Latest Articles about Russia
China Takes Steps Toward Realizing Silk Road Ambitions
China’s vision for a new “Silk Road economic belt,” as recently announced by Xinhua, is establishing regional integration around China as an attractive economic direction for Central Asian countries. With a series of strategic agreements between Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of central Asian... MORE
Rais Mingaleev: A Post-Mortem Sketch on the Mysterious Leader of Tatar Jihadists
Rais Rinatovich Mingaleev was the first official leader of the Tatar jihadists. Based on a personal admission of carrying out attacks against Russian authorities and their policies in Tatarstan. He was accused of masterminding terrorist attacks and murder, which would have carried a life sentence... MORE
Circassian Activists Seek Assistance of Ukraine for Recognition of ‘Genocide’
On May 26, the Adygean branch of the Russian Ministry of Interior’s department for fighting extremism summoned Circassian activists who signed a petition asking Ukraine to recognize the Circassian “genocide.” Prosecutors and police officers questioned activists Aslan Shazzo, Adnan Khuade, Evgeny Tashu and Ilyas Soobtsokov... MORE
Moscow Security Conference Highlights Russian Fears of Colored Revolutions
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) hosted its third annual International Security Conference in Moscow on May 23–24. This year’s agenda was more diverse than the previous two conferences, which focused on ballistic missile defense in Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) enlargement... MORE
Putin’s Eurasian Project Aggravates Russia’s Problems
The ceremony in Astana last Thursday (May 29) on signing the Eurasian Economic Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was a surprisingly business-like affair. The lack of fanfare reflected the mood of Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who was not altogether pleased with how his old... MORE
Mongolia Makes Moves to Reach out to Russia in Reaction to Ukraine Crisis
After having abstained from the March 27 United Nations General Assembly resolution vote condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Mongolia has continued its public silence regarding Russian actions in Ukraine. This is despite the fact that Mongolia has been a close partner of the North Atlantic... MORE
Russian Oil to Feature in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline—Circumventing Possible Sanctions?
In a surprising turnaround of previous policy, Russia’s Lukoil announced on May 16 that its oil will soon be delivered to Europe via the 1,093-mile-long, 1.2 million-barrel-per-day Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. The BTC pipeline transports oil from Azerbaijan’s offshore Caspian Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field, via Baku’s... MORE
Understanding the Mysterious Appearance of the Chechen ‘Vostok’ Battalion in Eastern Ukraine
Chechens confirm their brand worldwide every year. Unfortunately, it is not a brand of high fashion, or new direction in art or science. Chechens are regularly depicted as the bad guys prepared to fight anywhere in the world. The theme of the Russian mafia in... MORE
Russia Warns Georgia Against Signing Association Agreement With European Union
On May 22, Alexander Lukashevich, the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), grimly declared that there would be consequences for Georgia if it signed the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union, which is scheduled for June 27. In a somewhat lukewarm... MORE
Leader of Ingushetia’s Rebels Reportedly Killed in Special Operation
On the morning of May 24, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly carried out a special operation jointly with police near construction sites in the village of Sagopshi in Ingushetia’s Malgobek district. According to eyewitnesses, however, the special operation looked more like the indiscriminate shooting... MORE