Opinion
COMMENT: Duma Elections 2021: Russia’s Communist Party looks interesting again
Russia’s Communist Party (KPRF) occasionally takes its role as the main opposition party seriously. Its MPs voted against the constitutional amendments in 2020 and giving Putin two more terms. But can it remake itself into a real opposition?
COLCHIS: Where is Strategic Communications Headed in Georgia?
Dramatically rising prices, rioting over the Tbilisi pride and protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party are undermining the country’s reputation as a liberal reformer and weakening the government’s ability to communicate with voters
HESS: Europe goes sectoral on Belarus
Sectoral sanctions have arguably been the most significant innovation in the sanctions tool box over the last decade. Despite reticence over Russia, Brussels now leads the way on expanding their use beyond the Ukrainian conflict, targeting Belarus.
MACRO ADVISORY: Buckle up, August is coming
Russia’s recent history has repeatedly shown that August is a month when surprises, usually bad, can happen more often than in any other month.
COMMENT: Why has China’s foreign minister spent three days in Damascus? Probably not having trade discussions
A few days ago China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi spent three days visiting President Bashar al Assad in Syria, the first foreign dignitary the Syrian president has hosted since the start of his new term.
HOMANS: Putin's Epistle to the Ukrainians
On July 12, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, released an epistle entitled "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" that has set the cat amongst the pigeons
Perspectives | Blame it on Russia? The danger of geopolitical takes on Georgia’s far right
Framing Georgia’s far right as a unified pro-Russian actor obscures complex local problems.
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COMMENT: Uzbekistan will have to host Afghan refugees in the near future
Issue one of many to be addressed by July 15-16 conference, "Central and South Asia: regional dependence. Threats and opportunities", convened on initiative of Uzbek president.
STOLYPIN: Putin’s cybercrime challenge
Following recent cases of Russian-linked cyberespionage and ransomware attacks. President Biden has cranked up the pressure on Vladimir Putin to act.
ING: Russian inflation hits 6.5%, and can go higher
Russian CPI jumped to 6.5% y/y in June and kept accelerating in the first week of July. While supply-side inflation seems to have stabilised, demand-driven CPI stands out in pharma, construction materials, and tourism sectors.
Perspectives - What to expect from the new Iranian president – a view from the Caucasus
The election of a hardliner could augur a more security-oriented approach by Tehran toward Armenia and Azerbaijan.
ING: OPEC+ fails to come to a deal
The standoff between the UAE and the rest of OPEC+ continues, with Monday’s meeting cancelled. In theory this means that OPEC+ output will remain unchanged in August, which would be bullish for prices in the short term.
COMMENT: Russian 'Jackson Hole' macro takeaways: monetary policy is put under review
The International Financial Congress was held by Central Bank of Russia (CBR) on June 28 –July 2. The conference was designed to discuss and reshape policies in the medium term.
COMMENT: Striking a balance in the global energy transition
As oil prices rise to their highest level in almost three years, OPEC and its partners are discussing a deal to increase production. Abandoning fossil fuels is a hot topic, but like it or not, oil remains the world’s most important commodity.
HOMANS: Ukraine takes control of unleashed drones
Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has been largely limited in its capability to defend itself, partly through poor decisions made by Ukraine and partly due to limits placed on Ukraine by its Western partners. Turkish drones have changed that.
