Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Mi-8_helicopters_being_built_inside_Tatarstan_military-industrial_complex_-_July_2023_09-640x427.jpg)
Western Funding Supported Russian Scientists Connected to the Military-Industrial Complex
Executive Summary: The Russian military-industrial complex has seen an increase in the output of military equipment in recent months despite a general downward trend in the country’s industrial sector. The increased productivity is in part due to the work of scientific institutions and universities that... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Russia-Storm-Z-640x320.jpg)
After Prigozhin: The Anatomy of Russia’s Evolving Private Military and Mercenary Industry
Executive Summary: The Russian mercenary industry has transformed since Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 with private military companies (PMCs) and other paramilitary formations taking on a more prominent role in Russia’s military operations. PMCs and other mercenary groups have become key players in... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bigstock-tiraspol-transnistria-moldov-382424339-990x556-1-640x359.jpeg)
Moscow Using Transnistria and Gagauzia to Pressure Moldova, Ukraine, and the West
Executive Summary: Moscow has long exploited its influence in Transnistria and Gagauzia to pressure Moldova not to turn away from Russia and join Western institutions such as the European Union. The Kremlin is once again using these restive Moldovan regions by raising the specter that... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Visit_of_Sergey_Shoigu_to_National_Aerospace_Park_01-640x427.jpg)
Russia’s Asia Pivot Meets With Iran’s Eurasian Tilt
Executive Summary Iran’s supply of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to Russia is unprecedented, further diminishing any room for rapprochement between the West and Tehran. Tehran and Moscow’s military cooperation has been steadily growing and is nearing a formal alliance. The new interstate treaty will shape bilateral... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/aliyev-in-serbia-dec-10-640x324.jpeg)
Azerbaijan and Serbia Expand Defense Partnership
Executive Summary: Serbian President Alexander Vučić confirmed a new $300 million defense contract with Azerbaijan on February 6, following years of strategic agreements between the two countries. The new defense contract will give Azerbaijan a foothold in the Balkans, providing Baku with a path to... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bashkortostan-ufa-statue-640x360.jpg)
New ‘Black January’ in Bashkortostan Casts Ever-Darker Shadow
Executive Summary: The Bashkirs are increasingly hearkening back to their heritage of resistance to the central government, leading other non-Russian ethnic minorities to view Moscow, rather than their local leaders, as the problem. Some observers are describing the events in Bashkortostan as a new “Black... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/zurabishvili_salome_18_27_18_1-640x359.webp)
Geopolitical Stakes High for Upcoming Georgian Elections
Executive Summary: The upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia will sway the country either toward Europe or closer to Russia. Public opinion polls in Georgia show a divide among constituents, who have become drastically disillusioned with the current political parties and feel as though none of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Russia-Is-Disfigured-and-Degraded-by-the-Long-War--640x480.jpeg)
Russian Society Disfigured and Degraded by the ‘Long War’
Executive Summary: The Kremlin’s tactics of increasing repression and exaggerating domestic support for the war resemble strategies used during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Stalin’s earlier repressions. The Kremlin attempted to use the coinciding of Navalny’s death with Russian successes at Avdiivka to undermine... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/tokayev-at-brics-summit-1-640x412.jpeg)
Kazakhstan Plans to Host Military Drills With Members of Russian-Led CSTO
Executive Summary: Astana plans to pursue a “multi-vector” diplomatic strategy for 2024, engaging more with the CSTO, NATO, and other international organizations and conducting joint military exercises with diverse partners. Kazakhstan’s involvement in CSTO peacekeeping missions highlights its regional security commitments and ongoing reliance on... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/russian-support-in-africa-640x360.jpeg)
Russia Struggles for ‘Hearts and Minds’ in Global South (Part Two)
(Part One) Executive Summary Russian special services are actively disseminating disinformation to influence public opinion in Africa. The disinformation campaign replicates Soviet-era themes that emphasize narratives alleging the West’s compromising of African countries’ sovereignty. These themes continue to have resonance in the region because of... MORE