The Caucasus

The Caucasus

Named for the mountain range between southern Russia, and northern Turkey and Iran, the Caucasus is home to the nations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Since their independence in 1991, these nations have faced frozen conflicts which have hampered development and have given Russia and Turkey means to exert and maintain influence. While all three nations have made progress toward democracy and a free market in varying degrees, corruption, human rights violations, and conflict still hinder efforts to improve regional security.

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Content

Russia Tomorrow

May 21, 2026

The Kadyrov question: Who rules Chechnya next?

By Marat Iliyasov

The latest report in the Atlantic Council's Russia Tomorrow series assesses the four pathways that may await Chechnya after Kadyrov is no longer in power.

Corruption Crisis Management

Dispatches

May 10, 2026

Now is the time for a US ‘grand deal’ with Azerbaijan

By Andrew D’Anieri, Mercedes Sapuppo

The White House should work with Congress to propose ending a ban on arms sales to Baku in exchange for the release of unjustly detained individuals.

Human Rights Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Dispatches

Apr 21, 2026

Magyar’s victory in Hungary should be studied by other opposition movements

By Bailey Galicia

Hungary’s recent election holds lessons for countries such as Georgia and Serbia, where divided oppositions have so far failed to turn protests into electoral wins.

Europe & Eurasia Hungary

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Temnycky in the Hill: Congress can boost US trade and strike a blow to Iran with Azerbaijan’s help

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

UkraineAlert

Mar 17, 2026

The Iran war is good for the Russian economy but bad for Putin’s prestige

By Maksym Beznosiuk, Will Dixon

From Armenia and Syria to Venezuela and Iran, Moscow’s inability since 2022 to aid its allies in times of crisis has seriously damaged Russia’s reputation as a global power, write Maksym Beznosiuk and Will Dixon.

Conflict Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Mar 10, 2026

Russian talk of protecting compatriots masks Putin’s imperial ambitions

By Agnia Grigas

Four years after Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the international debate about how the war should end remains haunted by myths first promoted by the Kremlin more than a decade ago, writes Agnia Grigas.

Belarus Central Asia

UkraineAlert

Feb 17, 2026

A bad Ukraine peace could ignite new wars in Russia’s former empire

By Joseph Epstein

If a settlement in Ukraine frees up Russian military resources without establishing credible deterrents against further Kremlin aggression, Moscow will have the means and the motive to reassert dominance elsewhere in its former empire, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia European Union

Dispatches

Jan 20, 2026

How Trump’s ‘TRIPP’ triumph can advance US interests in the South Caucasus

By Andrew D’Anieri and Joseph Epstein

The recently announced Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity promises to become a vital connectivity link between Europe and Asia.

Iran Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Dec 23, 2025

Reclaiming Russia’s ‘historical lands’: How far do Putin’s imperial ambitions extend?

By Peter Dickinson

Putin has again vowed to "liberate Russia's historical lands" via negotiations or military means. The list of countries that could qualify as "historically Russian" in Putin's revisionist worldview is long and extends far beyond Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Central Europe Conflict

In the News

Dec 2, 2025

Linderman in the Dispatch on Russia’s decreasing hold on the South Caucasus and how the US should respond

By Laura Linderman

On November 21, Laura Linderman, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, was published in the Dispatch on Russia’s decreasing influence in the South Caucasus and the path forward for US policymakers in the region.

Europe & Eurasia Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
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Experts

Staff

Kiran Baez

Program Assistant

Atlantic Council Turkey Program

Central Asia Geopolitics & Energy Security

Staff

Eto Buziashvili

Research Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Fellow

Michael Carpenter

Distinguished Fellow

Eurasia Center Europe Center

Eastern Europe National Security
Sopo Gelava

Staff

Sopo Gelava

Research Associate, Caucasus

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Civil Society Disinformation
Givi Gigitashvili

Staff

Givi Gigitashvili

Research Associate, Caucasus

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict Disinformation
Melinda Haring

Fellow

Melinda Haring

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Ukraine Civil Society
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