... MORE
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Finland Joining NATO Multiplies Russia’s Baltic Problems
Executive Summary: Finland’s accession to NATO one year ago marked a significant fracture in Russian-Finnish relations, which have declined precipitously as Finland pledges consistent support to Ukraine. Helsinki and Kyiv signed a recent defense agreement that includes long-term military and financial assistance to build on... MORE
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Russia Reorganizes Military Districts
Executive Summary: The Kremlin announced a transformation of its military districts to “buy” loyalty from its officer corps and organize its military with to prepare for war on and beyond its northwestern borders. The Russian High Command considers the movements of its neighbors and enemies... MORE
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Putin Pushes to Call All Russian Residents ‘Russkiye’: Word for Ethnic Nation
Executive Summary: The Russian language uses two words for “Russian.” One primarily denotes Russian ethnicity, and the other usually refers to citizens of the Russian Federation (regardless of their ethnicity). Due to a decline in residents declaring themselves as ethnic Russians and a desire to... MORE
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Moscow Moves to Establish Cossack Hosts in Occupied Ukrainian Territories
Executive Summary: The Kremlin has expanded the state-registered Cossack movement within Russia and the illegally annexed regions of Ukraine. The Cossack institutions established in the Luhansk region aim to foster the militarization of the population, especially youth. Moscow has supported initiatives to establish a registered... MORE
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Kaliningrad’s Economy Buckles Under Sanctions
Executive Summary: Western sanctions have severely hurt Kaliningrad’s economy, particularly for cross-border transit, tourism, and fishing. The Kremlin has allocated increased subsidies to the region raising questions regarding the sustainability of Kaliningrad’s growing reliance on Moscow for economic aid. The region’s economy remains highly vulnerable... MORE
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Russia’s Row With Finland Exacerbates Baltic Solitude
Russia’s geopolitical influence is increasingly shrinking in the Baltic Sea region. The most recent episode in the region’s worsening relations with Moscow was the sudden arrival of hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa in November to the busy border crossing between Russia... MORE
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License Plate Ban in EU May Alienate Russian Population
In September 2023, all European Union member states bordering Russia introduced an entry ban on cars sporting Russian license plates. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were the first to implement the policy, albeit with Vilnius leaving open an exception for transit from the Russian exclave Kaliningrad... MORE