Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
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Kremlin Must Make Final Decision on War Soon as Diplomatic Runway Grows Short
At a joint presser in Moscow, on February 1, together with visiting friendly leader Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, President Vladimir Putin accused the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies (Hungary has been a member of the Alliance since 1999) of... MORE
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Pakistan’s Man in Kabul: A Profile of the Afghan Taliban’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
On January 23-25, a Taliban delegation met with Western diplomats and activists in Oslo. While the Norwegian government stressed that the meetings were not “legitimation or recognition of the Taliban,” the Taliban described the talks as “a step to legitimize” their rule (Economic Times, January... MORE
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Tensions Deescalate Between Iran and Republic of Azerbaijan
Relations between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan underwent acute conflict and tension in September–October 2021. However, since mid-October, the two countries have endeavored to manage the frictions and reduce the disagreements in their relationship. Recently, on January 26, 2022, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov... MORE
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Moldovan Government Lacks Strategy to Deal With Effects of Russia-Triggered Security Crisis
On January 27, during an interview with Moldovan public radio, Prime Minster Natalia Gavrilita revealed her cabinet’s intention to adjust the 2022 state budget and increase the funding for the National Army (Newsmaker.md, January 27). This is rather unprecedented for Moldova, which for decades has... MORE
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Allied Resolve 2022: Moscow’s Maskirovka Operation
Russia’s Armed Forces continue to arrive in Belarus for the bilateral large-scale military exercise Soyuznaya Reshimost (Allied Resolve) 2022, officially scheduled for February 10–20. These deployments, which add to the wider Russian force buildup in proximity to Ukraine’s borders (see EDM, January 26), involves moving... MORE
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The Nuclear Potential of Belarus in the Context of NATO-Russia Relations (Part One)
On December 17, 2021, Russia published draft “proposals” on security guarantees with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States. Moscow expressed dissatisfaction with NATO’s eastward enlargement, Western assistance to Ukraine, the deployment of strike weapons in countries bordering Russia, as well as... MORE
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Moscow Needs Beijing in the Arctic but Worries About China’s Expanding Role
Russia has promoted the Northern Sea Route with the expectation that China will be a major user. And it is assertively advocating for the development of natural resources, such as natural gas in the Arctic, with the hope that China will be a major customer.... MORE
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Lukashenka’s State of the Country Address: No Contrition and No Exit
On January 28, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka delivered his state of the country address to the Belarusian parliament (YouTube, January 28). This is an annual event, though, in 2021, he skipped it altogether. This last speech lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes; in addition, Lukashenka spent... MORE
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Dikoe Pole Cossacks in Occupied Luhansk: Russian Aides de Guerre?
Amidst the Russian military buildup on the border with Ukraine and speculation about whether the Kremlin will, indeed, again invade (see EDM, January 18, 20, 27), the analytical discussion has focused less on what pretext(s) for war Moscow might put forward to “legitimate” any such... MORE
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Construction of Zangezur Corridor Underway Despite Some Remaining Disagreements
On January 17, the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian appointed a ten-member working group to handle the reconstruction of the railway tracks connecting Yeraskh (Ararat province of Armenia) and the northwestern tip of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave (Arka.am, January 17). The group will also... MORE