The relationship between Afghanistan’s Turkmen diaspora and Turkmenistan has always been complicated as well as under-researched. However, the latest developments along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan border helps to shed some light on the situation in this strategically important territory. Within those Afghan provinces that border Turkmenistan, the... MORE

Although, for now, the ceasefire agreements reached in February 2015 appear to be mostly holding in eastern Ukraine, nationwide feelings of anxiety and stress persist. This is not only due to the fear that Vladimir Putin may restart the war in May, but also due... MORE

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent tour of Latin America aimed to build on Moscow’s previous successes among pro-Russian regimes there—Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela—as well as to establish stronger ties with pro-US countries like Colombia. But beyond bilateral relations, Lavrov also endeavored to enhance Russia’ standing... MORE

On March 31, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave a two-hour interview to Ryan Chilcote, a Russian-speaking London-based reporter for Bloomberg Television (YouTube, April 2). Most, if not all, media commentaries initially singled out Lukashenka’s particular suggestion that the United States ought to join the negotiations... MORE

Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014, senior Russian political-military leaders have, on numerous occasions, referred to military reinforcement and consolidation when speaking about integrating the peninsula into the Russian Federation. This has resulted, consequently, in often contradictory statements from the defense ministry... MORE

Most ethnic minorities around the world are generally appreciative of support from other ethnic minorities, viewing such solidarity as useful to their cause. But there are exceptions, and one of them is now very much on public view: the Circassian diaspora in Turkey, which may... MORE

Cooperation between Mongolia and Turkey, particularly in the energy sector, intensified in the first quarter of 2015. On March 3, Mongolian Minister of Energy Dashdorj Zorigt, in a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Mongolia Murat Karagoz, discussed training programs in Turkey for Mongolian engineers and... MORE

For Part One Click Here  On April 2, Russian Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrainy signed an agreement on natural gas sales-and-purchases to cover the next three months. Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized his government, which in turn instructed Gazprom, to sign this agreement, with a substantial... MORE

Moscow tried its best to present the hard-negotiated deal in Lausanne, Switzerland, on curtailing and controlling the Iranian nuclear program as a success of its firm diplomatic position for a political solution to this formidable problem. In fact, however, Russia played, at best, a secondary... MORE

A recent foreign policy debate in the Chinese media has thrown into sharp relief the extent of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals’ influence on the country’s diplomacy. Wang Zhanyang, a liberal academic at the Central Institute of Socialism, caused a stir when he argued... MORE