Ukraine at War: Sociological and Political Considerations

In the first decade of independence, Ukraine was quite distinctly divided into a number of regions, which differed greatly from each other in terms of ethno-identification and linguistic composition: Western, Central, Southern and Eastern Ukraine. Outside of Western Ukraine, addressing strangers in Ukrainian by default in both official and everyday communication was not the norm.

Kazakhstan And Brics: Cooperation Without Participation

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. To offset this to some extent, and for a number of other pragmatic reasons, Kazakhstan continues to actively participate in BRICS+ activities.

The Political Nature of Granting Ukraine the Right to Strike Russian Territory

On the night of November 19, a strike targeted the 1046th Logistics Support Center of the Russian Armed Forces near the city of Karachev in the Bryansk region. The Ukrainian Defense Forces (UDF) used American ATACMS ballistic missiles to carry out this strike, according to media reports.

Islamism, Crime and their Social and Political Influence in Russia. Part 2. The Radical Islamist Influence and Power Struggle inside Russian Prisons

Russian prisons have long been battlegrounds for influence among various criminal factions, each striving for control over the prison’s internal economy and hierarchies. Traditionally, the power in Russian penitentiaries has been held by groups following the thieves-in-law ("vor v zakone") code. However, the prison landscape in Russia has been changing.

Victory as a Defeat: On the Results of the Presidential Election Campaign in Moldova

On November 8, the Central Election Commission of Moldova announced the official results of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova. With 55% of the votes, Maia Sandu won in the second round, while her opponent Alexandru Stoianoglo gained 44.8%. Despite this result, the election did not become a triumph for the presidential team.

Islamism, Crime and their Social and Political Influence in Russia. Part 1. “Black, Red and Green Prisons in Post-Soviet states”

The Islamist-led uprisings have often been ignited by conflicts over prison conditions and alleged mistreatment by guards, which Islamist leaders have used as rallying points. These leaders, drawing on religious motivations, present their actions as part of a broader “struggle” against an oppressive system. The uprisings have included organized sit-ins, hunger strikes, and, in more severe cases, violent clashes with guards.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 13 (October 2024)

In October 2024, the PSCRP program’s publications covered most sub-regions of the post-Soviet area.

The French Factor in the Georgian Elections and on the Southern Caucasus in General

For the past two decades, the European Union has actively pursued influence in the post-Soviet region. France, attempting to align countries like Georgia with Western political and economic frameworks, plays a prominent role in this trend.

Israel, the Middle East, and the Russian Public Opinion Part 2: What Russians Think of Israeli War with HAMAS and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

It is hard to ignore that the war Israel is waging with the support of the U.S. and its Western allies against the terrorist alliance of Iran and its radical Islamist proxies – including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq – has mirrored in the ideological, political, and diplomatic discourse around post-Soviet conflicts, especially the Russian-Ukrainian and Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts.

Lithuania Prepares for the Worst Scenario

In January 2024, three Baltic States agree to establish a common defence zone on their borders with Russia and Belarus. It represents concerns about security in the region. The border of Lithuania and Latvia with Russia and Belarus, and the border of Estonia with Russia could be evaluated as a new line of cold confrontation between Moscow and the Western world.