The new power couple: Russia and Iran in the Middle East
Joint military operations in Syria have brought Russia and Iran relations closer than at any point since World War II
Wider Europe
Putin’s gamble on Russia’s Duma elections
Putin has sought to improve the apparent transparency of the electoral process while simultaneously strengthening the chance of a United Russia win. But pulling the election date forward delivers a short term benefit at the expense of longer term risk.
Uzbekistan after Islam Karimov: The challenge of succession
It is difficult to predict how the transition will play out due to Uzbekistan’s opaque power sharing configuration. Nonetheless one can identify four potential scenarios.
Russia in the grey zones
What role does Russia play in the breakaway regions of Eastern Europe?
ECFR’s World in 30 Minutes: Ukraine’s 25th anniversary of independence
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with experts Andrew Wilson, Fredrik Wesslau and Gustav Gressel, about rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbass, the Minsk agreement,…
ECFR’s World in 30 Minutes: Turkish tanks in Syria
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with policy fellow Asli Aydintasbas and research director Jeremy Shapiro about the deployment of Turkish tanks into Syria and the…
Turkey joins the fray: What the Turkish invasion means for the Syrian civil war
The intervention signals an unexpected convergence of a significant number of actors who have found common cause in working against the Kurds
Escalation in Crimea threatens Erdogan – Putin rapprochement
With tensions rising between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan may find himself forced to decide which side of the fence he sits on. That may entail falling out of love with Russia all over again.
Putin’s incredible shrinking circle
At a time when Russia is heading into renewed turbulence, he appears determined to ensure he has none around him willing to express uncomfortable truths
Taking Turkey seriously
Make no mistake: the West’s attitude toward Turkey matters