Latest Articles about Foreign Policy

Goodbye, Lenin: The Baltics Disconnect from Soviet-era Power Grid
Executive Summary: The Baltic states recently marked a major milestone by disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity system and synchronizing with the continental European grid. The disconnect from the Moscow-controlled system was marked by Russian influence operations and incidents related to critical infrastructure in the Baltic... MORE

Belarus Hopes to Reset U.S. Ties with Prisoner Release
Executive Summary: On February 12, Belarus released three political prisoners, including a U.S. citizen and two Belarusian nationals, signaling an attempt to reset relations with the United States. The releases are part of Belarus’s broader strategy to de-escalate tensions with Western countries, particularly under the... MORE

Moscow Seeks to Regain Initiative in the Game of Peace Talks
Executive Summary: Moscow sees its recent diplomatic engagement with the United States as a sign of progress, with Russian President Vladimir Putin aiming to regain the initiative in peace talks. Russia is anticipating that last week’s Munich Security Conference indicates possible rifts in trans-Atlantic relations... MORE

New Security Arrangements Between Moscow and Minsk Cement Russia’s Influence (Part 2)
Executive Summary: The Treaty on Security Guarantees within the framework of the Russia-Belarus Union State allows for a nuclear weapons response to the use of nuclear or weapons of mass destruction, or certain threats to territorial integrity, against either Belarus or Russia, but it remains... MORE

New Security Arrangements Between Moscow and Minsk Cement Russia’s Influence (Part 1)
Executive Summary: Russia and Belarus signed two security-related documents in December 2024 that deepen Belarus’s integration within Russia’s geopolitical influence and obligate the Belarusian leadership to participate in military conflicts alongside Russia, similar to the latter’s agreements with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The... MORE

Central Asia Faces Potential Water Shortage as Afghanistan’s Canal Project Nears Completion
Executive Summary: Afghanistan has completed over 80 percent of the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal—an irrigation project funded by the Taliban aimed at ensuring the country’s grain self-sufficiency by utilizing water from the Amu Darya River. The canal could divert up to 20... MORE

Russia Seeks to Reassert Influence in South Caucasus
Executive summary: Russia’s strategic interest in the Republic of Georgia has been reenergized as Tbilisi drifts away from the European path and abstains from joining Western sanctions against Russia. A fundamental factor in Moscow’s current view of Georgia is the former’s lack of effective leverage... MORE

Overthrow of Syria’s Assad Echoes Across Post-Soviet Space, Worrying Moscow
Executive Summary: Russian military losses typically have affected Russia and its neighbors at home even more than Russian victories. Moscow is now worried that the ouster of Bashar al-Assad will influence the post-Soviet space and Muslim regions in Russia. To reduce these dangers, the Kremlin... MORE

Georgia and Azerbaijan Expand Engagement With Middle East
Executive Summary: The South Caucasus has grown increasingly close to the Middle East. One region that stands out is the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which looks at the Caucasus as a transit and a land for investments. Tbilisi’s closer ties with the GCC present a... MORE

Hybrid Attacks Rise on Undersea Cables in Baltic and Arctic Regions
Executive Summary Russian hybrid attacks targeting critical undersea infrastructure (CUI), particularly fiber-optic cables, have surged in the Baltic and Arctic regions since 2021. These disruptions threaten essential communication channels and expose the vulnerabilities of Northern Europe’s infrastructure. Incidents in 2023 and 2024 involving Chinese vessels... MORE