Afghanistan’s Canal Project Looks to Deepen Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s Water Woes
Executive Summary: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan are facing severe water shortages, which Kabul plans to counter with the Qosh Tepa canal, which will likely exacerbate water issues in Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s and Turkmenistan’s economies largely… MORE
Russia Converts Ukrainian Children Into Enemies
Executive Summary: Russia has transformed the education system in the occupied territories of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk, replacing educators and curriculum with pro-Russian, military-patriotic education aimed at militarizing Ukrainian children against their homeland. The Kremlin… MORE
Moscow’s Action in Ingushetia About Far More Than Counterterrorism
Executive Summary: Moscow recently carried out a counterterrorism operation against what it describes as Islamist radicals in Ingushetia—the smallest, poorest, and arguably most restive republic not only in the North Caucasus but also in the… MORE
The Organization of Turkic States Seeks Defense Cooperation
Executive Summary: Following the recent presidential elections, Azerbaijan turned its focus to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and its role in connecting the Turkic world, indicating that Baku does not intend to align with… MORE
Belarus’s Parliamentary Elections and Opposition Prospects
Executive Summary: Belarus’s government outlawed opposition parties in anticipation of last week’s parliamentary election, contrasting previous elections that had offered a platform for opposition parties to spread their views. Oppositionists have primarily been forced into… MORE
Russia Hopes to Use Caspian Sea Route to Evade Sanctions
Executive Summary: Moscow seeks to boost its struggling economy through increased development of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a real competitor to the Suez Canal and the Bosphorus Strait. Moscow wants the INSTC… MORE
Georgia Looks to Build Strategic Partnerships With European Union and China
Executive Summary: New Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is playing a delicate balancing act of attempting to gain EU membership while reproaching the United States in public statements. Kobakhidze’s strategy toward the West resembles the… MORE
Armenia’s Break With Moscow Redefines South Caucasus Geopolitics
Executive Summary: Armenia has announced it is suspending cooperation with the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a signal that Yerevan may soon reduce or even end other forms of cooperation with Russia. The almost… MORE
Putin’s Political Machinations Delegitimize Russian Presidential Elections
Executive Summary: Russia is scheduled to hold presidential elections from March 15 to 17, which will predictably result in the reelection of President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin is doing everything in its power to prevent… MORE