Executive Summary: Md Shamin Mahfuz, the founder of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), a prominent jihadist group in Bangladesh loyal to al-Qaeda, was arrested in June 2023. Despite the successful arrest of many JAFHS leaders and militants, the group remains a threat, especially given... MORE

Executive Summary: Hafiz Gul Bahadur is a Pakistani militant who has been active in the region since 9/11. Bahadur has a network of affiliates, called the “Hafiz Gul Bahadur group,” which has been involved in a series of attacks on Pakistani forces over the past... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia has significantly increased its investment in artificial intelligence (AI), allocating a substantial portion of its state budget toward AI-driven military research. This funding aims to enhance Russia’s technological edge in modern warfare, particularly in AI-enabled military applications. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Cook Islands signed two agreements in February that extend Beijing’s engagement in the South Pacific to include deep-sea exploration and dual-use maritime infrastructure. Beijing seeks to overcome U.S.-imposed containment in the Pacific. The Cook Islands... MORE

Executive Summary: On the third anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Western countries imposed new sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, banking institutions, and defense industry, reinforcing efforts to weaken its war capabilities. Western sanctions aim to curb Russia’s financial and military strength, primarily... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow is altering its narratives on the confrontation with the West and its propaganda campaign on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in response to recent U.S.-initiated diplomatic activity. Russian state media has been instructed to avoid criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and... MORE

Executive Summary: The militarization of Russia’s education system demonstrates that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue an aggressive foreign policy and to ensure that Moscow will follow a similar approach even after he departs. Studies on the effect of Nazism in Germany indicate that... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has expanded its activities in the Arctic since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow needs PRC engagement in the Arctic as sanctions limit Russian activities, but fears the PRC will try to become the... MORE

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

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