The death and disablement of hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers, acute strains in the defense budget and a looming shortage of military hardware make 2025 the year of truth for Moscow’s armed forces.
With the full-scale war…
Continue Reading
Blog
-
How Vladimir Putin was able to change Russia’s constitution and become ‘president for life’
At some point during a political leader’s final term they start to become prey to what is commonly known as “lame duck syndrome”. Donald Trump may have only just been inaugurated, but political commentators are already saying this is…
Continue Reading
-
Russia’s Wartime Economy isn’t as Weak as it Looks
Even if export revenues slump, perhaps due to a looming trade war or China’s spluttering economy, Russia has plenty of resources it could tap to maintain elevated levels of state spending. The largely state-owned banking system is sitting on…
Continue Reading
-
New Russia-Iran Treaty Reveals the Limits of Their Partnership
The wide-ranging treaty signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on January 17 was presented as a breakthrough in relations between the two countries. However, the pact does not constitute a…
Continue Reading
-
Defending Ukraine in the Absence of NATO Security Guarantees
This report is part of the Council Special Initiative on Securing Ukraine’s Future.
Executive Summary
…
Continue Reading
-
Where Trump’s ‘frenemy’ relationship with Europe goes from here
BBC“It’s insane! We’re heading for a general election. The country feels broken. Our economy is stagnant… But most German news outlets just seem obsessed with Trump, Trump, Trump!”
Iris Mühler, a teacher in engineering in north-east Germany is…
Continue Reading
-
What the End of Ukraine Gas Transit Means for Kyiv, Moscow, and Europe
At 8 a.m. on January 1, 2025, the supply of Russian gas crossing the Ukrainian border on its way to Europe was turned off, ending a sixty-year era.
The response to the shutoff was notably calm considering that in 2009, a two-week halt in Russian…
Continue Reading
-
Ukraine Symposium – The Budapest Memorandum’s History and Role in the Conflict
Last month of 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, part of an agreement by which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in return for security assurances by Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom….Continue Reading
-
Venezuela restricts diplomats from ‘hostile’ European countries
Venezuela on Tuesday announced restrictions on French, Italian and Dutch diplomats on its soil, citing their governments’ “hostile” response to Nicolás Maduro’s presidential inauguration, widely rejected as a power grab.
In a move branded an…
Continue Reading
-
Russia’s Hidden War Debt Creates a Looming Credit Crisis
Moscow has been quietly pursuing a two-pronged strategy to finance its escalating war costs. In addition to the publicly scrutinized defense budget, it has set up a system of state-directed, off-budget…
Continue Reading
