A Day Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire
How the nonstop blare of Russian state media fuels the war effort—and blurs reality.
Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.
Forgetting the site where Russia became a nuclear power comes with its own risks.
One year on, events in Kazakhstan that cemented its president’s grip on power remain shrouded in mystery.
Central Asians used to flee the Soviet empire’s periphery for Moscow. Russia’s mobilization has sent escaping Muscovites in the other direction.
Viewing recent conflicts in the Caucasus and Central Asia through the lens of Moscow’s political calculus overlooks important internal dynamics.
Central Asian powers are learning that Putin is not the tough neighborhood sheriff he claimed to be.
As men flee Putin’s draft, Russia’s neighbors struggle to cope.
As tensions between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan flared, Moscow and Beijing chose to remain on the sidelines.
Regional groups and small banks are helping insulate Beijing against sanctions.
The Ukraine war has given Astana a unique chance to frustrate Moscow.
The region has long served as a testing ground for Beijing’s economic and foreign-policy ambitions and is becoming increasingly close to China.
A three-day conference in Uzbekistan has united the region, worried about the guerrillas in their midst.
Violent protests over proposed changes to its status have swept the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan.
The war in Ukraine is prompting countries from Kazakhstan to Moldova to reexamine their colonial past and seek diplomatic allies beyond the Kremlin.
A complicated conflict was reduced to an easy narrative of riots and chaos.
Promised changes after January’s chaos are unpromising so far.
Amid Taliban crackdowns, the country continues to be locked out of billions of dollars in crucial international funds, with little resolution in sight.
Until the Tokayev regime shows remorse for its brutal crackdown, the country’s reforms won’t bring progress.
Central Asia is about to receive its first dynastic family.