The Kremlin sees its anti-Western alliance with Tehran as testing a new model of international relations—and does not want it stymied.

If even a peace proposal from Trump is rejected by Putin, then it means the demise of the Russian “victory plan” and any remote prospect of ending the war.

Imminent changes will mean less interaction between officials and local residents, less money for small-town Russia, and accelerated depopulation.

With the West distracted by a series of its own disruptive votes, Georgia’s ruling party has largely managed to withstand pressure both at home and abroad following contested parliamentary elections.

Trump’s victory has reconfirmed Putin’s view that the west is so politically unstable that policies can drastically change with every election cycle.

Pyongyang’s willingness to break with tradition will not necessarily bring success on the battlefield, and has caused concern in both China and South Korea.

Some in Moscow see a Trump presidency as a window of opportunity; others believe Russia should focus on pressing home its military advantage in Ukraine.  

When Vladimir Putin calls Ukraine an “artificial state,” he is largely projecting Russia’s own problems onto it. After all, the considerations that produced Russia’s current borders aren’t exactly transparent.

Russia’s nuclear development of the Arctic continues apace, but with the country cut off from regional cooperation initiatives and foreign funding, many worry it may struggle to respond to a nuclear emergency.

It might seem that within BRICS, Russia should be overshadowed by the giant economies of China and India, especially the former. Yet what is happening is almost the opposite, with Russia effectively taking over the leading role in the club.