Russia & Central Asia

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