Author: Andrew KORYBKO

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Explaining The Polish Judge’s Rationale For Not Extraditing The Nord Stream Suspect To Germany

This importantly doesn’t equate to endorsing his controversial logic, which observers should in any case try to understand even if they disagree with it since his rationale aligns with Polish state interests. Judge Dariusz Lubowski ordered the release of the suspect whose extradition Germany had demanded due to his alleged […]

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Sharaa Envisages Russia Helping Him Build The “New Syria”

They’re embarking on a joint post-modern “nation-building mission” similar in spirit to the dozens that Russia’s Soviet predecessor was famous for across the Global South. Syrian President Ahmed “Jolani” Sharaa’s comments before his talks with Putin showed that this former terrorist is becoming a statesman in no time. Acknowledging his newfound pragmatism […]

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What’s The Future Of Russia’s Bases In Syria?

Lavrov suggested that they could facilitate the dispatch of aid to Africa, but it’s also possible that they might host complex military-diplomatic talks between all stakeholders in Syria while also helping its armed forces maintain national unity by re-equipping, training, and advising them too. Russian-Syrian relations are interesting for many […]

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The Latest Estonian-Russian ‘Border Scare’ Is An Example Of ‘Reflexive Control’

Russia creatively employed “reflexive control” to troll Estonia by placing its officials in a zero-sum dilemma whereby whichever response they’d resort to would advance Russia’s soft power interests. Estonia’s temporary closure of a road through the Russian-controlled “Saatse Boot” after around 10 Russian troops were spotted standing in the middle of it […]

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Cuba Is Returning To The US’ Crosshairs

The US and Ukraine’s arguably coordinated fearmongering campaign about the regional security consequences of Cubans allegedly fighting for Russia hints that the island will soon come under more pressure. Reuters exclusively reported in early October that the State Department sent an unclassified cable to dozens of US missions directing diplomats to […]

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A Simple Quid Pro Quo Might Explain The Incipient Russian-Azeri Rapprochement

Aliyev might respect Russia’s sensitivities in Central Asia by not allowing TRIPP to be used for military purposes, while Putin could help him counterbalance the influence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the second Russia-Central Asia Summit in Dushanbe and apologized for last […]