Eastern Europe

Concerns mount over Russia-Belarus military exercises

By Brian Whitmore

With the quadrennial Zapad military exercises just six weeks away, Russian troops and military equipment have begun arriving in Belarus, and many in the West are concerned that Putin may seek to exploit the buildup.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Belarus’ future and her place in it

By Doug Klain

“I’m not going to participate in new elections,” Tsikhanouskaya said at the Atlantic Council. Instead, she wants to see a new free and fair election and a self-sustaining democratic movement in Belarus.

Money wars in Belarus

By Brian Whitmore

Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka is increasing financial pressure of his domestic opponents. Meanwhile, Western sanctions against his regime continue to mount, leaving Belarus more and more dependent on Russia.

Infrastructure cooperation could hold the key to Armenia’s future security

By Ani Yeghiazaryan

As the South Caucasus looks to move on following last year's Nagorno-Karabakh War, shared infrastructure projects could help foster greater regional stability and improve the chances for a sustainable peace.

Putin and Lukashenka are locked in a dysfunctional axis of autocrats

By Brian Whitmore

Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka are bound together in an axis of autocrats but the two dictators are also locked in a game of cat and mouse over Kremlin efforts to expand Russian influence in Belarus.

State of the Order: Assessing June 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

Lukashenka vs. Europe

By Brian Whitmore

The autocratic regime of Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka is intensifying its ongoing cold war against Europe via a series of threats to block trade routes along with ongoing moves to flood the EU with illegal migrants.

Policy memo: A digital agenda for the Three Seas Initiative Summit

By Frances Burwell, Jörn Fleck, James Batchik, and Luka Ignac

The Three Seas nations should invest in digital infrastructure, nurture emerging technologies, and amplify the region's voice on policy. Here's how.