In recent years, Turkmenistan has been ruled by the father-and-son tandem of Gurbanguly and Serdar Berdymukhamedov, but now it has become a triumvirate with Serdar's sister, Oguljahan Atabayeva. @G_Ibragimova explains why and what it means:

Armenia is intensifying its diplomatic outreach to Türkiye, betting that improved ties could either unlock a peace deal with Azerbaijan or at least help prevent military flare-up along its borders, analyzes @Olesya_vArt.

"Amid the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin has passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and ramped up censorship, but criminal cases are rare, and indiscriminate persecution is unlikely.". Andrey Shashkov about the repression of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.

Join @shaunwalker7, author of The Illegals, & David Hoffman as they delve into the world of Russia’s sleeper agents and what this secret history reveals about the enduring ambitions and risk appetite of Putin’s security apparatus. Register here: 

"Lukashenko is trying to squeeze the most out of the prospect of peace talks for as long as he can, and for the first time in a long while, Washington is prepared to play along.". Read @A_Shraibman's analysis of Keith Kellogg's weekend visit to Belarus.

Since full EU membership for Georgia is hardly imminent, the country's government can afford to prioritize a bid to strengthen its domestic authority over standards proclaimed from Brussels, writes Bashir Kitachaev.

🎙️ NEW EPISODE of the Carnegie Politika podcast: @alexgabuev, @NicoleGrajewski, and @ArkadyMan discuss the fate of Russian influence in the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran conflict:

"The conflict between Israel and Iran will likely bring Russia more cash from soaring oil prices, but does not change the fact that another of Moscow’s close allies appears to be collapsing.".Read @NikitaSmagin's analysis here:

The lifting of Western sanctions makes cooperation with Moscow even more problematic for Damascus, since Russia itself remains heavily sanctioned, writes @NikitaSmagin:

Moscow and Minsk may not have reached the stage of planning a single monetary policy, but previously the regulators were at least still on the same page. Now they are on different chapters altogether, argues Olga Loiko:

Moscow could compensate for “nuclear losses” to its aviation by strengthening other elements of its nuclear triad, meaning there is a risk of strategic uncertainty emerging over the development trajectory of Russia’s nuclear forces, writes Maxim Starchak:

The Russian memorandum recently handed to Ukraine at peace negotiations was crafted to satisfy Washington, create an illusion of progress—and allow Moscow to continue fighting, explains @baunov:

The prospect of an open-ended military standoff between Russia and Europe raises the likelihood that Moscow might use Belarus to stage increasingly dangerous provocations. @A_Shraibman explores the possible scenarios in his latest article:

Why did Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen's internationally recognized government, hold talks with Putin last week, and does Russia have any real influence over the conflict in Yemen? Read Ruslan Suleymanov's analysis:

“A rebranded opposition & U.S. foreign policy are creating headwinds for Moldova's pro-EU parties ahead of September elections.” Galiya Ibragimova asks how it will impact Moldovan politics if Moscow ends up as Washington’s partner rather than adversary:

In recent months, there has been much talk about the reanimation of domestic politics in Ukraine. @mnogobooKS examines whether Ukraine's popular military intelligence agency head Kyrylo Budanov could become a political rival for President Zelensky:

"Moscow isn’t thrilled by the prospect of sanctions against Iran being lifted, but if a new nuclear deal is inevitable, then the Kremlin is prepared to play an active role in it.". @NikitaSmagin on the dynamics of the US-Iran-Russia triangle:

🔴 Happening now: "Turbocharged and Vengeful: Managing the Challenge of a Rogue Russia” with.@AlexGabuev, @Yuichi_Hosoya, @SabFis3, and @maxseddon:

How can European and Asian democracies better prepare to manage the challenge posed by a rogue Russia? Join tomorrow's online discussion with @AlexGabuev, @Yuichi_Hosoya, @SabFis3, and @maxseddon:

What will happen to Ukraine when the guns finally fall silent?. Many believe Ukraine's future depends on two people—Trump and Putin—but it also depends on the relationship that Ukraine and Europe forge with one another, argues @DimitarBechev: