Very Close Enemies: Russian-Georgian Relations

Georgia is a very important element of Russia's connection with the global South, and in informational terms, working relations with Georgia are an extremely convenient element for Russian propaganda, unlike relations with Ukraine. The main goal of the Russian Federation in its relations with Georgia is to keep Georgia in the ecosystem of Russia's survival under sanctions.

Everything Old Is New Again: Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in the Post-Soviet Space in the Context of Swords of Iron Military Operation

The resulting IDF's Iron Swords Military Operation has caused, as usual, an outburst of anti-Semitism around the world. However, unlike previous military confrontations with terrorists, this time the world's anti-Semitic reaction to Israel's actions was not only much stronger, but also affected countries and regions that usually refrain from displaying violent anti-Israeli rhetoric and positions.

Post-Soviet Wars: Source of Weapons for Radical Islamists?

On the morning of October 7, 2023, when several thousands of heavily armed fighters from the radical Islamist terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip, invading Israeli border settlements and other communities in the south of the country, a significant number of samples of weapons and equipment used by the group's Iran-trained military wing fell into Israeli hands right then.

Dagestan and Northern Caucasus – the first Anti-Semitic pogroms in Post-Soviet Russian History

The majority of Russian commentators agree that the events occurred as a result of mounting mass dissatisfaction in the North Caucasus, with the Jews and Israelis as a formal pretext for the events. However, there are also attempts to determine the actions of specific players who may have intentionally organized pogroms in the Northern Caucasus. Some of these hypotheses are of a propagandistic nature, while others require more in-depth analysis if sufficient supporting arguments can be found.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 1 (September-October 2023)

Anti-Israel Media Campaign. Russia, Armenia – Who’s Next?

In the Russian media, the objective coverage of the efforts of the Israeli authorities and military to counter the aggression of Hamas is growing thin. At the same time, stories full of sympathy for the terrorists and condemnation of Israel are becoming increasingly common. Many Armenian media outlets, social media and NGOs are joining in.

KOOS Movement in Estonia: a Lesson for Israel

The issue of political representation of the Russian (or rather, Russian-speaking) minority, who comprise ca. 24 percent of the population, has been a challenge for Estonia since the re-establishing of independence in 1991. Even though some sources tend to exaggerate the problem of non-citizenship in Estonia, only 20 percent of the local Russians have so-called “alien’s passports.” Moreover, even non-citizens are allowed to vote in the municipal elections.

Hamas Terrorist Invasion of Israel and Its Possible Implications for Ukraine

One cannot fail to notice that the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Arabs occupies a distinct place in the ideological and political discourse accompanying post-Soviet armed conflicts, primarily the Russian-Ukrainian and Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts. This can involve the use of allusions and symbols associated with the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation, aimed at ideologically justifying one's position and demonizing the opponent. It also pertains to the attempts of direct participants in post-Soviet conflicts and/or external actors to leverage fluctuations in Israel's relations with the "Palestinian National Authority" (PNA) in Ramallah, which governs the Arab enclaves in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley (or, the “West Bank of the Jordan River”, in international discourse) on one hand, and the enclave of Islamic fundamentalists in the Gaza Strip on the other.

Turbulent Months in Gagauzia: Internal Struggles, External Influences and Conflict Background

In the summer of 2023, Gagauz Yeri, Autonomous Territorial Unit in the Republic of Moldova, got into the spotlight of political commentaries. In May, Evghenia Guțul, a representative of the “Șor” political party, won the regional election for the post of Başkan, the regional governor. However, this electoral outcome was met with disdain and skepticism by the central authorities in Chișinău. Moldovan president Maia Sandu defiantly refused to attend Guțul’s official inauguration, the Anti-Corruption Committee attempted to seize ballot papers from the local election office (to which the region’s residents responded with mass protests), and Guțul herself claimed to have been threatened by the state prosecutor. What are the reasons for this situation and what could be the consequences for the political life in Moldova?

The New Karabakh Crisis and the Rise of Antisemitism in Contemporary Armenia

The establishment of Azerbaijani control over the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has given rise to a wave of anti-Semitism in Armenia. The following anti-Semitic elements can be identified in contemporary Armenian public discourse.

PSCRP