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3 weeks ago | 
wilsoncenter.org | Izabella Tabarovsky |Maxim Trudolyubov
Among the leaders of Russia’s 85 regions, Ramzan Kadyrov stands out as a figure of special authority. He portrays himself as president Vladimir Putin’s most loyal soldier, commands a significant force of regular military, national guard, special police, and other units, plays an active role in resolving business conflicts in Russia, and even conducts something of a foreign policy of his own. None of this is imaginable for a regular governor.
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4 weeks ago | 
wilsoncenter.org | Izabella Tabarovsky |Maxim Trudolyubov |Beka Chedia
Russia’s recruitment of soldiers to fight in its war in Ukraine has disproportionately drawn from the country’s Indigenous peoples. Individuals from these communities—most notably Buryats, Tuvans, Kalmyks, as well as members of small-numbered nations—have been recruited at above-average rates and experienced higher-than-average combat death rates.
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2 months ago | 
wilsoncenter.org | Maxim Trudolyubov |Izabella Tabarovsky |Michael Kimmage |William E. Pomeranz
In Moscow, life continues with an air of striking normalcy. US President Donald Trump’s calls to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian war do not evoke urgency or a rush to compromise. Instead, the Kremlin and Russia’s elites see an opportunity in Trump’s push for a settlement—one that allows them to maximize their gains while he remains preoccupied with reshaping US foreign policy and as America’s allies appear uncertain and fatigued.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Boris Grozovski |William Hill |Maxim Trudolyubov |Lucian Kim
Russia’s exiled opposition faces a critical challenge of legitimacy, struggling to connect with the Russian people at home and abroad, and with international audiences as well. While united in their anti-Putin stance, divisions over patriotism, national identity, and Western alignment have hindered their ability to build a cohesive movement.
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Jan 10, 2025 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Boris Grozovski |William Hill |Maxim Trudolyubov |Lucian Kim
Russia’s war economy, now in its third year, is facing mounting challenges, including rising inflation, labor shortages, and growing economic imbalances. While these issues strain the civilian economy, they have not been severe enough to force Vladimir Putin to halt the war.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
wilsoncenter.org | William Hill |Maxim Trudolyubov |Lucian Kim |Alla Polishchuk
On January 1, 2025, at 8 am Moscow time, Gazprom ceased delivery of natural gas to Moldova. Moldova was left with a diminished supply of natural gas, and its breakaway Transnistrian region was left totally without. Gazprom’s action has also caused reduced supplies of electricity throughout Moldova, with rolling blackouts in Transnistria. Consumers in Moldova are already affected by rising prices for light and heat. The Transnistrian economy has largely shut down.
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Dec 9, 2024 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Maxim Trudolyubov |Dan White
Moscow’s unexpected decision not to prop up Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria this time, followed by the regime’s collapse, resonates with Russia’s Cold War–era geopolitical legacy. For decades, Syria was the linchpin of a network of Soviet-backed and Soviet-aligned regimes in the Middle East—a crucial foothold and strategic asset in Moscow’s global rivalry with the West. With Assad’s fall, the last remnant of that Cold War–era network may be on the verge of disappearing.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Maxim Trudolyubov
Despite enduring sanctions and international isolation, Russia has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to sustain a protracted military campaign, reflecting its strategic shift toward becoming a nation perpetually on a war footing. Many experts express concern that Western, and particularly European, militaries and politicians remain complacent, failing to fully grasp the seriousness of Russia’s potential for future conflicts.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Maxim Trudolyubov
There are conflicting accounts regarding whom the Kremlin preferred as the next president of the United States. However, it is likely that Moscow did not truly favor either candidate. The style of the Kremlin’s attempted influence campaigns, along with insider reports, suggests that the Kremlin’s ideal outcome was not a particular winner but a conflict over the vote itself.
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
wilsoncenter.org | Maxim Trudolyubov
The political dynamics of Moldova’s recent presidential election and the players involved in it reflect a larger picture of societies straddling the East-West divide. Countries like Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine find themselves at various stages of a quest for self-determination—against the background of bitter domestic debates and heavy international pressures.
