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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. While all three nations have made progress toward democracy and a free market in varying degrees since independence in the 1990s, corruption, human rights violations, and conflict still hinder efforts to improve regional security.

Learn more about the Caucasus
Putin’s only friend: Belarus is Russia’s last remaining post-Soviet ally

UkraineAlert Oct 5, 2021

Saakashvili arrest overshadows Georgian ruling party’s election win

Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream secured victory in October 2 local elections but the imprisonment of returning ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili leaves little realistic chance of an end to political tensions.

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Putin’s only friend: Belarus is Russia’s last remaining post-Soviet ally

UkraineAlert Aug 7, 2021

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War: Putin’s green light

By Peter Dickinson

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War is now widely recognized as a landmark event in Russia’s emergence under Vladimir Putin as a revisionist power seeking to reverse the verdict of 1991.
Conflict European Union
Putin’s only friend: Belarus is Russia’s last remaining post-Soviet ally

UkraineAlert Jul 20, 2021

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.
Geopolitics & Energy Security Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Featured events

Online Event Wed, March 3, 2021 • 9:00 am ET

Crisis in Georgia?

With the high-profile arrest of UNM opposition leader Nika Melia, Georgia may be in a new political crisis. How dangerous is the situation and what can be done to deescalate tensions to ensure Georgia’s democratic future?
Political Reform Politics & Diplomacy Rule of Law The Caucasus
Crisis in Georgia?

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Experts

Staff

Adrian Hoefer

Assistant Director

Eurasia Center

European Union Human Rights

Fellow

Laura Linderman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

The Caucasus Political Reform

Staff

Shelby Magid

Associate Director

Eurasia Center

Ukraine Human Rights

Staff

Maia Nikoladze

Program Assistant

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Digital Currencies Economic Sanctions

Fellow

Terrell Jermaine Starr

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Politics & Diplomacy Russia

Content

BelarusAlert

May 17, 2022

Putin’s only friend: Belarus is Russia’s last remaining post-Soviet ally

By Brian Whitmore

The recent CSTO summit in Moscow highlighted Russia's lack of support even within the former Soviet region while underlining Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's status as Vladimir Putin's last remaining ally.

Belarus Central Asia
File photo of Russian firefighter. (Source: EMERCOM)

New Atlanticist

May 3, 2022

Russian War Report: New fires and alleged sabotage operations across Russian territory 

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Over the past week, numerous strategic facilities on Russian territory have caught fire drawing accusation of sabotage. 

Disinformation Human Rights
Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov addresses the media in Kyiv, Ukraine February 23, 2022.

New Atlanticist

Apr 18, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia falsely accuses Ukraine of provoking conflict even after it knew war was coming

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russia has rehashed several old narratives in their continued attempts to justify the war in Ukraine including misrepresented statements from Ukrainian officials.

Belarus Disinformation
An eyewitness captures video of military helicopters approaching Belgorod, Russia. (Source: @UAWeapons/archive)

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

Russian War Report: Videos appear to show missiles striking Russian oil depot

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Video surfaced showing a possible attack on a Russian oil depot in Belgorod. Elsewhere, a Russian official threatened Azerbaijan with nukes.

Belarus Conflict

BelarusAlert

Mar 30, 2022

Hundreds of Belarusians join Ukraine’s fight against Russian imperialism

By Brian Whitmore

Hundreds of Belarusians have volunteered to fight for Ukraine in the war against Putin's Russia as anti-imperial forces across the former USSR seek to shake off authoritarian Kremlin influence.

Belarus Conflict
A Russian tank spotted in southern Belarus. (Source: @tendar/euroradio)

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2022

Russian War Report: Contradictory reports of Russian vehicles returning to Belarus

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russian forces seen returning to Belarus, Telegram channels undermining peace talks with Ukraine, and how Russians continue using banned social media.

Belarus Conflict

New Atlanticist

Mar 28, 2022

Russian War Report: Additional units from Georgian breakaway regions join Russian offensive

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Soldiers from the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia are confirmed to be providing military support for Russian forces in Ukraine.

Belarus Conflict
Russian State Duma member Sergey Leonov speaks at a press conference in Moscow, March 22, 2022. (Source: DumaTV)

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2022

Russian War Report: Russian Duma members falsely claim Ukraine is creating ethnicity-targeting bioweapons

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Members of the Russian Duma accused Ukraine and the US of creating bioweapons and researching "regional infections aimed at Russian regions."

Belarus Conflict

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2022

Russian War Report: Putin endorses plan to bring 16,000 “volunteers” from the Middle East to fight in Ukraine

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russia’s Defense Minister announced that more than 16,000 “volunteers” from the Middle East had expressed interest in joining Russia’s “liberation movement” for the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Belarus Conflict
PRIPYAT, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY, 2022: Pictured in this video screen grab is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Russian Airborne troops and the Ukrainian National Guard are providing security at the nuclear power plant. An agreement has been reached with servicemen of a separate battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine to jointly provide security at the units, the confinement and the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant staff continue to monitor the radiation levels and work at the nuclear power plant as normal. Video grab. Best possible quality. Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia escalates nuclear and chemical false-flag allegations

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

On March 9, Russia escalated their claims that Ukraine intended to use nuclear or biological weapons against Russia and that capturing nuclear power plants were to "prevent" such attempts.

Belarus Conflict
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