A Few Dollars More: Why Political Orientation of South Caucasus Countries Shifts From the EU Toward Russia. Part I – Georgia

Georgia applied for EU membership alongside Moldova on March 3, 2022. In June of the same year, the European Commission recommended granting candidate status to both republics, but the decision on Tbilisi’s application was postponed. Georgia ultimately received candidate status in December 2023. Yet, on November 28, 2024, the Georgian authorities announced their decision to suspend EU accession negotiations from the national agenda until 2028. What happened?

Erzyan National Movement as an Example of Ethnic Separatism in the Russian Federation

The Erzyan national movement deserves special consideration: the problems it is trying to solve are characteristic not only of the Republic of Mordovia. They are also relevant for other national autonomies located in the east of the European part of the Russian Federation, far from the state borders, where the peoples belonging to the Finno-Ugric linguistic group live: the Republic of Komi, the Republic of Udmurtia and the Republic of Mari El.

China Seeks to Become the New Patron in Central Asia, Displacing Russia

Russia, which a dozen years ago aspired to be a major transportation corridor from the Pacific to the Atlantic, is gradually turning into a transportation and logistics desert. The new joint Chinese-Kazakh railroad project has become another stepping stone to exclude Russia from transcontinental logistics chains. At that, Russia loses not only Europe and the Far East as customers and partners: it also loses its leverage in the region it used to consider its fiefdom - namely, Central Asia.

On China’s Territorial Claims Against the Russian Federation

A year and a half ago, in the summer of 2023, a forum titled "Yakutia and the Provinces of China: Sister-City Relations for Strengthening Russian-Chinese Relations" was held in Yakutsk. The ties between China and the Republic of Sakha continue to strengthen. It is also worth noting that directly south of Yakutia are Russian regions to which China has almost openly laid claim, as they were once part of the Qing Empire. From the Chinese perspective, Russia still occupies much larger Chinese territories, meaning historical justice has not been restored.

Alliances born out of radicalization: A look into the cooperation between indigenous secessionist movements in Russia

Secessionist movements have existed in Russia for as long as the Russian Federation itself. As of late 2021, pro-independence voices enjoyed little recognition outside of niche internet communities—mainstream ethnic activism criticized the government but not to the point of demanding secession. This started changing when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People provides an example of this shift.

Turkmenistan’s Shift Towards The Moscow-Tehran-Beijing Axis

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 are well-known to experts, same goes for Iran’s close ties with Armenia. However, a less frequently discussed yet highly significant aspect is the nature of Iran’s relationship with the third post-Soviet state with which it shares a border—Turkmenistan.

Monthly Monitoring of Analytical Publications on Post-Soviet Conflicts

PSCRP is launching a program of monthly monitoring of analytical publications from the world's leading universities and think tanks, which in one way or another affect the study of political processes in the former USSR.

Russia: The Karelian Question

Karelia is the only republic within the Russian Federation where Russian is the only state language, while the local language is deprived of any status, whether formal or not. The reason for this is the federal law adopted by the State Duma in 2002, which prohibits the use of any alphabet other than the Cyrillic alphabet for the state languages of the constituent republics of the Russian Federation.

Azerbaijan Crisis Management: A Case Study in Statecraft

The crisis has demonstrated that effective confrontation with Russia requires a delicate balance: maintaining firmness while preserving diplomatic channels. Azerbaijan's handling of the situation offers valuable lessons in modern statecraft, showing that even regional powers can successfully manage conflicts with larger nations through calculated, strategic responses while pursuing concrete diplomatic objectives.

“Separatism”: Russia vs. Komi Ethnic Activists

Over the centuries, the Russian state expanded its ethnic base through the assimilation of Finno-Ugric peoples, the indigenous population of the north of the European part of the present-day Russian Federation and Western Siberia.