Latest Articles about Russia
Islamic State in Khorasan Province’s Increased Activity Threatens Central Asia
Executive Summary: The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) is increasing external operations and expanding recruitment in Central Asia through media wings that publish Central Asian militants and present them as role models for existing or potential supporters to follow. ISKP’s growing reach and international... MORE
Belarus Becomes First European Member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Executive Summary: Belarus officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the July summit in Astana, becoming the first European country to join. Minsk hopes to use SCO membership to synchronize the development of the north-south and east-west transit corridors, amplify its increasingly vocal anti-sanctions... MORE
Russia Struggles to Counter Upgrade of NATO-Ukraine Compact
Executive Summary: The recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington yielded many practical decisions on building Western military capabilities and sustaining offensive operations in Ukraine through bilateral security agreements and increased aid from “frontline” states. Moscow hopes to exploit NATO divisions, but Russian... MORE
PRC Advances New International Order In Astana
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) sees the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an important part of a wider strategy to construct a new international order. Beijing projects soft power through promoting norms, discursive constructs, and policy preferences in the SCO which member states... MORE
Afghan Canal Project Affecting Not Only Central Asia but China and Russia Too
Executive Summary: As currently planned, Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal will divert water from the Amu Darya river away from Central Asian countries, including those usually referred to as “water surplus” states, as well as China and Russia. Kabul does not participate in any water-sharing accord... MORE
The Dubious Future of Russia’s Proposed Orbital Station
Executive Summary: Key Roscosmos executives have signed and approved a schedule for the deployment of a new Russian orbital station, ROS, which is planned to be deployed by the early 2030s. Complications abound in achieving these lofty expectations, as growing shortages in human, scientific, technological,... MORE
Putin’s Kremlin Struggles to Weather Storm as Russian Society Becomes More Disillusioned
Executive Summary: Russian sociologists claim that President Vladimir Putin’s militant regime is relatively stable despite imbalances in Russian society–such as the unstable economy caused by the war against Ukraine and the challenges it has brought and will bring to the population. Propaganda pushes Russians to... MORE
Russia’s War Against Ukraine in 2024 and Looking Ahead to 2025
Executive Summary: The failure for Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive was largely due to delays in the West’s funding and fears in some Western countries of escalation if they clearly define and declare their overarching goal as Ukraine’s ultimate victory and Russia’s total defeat. While Russia has... MORE
Transformation of Caspian Sea Region Into Energy Hub Gaining Momentum (Part Two)
Executive Summary: The Caspian Sea region looks to become an international energy hub as the European Union seeks alternatives to its energy dependence on Russia through the export of natural gas from littoral Caspian Sea states. Moscow is concerned about the prospect of the Caspian... MORE
Population Flight Leaving Russia’s Far East Increasingly Less Russian
Executive Summary: The population of the Russian Far East has fallen by almost a third since 1991, a decline that is accelerating again despite Putin’s efforts to stop it. One-third of those remaining say they want to leave, and another third likely share those plans.... MORE