Belarus and Europe’s New Iron Curtain
Alyaksandr Lukashenka chose a telling location last week to announce that Belarus would soon receive an enormous military hardware consignment from Russia. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Russia
Putin Militarizes Belarus
Russia’s support, of course, always comes with strings attached. And in this case, the price appears to be turning Belarus into an effective extension of Russia’s Western Military District. Continue reading
The Multi-Front War In Ukraine
All is not quiet on the Ukrainian front. Continue reading
Putin and Lukashenka are Locked in a Dysfunctional Axis of Autocrats
Europe’s last two dictators again performed their perennial theater of solidarity this week when Alyaksandr Lukashenka travelled to St. Petersburg to meet Vladimir Putin. Continue reading
Putin’s Legitimization Ritual
The atmosphere in the runup to Russia’s so-called elections this weekend is so restrictive that for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the OSCE has decided not to send observers. Continue reading
Fortress Russia: Putin’s New Model Police State
Vladimir Putin’s autocratic regime is cracking down on dissent again. But this time, it feels a bit different – and a lot more sinister. Continue reading
The Guns of September
They’ve been called a pretext for mischief against the Baltics and Poland and a means for Russia to increase its military footprint in Belarus. But whatever you call them, the joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2021 military exercises that will begin next week seem to have everybody’s attention. Continue reading
Fear And Loathing In Putin’s Russia
Independent media outlets and civic groups are shutting down after being designated “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.” Continue reading
Putin’s Dangerous Ukraine Delusions
Vladimir Putin is obsessed with Ukraine. Continue reading
Gunboat Diplomacy
Battleships, warplanes, brinkmanship, and geopolitics on the high seas. Continue reading