After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, governments in the former Soviet Union were immediately forced to deal with difficult geopolitical realities. In this report for the ELN, YGLN member Daniel Shapiro uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to show there is increased heterogeneity in geopolitical positioning among post-Soviet states and offers key lessons from this for Western policymakers.
This weekend’s meeting between the EU, Azerbaijan and Armenia is timely and important, as there are real risks that the humanitarian emergency in Nagorno-Karabakh may be a prelude to wider escalation in the southern Caucasus, writes Jane Kinninmont. As the Minsk Group of governments tasked with addressing the conflict appears to be barely active, the EU role will be critical.
The next phase of the EU’s Eastern Partnership will be launched this week. The approach set out so far fails to deliver – at this week’s summit, leaders should address the gaps.
Stanislav Pritchin of the Russian Academy of Sciences identifies Islam Karimov’s most likely successor and their route to power.
Ambassador Maresca argues that the West must develop new methods to address the immediate challenges of the crisis in Ukraine and also counter the long-term objectives of Putin’s near abroad strategy.