Reading into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny is comparable to entering a baffling alternate universe where messages are sent with symbols, cues and nonverbal communication (Medialeaks.ru; T.me/strelkovii, June 29). Take, for example, the Russian president’s first post-coup visit, which... MORE

After a brief easing following the Sochi Olympics in 2014, which elevated attention on the Circassian issue to the global level, tensions between Moscow and the Circassians ebbed during the first part of the past decade only to rise again at its end (see EDM,... MORE

May 21 marks the anniversary of the 1864 expulsion of the Circassians from their North Caucasus homeland after more than a century of resistance to Russian imperial expansion, an action most Circassians and many others consider an act of genocide. It is the most important... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin rose to power by means of successfully carrying out a war against Chechnya. Much of his reputation to this day rests on the view of many Russians that he has suppressed secessionist violence in the North Caucasus. This view has gained... MORE

The Cossacks present broader and more serious challenges to the Kremlin than perhaps any other ethnic or regional group in the Russian Federation, challenges that increasingly affect the country as a whole. The Vladimir Putin regime recognizes this reality and has been taking various steps... MORE

Cossackia, the land east of Ukraine and north of the North Caucasus in the Russian Federation, is the traditional home of the three largest Cossack communities: the Don, Kuban and Terek hosts. As such, it has the potential to become a powerful bulwark against Russian... MORE

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov’s health has rapidly deteriorated according to multiple media reports. Kadyrov, who has experienced kidney failure due to alleged poisoning, does not trust Russian doctors. Thus, a doctor from Abu Dhabi was invited to treat him. Due to these health issues, the... MORE

In February 2023, when President Vladimir Putin referred to the possibility that not only the Russian Federation but also the Russian nation itself could disintegrate, commentators in both Moscow and the West agreed almost unanimously that he was engaged in a propaganda exercise rather than... MORE

In September 2019, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov forced Ingushetia’s Yunus-Bek Yevkurov to hand over 10 percent of the land of the smallest federal subject in the North Caucasus to Chechnya. That action provoked protests among the Ingush, which continue to echo in the streets and... MORE

Throughout its history, no country’s government has devoted more attention to its émigrés and diaspora populations than that of Russia. Nor has any other country taken more steps to try to disorder, penetrate and control them. The reason for this is simple: émigrés and diasporas... MORE