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
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
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
Independent media outlets and civic groups are shutting down after being designated “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.” Continue reading
Vladimir Putin is obsessed with Ukraine. Continue reading
Battleships, warplanes, brinkmanship, and geopolitics on the high seas. Continue reading
The debate over Russia policy in the West is, unfortunately, not always grounded in reality. Continue reading
Western sanctions against Belarus finally appear to be targeting Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s enablers in Russia. Continue reading
When U.S. President Joe Biden met Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Russia’s cyberattacks, election interference, human rights abuses, and aggression against its neighbors were all on the agenda. Continue reading
is there a potential rift between Lukashenka, dictator of what is becoming the “North Korea of Europe,” and his patrons in the Kremlin? Continue reading
