Olesya Vartanyan

With Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia Holds a Poisoned Chalice

More than one Kremlin envoy overseeing the territories has lost their job after failing to deliver results. Will Sergei Kiriyenko be any different?

Leila Nazgül Seiitbek

How Did the Soviet Security State Outlive the U.S.S.R.? Look to Dzerzhinsky for Clues.

The ideas of the Cheka's founder still shape how many post-Soviet states wield power.

Tatyana Rybakova

Russia's Stock Market Is the Best Measure of Russia's Problems. The Signs Aren't Good.

Unlike a traditional poll, the stock market shows the real-time confidence of thousands of investors who aren't convinced by Putin's bluster.

How Russia’s Neighbors Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Nuclear weapons don't make the world a better place. But in our region, their absence may make war more likely.

An Anonymous Writer in Russia

The World Shouldn’t Be Confused When Russians Shrug Off a Crisis

Too many Russia-watchers have their judgment colored by wishful thinking, leaving them surprised when Russians don't panic at the latest crisis.

Inna Bondarenko

Russia Helps the Western Far-Right Feel at Home

It's easy to overlook how powerful it is when Russia welcomes in the Western far-right and makes them feel that they are not alone.

Andrey Sapozhnikov

How Viktor Tsoi’s Songs Became Anthems of Protest and Propaganda in Putin’s Russia

Supporters and opponents of the Kremlin only agree on a few things — and the iconic status and emotional resonance of Kino’s music is one of them.

Andras Toth-Czifra

Why Does Putin Fiddle While Russia Burns? That's How the System Works.

Prioritizing the security services over civilians and deflecting accountability are the product of a system built to protect those at the top.

Did the International Criminal Court Just Ease Restrictions on Putin?

It sounds like a capitulation, but allowing Putin to travel to hypothetical peace talks in Switzerland is necessary pragmatism for peace.

Europe Should Beat Russia at Its Own Nationalization Game

In Ireland and Finland, businesses linked to Russian elites have slipped through the net of sanctions. Nationalizing them could be the solution.

Daniela Richterova

‘You Attacked the Home of a Very High-Ranking Individual’: What the Starmer Fires Reveal About Russia’s International Sabotage Campaign

The trial of two Ukrainian-born men recruited for "gig economy sabotage" gave valuable insights into how Russian handlers are refining their tactics.

Dmitry Nekrasov

Russia’s Fuel Shortages Are Manageable. But the Kremlin’s Options Are Shrinking.

Ukrainian drone strikes haven't caused a nationwide fuel crisis yet. But pressure on supply is accumulating rapidly.

Roman Abramovich Can Talk to Moscow and Kyiv. But He Can’t Change Putin’s Mind.

The sanctioned billionaire is an unlikely backchannel between Russia and Ukraine, having brokered prisoner swaps and grain export deals.

An Anonymous Writer in Russia

A Decades-Old Split in Russian Islam Risks Resurrecting Soviet-Style Religious Control

The wartime crackdown on clerics linked to Ravil Gainutdin suggests that even loyal religious autonomy is becoming intolerable.

Andrey Sapozhnikov

When Russia Puts On a Show, Some in the West Buy It

Organizers at the 2026 "Russian Davos" pulled out all the stops to convince visitors it's business as usual in Russia. In some cases, it worked.

Nicholas Castillo

Some Georgians Think Russia Just Annexed Part of Their Country

A new law allowing Russian officials to hold office in South Ossetia is sparking fears that Moscow is expanding control over the region.

Tatyana Rybakova

SPIEF 2026 Was A Tragicomic Encapsulation of Russia's Economic Quagmire

You couldn't ignore the thick black smoke that hung over proceedings — though people tried — rather like Russia's weakened economy.

How a Few Thousand Votes Could Have Stopped Putin’s Rise to Power

Putin may have stayed in St. Petersburg if the 1996 electoral defeat of his political mentor hadn't propelled him to pursue a career in Moscow.