Nagorno-Karabakh
Disputed region between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Reports on Nagorno-Karabakh See all →
The Kremlin’s Chechen factor
The latest violent chapter in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has rebalanced geopolitical realities in the South Caucasus. Turkey has made significant progress in expanding its role there. Even more disturbingly for the Kremlin, the 2020 war has been associated with a surge in radical political Islam that threatens to spill over into the highly combustive North Caucasus. Russia’s security system there is fragile and costly, as it largely hinges on the rule of a Chechen warlord.
Azerbaijan takes a triple hit
Thanks to vast oil and gas resources, Azerbaijan’s regime has been able to keep a tight lid on the opposition while increasing its influence in the South Caucasus in recent decades. However, the shock in oil prices caused by the coronavirus pandemic comes at a time of political instability. Recent ...
Armenia’s velvet revolution wears thin
Two years ago, a citizens’ movement led to the ouster of Armenia’s president sparking hopes for sturdier democratic institutions and even a turn toward the West. The new leadership, however, has thrown cold water on those aspirations, taking an ever-more authoritarian path and maintaining the country’s heavy dependence on Moscow.
Armenia’s velvet revolution poses long-term risks
On the surface, the overthrow of Armenia’s longtime ruler Serzh Sargsyan poses no threat to Russia’s geopolitical position in the South Caucasus. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, elevated to the premiership by popular revolt, keeps stressing his exclusively domestic agenda and desire for close ties with Russia. But the long run, ...
What’s next for the Caspian region
Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Caspian Sea region plays an outsized role in geopolitical events. In recent years, global powers have made some significant changes in their policies toward the region. China is stepping up its activity, while the U.S. has backed away. Russia’s influence has ...
