
Latest Articles about Russia

For Moscow, Talks Are About Sowing Discord, not Solving Conflicts
A ceasefire in Syria, which appeared possible if not probable in early February, has again turned out to be unreachable. And in hindsight, it is rather obvious that it never had a chance. The deal that was negotiated on the side lines of the Munich... MORE

Russia’s Soft Power in Georgia: How Does It Work?
In this year’s State of the State address, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili warned about the increasing influence of Russian “soft power” on his country (Ghn.ge, February 3). Moreover, the United States Intelligence Community’s 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment report named “effective Russian propaganda” as one of... MORE

Militants Loyal to Islamic State Become More Active in North Caucasus
Two years ago, the then-leader of the Caucasus Emirate (CE), Ali Abu Muhammad (Aliashab Kebekov), surprised many observers when he condemned suicide bomber terrorist attacks. Moreover, he stated that such attacks were in breach of the principles of Islam (Kavkazsky Uzel, July 1, 2014). Many... MORE

Surkov and Gryzlov: Russia’s New Negotiators on Ukraine (Part One)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently appointed Vladislav Surkov and Boris Gryzlov to negotiate—in two separate formats—an outcome to Russia’s war in Ukraine’s east (Censor.net.ua, January 15, 2016; TASS, December 26, 2015). Surkov and Gryzlov have long-standing personal ties to Putin and will report to... MORE

The Battle for the Euphrates: Turkey’s Response to Kurdish Expansion
In an unexpected move on December 26, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), captured the Tishreen Dam close to Manbijin, Syria (YPGrojava, December 30, 2015). This operation, conducted with support of the U.S.-led coalition against the... MORE

Leaders of Chechnya and Ingushetia Unite Against Salafists
Ingushetia is presently engulfed in a dispute over accusations made by the Chechen government and religious authorities against the activities of Salafist clerics in the republic—Khamzat Chumakov and Isa Tsechoev. Chechnya’s leadership was once considered totally hostile toward Ingushetia as a whole, but the situation... MORE

Russia’s S-300 Shipment to Iran Appears Stalled Again
The Iranian minister of defense, General Hossein Dehghan, was greeted with exclusive pomp during his visit this week (February 15–16) to Moscow. Dehghan was granted an audience in the Kremlin with President Vladimir Putin—an exceptional overstep of protocol—coming on top of talks with his Russian... MORE

Russia’s Moves to Gain Dominance in the Black Sea
Russia’s primary objectives in the Black Sea region are to maximize its strategic and maritime influence there, isolate Ukraine and Georgia, weaken the cohesion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Black Sea security issues, and limit access to the area through the Turkish Straits... MORE

Local Observers Predict Resignation of Dagestani Governor
According to local observers, political tensions and rumors about Ramazan Abdulatipov’s imminent resignation as Dagestan’s governor have intensified in the republic since the end of January (Onkavkaz.com, February 8). The rumors increased during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Stavropol region, on January 25, to... MORE

Moscow Once Again Trying to Put the Kurds in Play Against Turkey
The Kremlin is once again seeking to use the Kurds, the largest stateless national group in the world, for Moscow’s own purposes. In particular, Russia has opened a quasi-diplomatic representation office in Moscow for Syria’s Kurds. Moreover, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the outspoken leader of the fringe... MORE