Executive Summary: The BRICS summit, held in Kazan, was met with great fanfare in Russian propaganda. Propagandists hailed it for its “epochal” significance. Moscow commentators promoted the idea that the BRICS summit demonstrated that Russia is not and cannot be isolated in the international arena.... MORE

Executive Summary: Azerbaijan and Pakistan signed a $1.6 billion arms deal in September to supply Azerbaijan with the joint Pakistani-Chinese JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets, strengthening the military partnership between Islamabad and Baku. In the last several years, Baku has been diversifying its international... MORE

Executive Summary: Baku announced in August its application to join BRICS to align with major developing economies and strengthen political relationships on the global stage. Joining BRICS will create new opportunities for Azerbaijan in the transportation sector. In recent years, Azerbaijan has strived to become... MORE

Executive Summary: Just days before the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Kazakhstan announced that it will likely not consider applying to join the group in the foreseeable future, citing the complexity of gaining membership and the bloc’s future prospects. China and Russia, two key... MORE

Executive Summary: Poland announced plans to build fortifications on its border with Russia’s Kaliningrad oblast and Belarus, with construction of the “Eastern Shield” defensive line to be completed by 2028. Poland is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) top military spender by percent of its... MORE

Executive Summary: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka attended the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Moscow, highlighting the continued significance of the organization for Belarusian foreign policy. For Minsk, the CIS is  increasingly attractive, as the logistical semi-blockade on Belarus’s western border has prevented it... MORE

Executive Summary The Consulates General of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago have been conducting gray zone “pop-up” consular service events across the United States under the initiative “Bringing Consular Services into the Community,” often at non-diplomatic facilities.... MORE

Executive Summary: Trade between Russia and Türkiye has dropped significantly in 2024 due to Western sanctions, indicating a weakening economic partnership as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to isolate it from global partners. Ankara is increasingly aligning with Western powers, as evidenced by the postponement... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unveiled his Victory Plan to stave off incremental defeat under Russian assault. The plan calls for offsetting the war’s imbalance with a surge of Western military assistance. Some major parts of the plan are in classified annexes to... MORE

Executive Summary: “Pop-up” events by People’s Republic of China (PRC) consular officials across the United States are accompanied by online propaganda campaigns on social media, as part of a gray zone approach to cognitive warfare. The events, which may contravene international and US law, are... MORE