How I learnt to calm down about the threat of another Ukraine invasion
Maximilian Hess on why gaining concessions from the US is more important to the Kremlin than forcibly returning Ukraine to its sphere of influence
Foreign policy
Too proud to pull back? Russia’s Ukraine dilemma
Anton Barbashin argues that Russia’s top foreign policy thinkers are split between moderate attitudes of ‘quit while you’re ahead’ and hawkish views calling for further brinkmanship
The first lessons of Kazakhstan’s “Big Bang”
Vladislav Inozemtsev discusses the economic and social parallels between Russia and Kazakhstan
The meaning of Russian troops in Kazakhstan
Max Hess unpicks why the Kremlin has activated the CSTO to help quell civil unrest in Kazakhstan
Germany and Russia in 2021
Dmitry Stratievski comments on the events in German-Russian relations in 2021
Doing away with props: Russia and the Middle East in 2021
Anton Mardasov on how Moscow’s actions towards the West resonated in the Middle East
The drumroll for European security
Anton Barbashin looks at what the Putin-Biden e-meeting has achieved for Ukraine, Russia and NATO
What sanctions can deter Russia from another aggression in Ukraine?
Maria Shagina weighs in on which sanctions tools the West can still deploy to prevent Russia from marching into Ukraine
2021 was a good year for Russia’s South Caucasus policy
Neil Hauer on how Russia ends 2021 with a stronger hold over security issues across the Caucasus
Gas in exchange for sincere warm feelings
Yulia Petrovskaya believes Moscow will not succeed in convincing Belgrade to recognise Crimea as Russian or give up European integration