Mainstreaming the Problem of Ukrainian Ethnic Territories in Russia

The Ukrainian media’s intensified discussion of the topic of historically Ukrainian ethnic territories that are part of the Russian Federation creates the impression that public opinion is being prepared for Ukraine’s territorial claims against Russia.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 11 (August 2024)

In August 2024, the PSCRP analysis revolved mostly around the issues of Russia’s internal and external politics.

Putin’s Visit to Azerbaijan: A Desperate Show of “Business as Usual”

Russian authorities have found themselves needing to prove domestically that Moscow still holds the same clout in its traditional sphere of influence against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region of Russia.

Mahmoud Abbas’ Visit to Moscow: Who Needs Him There and Why?

Moscow’s stand in the current sprawling regional military conflict in the Middle East is, at the very least, political and diplomatic support for the Arab proxies of Iran, while at the same time positioning itself as the patron of the still symbolically significant for the Arab-Islamic world “Palestinian Arab cause” as a whole.

Will Russia Support Iran If It Conducts a Full-Scale Attack on Israel?

The answer to the question “Will Russia Support Iran?” will be, yes, but this support will be very limited and mostly political. It will be also an instrument for improving Kremlin’s position in Russian-Ukrainan conflict.

Kaliningrad — Russia’s Exclave in Europe

A significant part of the Russian-speaking population, numerically dominant in the Kaliningrad region, has also formed its own local-patriotic narrative. This narrative is based on an attempt to appropriate the pre-Russian history of the region.

The IDF Spokesperson Unit’s Negligence and Iranian-Armenian Campaign of Fakes

On Sunday, August 11, Israeli state-owned TV channel 11KAN reported that the Army leadership had instructed all personnel to evacuate Georgia and Azerbaijan amid concerns over imminent strikes by Iran in retaliation for Ismail Haniyeh’s death in Tehran. The Israeli military press office and other Israeli media outlets have not cited the actual order.

Prospects for Diplomatic de-escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian War

There is a feeling that the negotiation process — or preparations for it — is already underway, but so far it is rather limited to general ideas and cautious contacts, and both sides have so far denied this fact. Even the location where such real negotiations could take place — if, of course, it comes to them — has not yet been agreed upon

Rivalry Over Wildberries As an Ethno-Political Conflict Within the Russian Elite

The conflict around Wildberries shows that in the event of a collapse or significant weakening of the current political regime in Russia, inter-elite clashes, including those with an ethno-political dimension, over ownership of assets could become much more acute. It is quite obvious that Kadyrov’s forces and other North Caucasian bureaucratic and security groups will become important players in such a scenario.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 10 (July 2024)

In July 2024, the research conducted by the BESA PSCRP analysts was thematically dominated by the events in the Caucasus, both South and North.