Executive Summary: The diplomatic relationship between Georgia and Ukraine has reached its lowest historical point as both sides lack the political will necessary to normalize relations. Kyiv and Tbilisi’s continuing estrangement is a result of strained relations between the ruling party of Georgia and the... MORE

Executive Summary: Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili’s first official foreign visit to Azerbaijan reflects a pivot in Georgia’s foreign policy toward regional partnership amid strained relations with the European Union and Western partners. Georgia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their opposition to foreign intervention in South Caucasus affairs,... MORE

Executive Summary: The five Central Asian countries have suffered a new brain drain since gaining independence in 1991, with a large share of their advanced students and best scholars moving to the West rather than to Russia, as had been the case in Soviet times.... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin continues to delay genuine peace talks with Ukraine—relying on distractions and temporary ceasefires to extract concessions while avoiding meaningful compromise—as the United States signals its readiness to move on from stalled peace efforts. European efforts to step up defense commitments and... MORE

Executive Summary: The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan resolved the last major border conflict in Central Asia through the Agreement on the Junction Point of the State Borders of the Three Countries signed in Khujand, Tajikistan, on March 31. The resolution of border issues... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Steven Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s key negotiator, last Friday, in St. Petersburg, likely to buy himself more time before making any concessions. On Sunday, Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing 34 people including... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing sees a strategic window of opportunity to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe and improve its economic and trading relationship with the European Union. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Party's International Department have used a... MORE

Executive Summary: Georgia seeks a diplomatic reset with the U.S. President Donald Trump Administration following strained relations due to contested October 2024 parliamentary elections and subsequent protests. The Georgian government accuses an invisible “deep state” of anti-Georgian sentiment in the West and hopes that the... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow portrays itself as a constructive actor advocating for economic cooperation in the Arctic and Baltic seas while also conducting an increasing rate of hybrid attacks and engaging in provocative discourse. This double game of cooperation has long marked the Kremlin’s Arctic agenda,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia faces significant economic strain due to declining oil and gas revenues, disrupted supply chains, and falling stock markets, which are exacerbated by global trade disruptions and internal demographic challenges that impact military recruitment. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent envoy Kirill Dmitriev to... MORE