Executive Summary: The Russian cabinet is in support of a Duma proposal to allow the governors of oblasts, krais, and republics to form their own militias to deal with natural disasters and military interventions, such as the Ukrainian advancement into Kursk oblast. Moscow is confident... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin announced updates to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons by expanding the list of conditions that would justify such a measure. These updates are intended to serve as a warning to the West and legitimize... MORE

Executive Summary: The Saimaa Canal, linking Lake Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland via Russian territory, is becoming a flashpoint in the deteriorating relationship between Moscow and Helsinki and, more generally, between Russia and NATO. Both Russia and Finland have cut back their use of... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia is more openly highlighting the significant role Cossacks are taking in its war against Ukraine and within Russian society through the media and promoting cultural and militaristic Cossack events and organizations. The Kremlin’s transition to promoting the Cossack narrative versus its previous... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine on September 25 that are neither radical nor surprising. The timing of Putin’s heavy hints and direct threats is indicative of his real intent for what he plans for his war in Ukraine.... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has trained 2,700 foreign police officers in the past year and pledged to train an additional 3,000 in the coming 12 months, as part of its growing involvement in global security governance. The Global Public Security Cooperation... MORE

Executive Summary: On September 12, a Russian Kh-22 cruise missile hit the unarmed civilian bulk carrier Aya bringing grain to Egypt, another example of a Russian attack where civilian vessels suffered collateral damage. The consequences of Russian missiles damaging civilian vessels, especially vessels exporting grain... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin has again threatened Western countries with nuclear retaliation, claiming that Ukraine’s use of Western weapons means direct participation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in his war against Ukraine. Western states should respond to this the same way they... MORE

(Part One) Executive Summary: NATO’s outgoing Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has called for maximizing military assistance to Ukraine to change Russia’s calculus and bring Moscow to the negotiating table. This scenario spells, however, a territorial compromise at Ukraine’s expense rather than victory in war. Stoltenberg... MORE

Executive Summary: As veterans from Moscow’s war in Ukraine return to Russia and are lauded as the “new elite,” crime rates are drastically increasing, creating a surge in violence across Russian society. The Kremlin’s loss of the monopoly on violence, combined with reduced numbers of... MORE