Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left a group of “in-between” European countries more vulnerable and insecure than ever before. This arc of instability spans from the South Caucasus through Moldova to the Western Balkans.

Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, and Serbia are caught in between Russia and the EU, building ties with the latter even as the former seeks to maintain influence there and deter the West.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine is accelerating the process of China edging out Russia from Central and Eastern Europe.

Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Artyom Shraibman, a non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, to discuss his new paper for Carnegie Endowment, “Getting Off the Back Foot: Guiding Principles for a Proactive Western Strategy on Belarus.”

Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Artyom Shraibman, a non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, to discuss his new paper for Carnegie Endowment, "Getting Off the Back Foot: Guiding Principles for a Proactive Western Strategy on Belarus."

Zelensky and Yermak find themselves tied to one another and somewhat interdependent: the former on the staffing policy of his head of administration, the latter on the political survival of his patron.