Russia & Central Asia

The war in the Middle East is quietly reshaping the balance of power in Ukraine. Russia didn’t need to plan it, act on it or fire a single shot to make it happen. Since the start of the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, the attention has focused on escalation risks, energy markets, and regional instability, but when we zoom out, and look outside the immediate battlefield, there is an additional story taking place: Russia is emerging as one of the primary beneficiaries of the w

Economic sanctions are utilised to apply pressure on a nation state in a non-violent approach. The idea is to minimise the use of a military force in a way that will politically undermine another government. Most Western states welcome the use of sanctions as this precludes the need to put troops in harm’s way and opens the door to diplomatic discussions. This scenario is especially important when dealing with a state that is in possession of nuclear arms. Russia’s invasion i

Introduction: In October 2024, the contested legislative elections led the pro-Russian party Georgian Dream in power, which appointed later in November a new president, Mikheïl Kevalachvili. The former president, Salomé Zourabichvili, refused to leave her seat, stating that there is a clear irregularity in the vote count , and, along with other members of the opposition, claiming Georgian dream to be a pro-Russian party. At the end of 2024, the prime minister Irakli Kobakhidz

From the Caspian Sea to the borders of China, Kazakhstan—the world’s largest landlocked country and ninth in the world by territory—sits at the physical center of Eurasia, where Islamic, Christian, and Confucian civilizations have historically intersected and where today’s great powers quietly overlap. Rich in oil, gas, uranium, and critical minerals, and crossed by some of the most important land corridors connecting Europe and Asia, the country has long been embedded in glo