RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS

Analysts

Recent Country Insights

Special report: Moscow-Baku diplomatic row in perspective—destabilization of the South Caucasus?

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 18 Jul 2025

- Russian police launched raids on the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia, citing its involvement in organized crime. - Azerbaijan retaliated by arresting and beating Russian nationals and closing Russian media outlets. - Aliyev maintains a stable equilibrium in his country's relatio...

Essential CIS Politics: July 2025

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 30 Jun 2025

- Impact on Russia and Ukraine of the Iran-Israel conflict: an analysis. - Ukraine launches a daring attack on Russian strategic bombers. - Russia’s Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov alerts of risk of recession. - Armenia in political crisis as Pashinyan squares off agains...

Poland and Ukraine spar over historiography: Ukraine’s WW II narratives trigger preventive Polish veto of EU and NATO accession

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 23 Jun 2025

• Poland is one of Ukraine’s strongest allies and highly opposed to Russia, but relations between Poland and Ukraine have been blighted by key issues. • Ukraine and Poland disagree over the commemoration of Ukrainian nationalists, who killed up to 100,000 Poles during WW II and afterwards. • Po...

Ukraine’s "Spiderweb" embarrasses Russia ahead of peace talks, could trigger a ballistic "Oreshnik" response

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 07 Jun 2025

Report: Ukraine’s "Spiderweb" embarrasses Russia ahead of peace talks, could trigger a ballistic "Oreshnik" response Ukraine strikes Russian bombers, allegedly causing up to USD 7 bn in damage Russian domestic military commentators criticize security and intelligence failsPeace talks in Istanbul ...

Essential CIS Politics: June 2025

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 02 Jun 2025

- Russia launches the largest strike of the war in likely preparation for a summer offensive. - Russian and Ukrainian delegations negotiate in Istanbul and plan to meet again on June 2. - The largest information leak in Russian history reveals sensitive nuclear secrets. - G...

Essential CIS Politics: May 2025

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 01 May 2025

- Progress on Ukraine War peace deal stalls despite numerous meetings and proposals by all sides. - Russia launches minor offensive; gains very limited. - North Korean military presence in Russia praised by Putin and Gerasimov. - Geopolitical shift—Central Asian countries f...

Essential CIS Politics: April 2025

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 01 Apr 2025

- Trump threatens with 25-50 per cent oil tariffs on Moscow if a ceasefire agreement is not reached. - Moscow shows signs of rapprochement to new HTS authorities in Damascus. - Trump wants right of first offer regarding projects to develop Ukraine’s resources. - Russia forc...

A postmortem for Ukraine’s Kursk offensive as Russia rejects ceasefire terms

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 14 Mar 2025

- Russia launches successful offensive in Kursk sector, ejecting Ukrainian troops from most of the territory. - Russia could continue advancing into Ukraine’s territory across the Kursk border if no ceasefire is agreed, as Ukraine evacuates villages in the Sumy Region. - Ukraine ...

Essential CIS Politics: March 2025

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 28 Feb 2025

- America and Russia negotiate: Ukraine and the EU not invited. - America and Europe bid for rights to Ukrainian minerals. - America and Russia compete for multi-billion dollar Indian fighter jet contract. - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan sign historic final border deal.