This article was originally published as an intern contribution at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. Fear of war has long shaped Georgian domestic politics. Conflict between Tbilisi and Russian-backed separatists in the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) left the country fragmented following the collapse of the Soviet Union. 2008 saw Read More…
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been marked by limited battlefield success, with no indication of a divisive victory for either party or a peace settlement. Russia has had to cope with an almost systematic increase in sanctions in scope and scale in order to conduct its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions aim to hobble Russia’s Read More…
In Vladimir Putin’s now infamous interview with Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson, the president continued a proud tradition of his Russian administration. The president spent hours rhapsodising Russia as a victim, a country that is perpetually under assault from the unjust and subversive forces of the West. This narrative is in line with the rhetoric Read More…
Amidst the tumult of conflict in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, the partnership between Russia and Iran is at a historic juncture and is ripe for potential multifaceted cooperation. With Western sanctions, defence production and supply vulnerabilities persist for both these states, which seek to advance their respective interests and authoritarian model of Read More…
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine has been a significant recipient of aid from the United States and dozens of other NATO member states, including Canada. This past April, after a six-month delay in Congress, the United States’ legislature voted to pass a much-anticipated $61-billion dollar aid package to Kyiv, its most extensive contribution to date. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Read More…
As Russia experiences growing isolation since its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has sought to deepen its relationship with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This relationship, which had previously collapsed with the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, has witnessed a prominent resurgence. The new relationship is marked by secrecy and mutual assistance aimed at Read More…
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the NATO Association of Canada. Russia’s recent success on the battlefield has been directly influenced by the robustness of the Russian defence industry’s land-domain sector. This sector can be characterized by its focus Read More…
A fifth term secured in power. Another six years claimed as the country’s head of state. On track to becoming the Kremlin’s longest serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Welcome to the world of Mr. Vladimir Putin. Last month, Russia held its eighth presidential election, although it was predetermined who would emerge victorious. Yet, Read More…
March was not a great month for Canadian defence policy, even such as it is. It began with the publication by the CBC of a December 2023 Department of National Defence report stating that: “Only 58 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) would be able to respond if called upon in a crisis Read More…
There is an apocryphal quotation commonly attributed to Vladimir Lenin, that, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” This apposite reflection on the uneven velocity of historical change could have been written of the new, narrow epoch the Atlantic Community finds itself in at the current moment. Only five Read More…