Russia

Tensions mount between Belarus dictator and Kremlin

By Brian Whitmore

Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's harsh crackdown on anti-regime protests has made him increasingly dependent on the Kremlin, but could Moscow be preparing to use him as a geopolitical pawn?

State of the Order: Assessing May 2021

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

What does the Arab Street think of China and Russia? The answers may surprise you.

By Li-Chen Sim and Lucille Greer

Are perceptions about China and Russia shared by MENA elites and the public? Building on previous posts that analyzed MENA’s interests in engaging these states, we answer these questions by examining polling data across MENA and within particular states.

FAST THINKING: A new era for NATO

By Atlantic Council

The band is back together: NATO allies gathered at a Monday summit in Brussels. How will the meeting shape NATO’s future, and what cracks did it reveal in the Alliance?

Putin’s Ukraine War: Will Russia attempt a Black Sea blockade?

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

The international community spent much of April 2021 nervously watching the Ukrainian border for signs of a new Kremlin offensive, but Russia's next escalation may come in the Black Sea.

FAST THINKING: What to expect from the Biden-Putin summit

By Atlantic Council

On this episode of Fast Thinking, Atlantic Council experts Doug Klain and Melinda Haring discuss who has the most to gain from the summit and whether this meeting has any chance of stabilizing US-Russia relations.

Geopolitical weapon: Putin’s pipeline nears completion

By Benjamin Schmitt

This week's summit meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin may be one of the last opportunities for the US to take a stand against the Kremlin's controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.