Russia
The Blessed Far Right
More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s far-right landscape is evolving, as the state increasingly seeks to co-opt and control such activism, with Russkaya Obshchina — which promotes so-called traditional values and anti-migrant rhetoric — serving as a prime example of the strategy.
Russia's Asian Aggressions
Today, Tehran, Pyongyang and Beijing are providing critical support for the Kremlin’s latest war of expansion, while Russia claims its foreign policy rests on a history of opposition to imperialism — but under the tsars, Iran, China and Korea themselves fell prey to its ambitions.
From Hollywood to Hockey, Russians Are Counting Wins on the Cultural Battlefield
With Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow, the success of the blockbuster film “Anora,” Russian athletes breaking records and even a viral pop hit from remote Bashkortostan, the cultural isolation surrounding Russia has eased. The mood in Moscow is unmistakably triumphant, and Russians seem to be saying, “We’re back.”
The Russian Nationalists Pushing for Ukraine’s Destruction
Nationalist factions have been a key part of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine since 2014, but are often at odds with the state. Now they fear the Kremlin could be duped by the West into a negotiated settlement that falls short of their goal: dismantling Ukraine as a sovereign state.
The Story Behind a Russian Hacker’s Arrest in the US
Cybercrime has long been a useful foreign policy tool for the Russian state. But observers now wonder if shifting geopolitics, including Donald Trump’s rapprochement with the Kremlin, will impact such activities, for better or worse.
The University That Shaped Russia’s Intervention in Syria
For decades, an elite university in St. Petersburg sustained Russia’s expertise on the Middle East and its influence abroad. Yet cracks in Russia’s supposed mastery of the region started to show around the turn of the millennium.
With Assad in Moscow, Putin Scrambles To Save Face — and His Syrian Bases
Moscow finds itself in an awkward position, striving to both curtail reputational damage and make inroads with the Syrian rebels, all with the ousted Assads now living under its roof.