PSCRP-BESA Reports No 143 (July 20, 2025)
On July 3rd 2025, Russia officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, becoming the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to do so. The announcement was made …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 141 (July 10, 2025)
None of the Muslim states bordering Iran to the northeast (they are usually called ‘stans’, from the Persian word “country”)—including Central Asian post-Soviet states (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), Pakistan and Afghanistan …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 114 (February 11, 2025)
In the ongoing geopolitical conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran’s relations with post-Soviet states—especially those with which it shares a direct border—play a crucial role. The tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, coupled with …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 108 (Jan 5, 2025)
Faced with new challenges amid the war in Ukraine and increased pressure from Russia, Kazakhstan is taking a series of strategic measures to diversify its hydrocarbon trade and reduce dependence on the Russian …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 99 (Nov 26, 2024)
Kazakhstan refuses to join BRICS, an organization that Russia (and to some extent China) sees as an alternative to the Western-centric world order. Clearly, such a decision inevitably invites retaliatory pressure from Russia. …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 97 (Nov 05, 2024)
The Power Struggle Among Criminal Groups in Russian Prisons and the Growing Role of Islamist Groups
Russian prisons have long been battlegrounds for influence among various criminal factions, each striving for control over …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 96 (Nov 07, 2024)
Islamist-led uprisings in Russian prisons
On June 16, 2024, a hostage situation occurred in Detention Center No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, orchestrated by Islamic terrorists acting on behalf of the “Islamic State.” …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 90 (Oct 18, 2024)
In continuation of the conflict surrounding Wildberries, on October 10, 2024, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, accused Senator from Dagestan, Suleiman Kerimov, and two State Duma deputies, Bekhan Barakhoev and Rizvan …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 85 (Sept 22, 2024)
The Zangezur corridor is a proposed route that would link the main part of Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan enclave through Armenian territory. Azerbaijan and Turkey support the project, but Armenia opposes it, fearing …
PSCRP-BESA Reports No 78 (August 27, 2024)
Relations between Iran and Russia have significantly expanded since the onset of the full-scale military conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. Iran’s new president has promised to sign a strategic cooperation agreement with …
