📢 New blog by @ratellejeff.bsky.social - Canada’s Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus: A Shift from the Trudeau Administration Canada’s support for Armenia remains substantive; however, a discernible shift in tone has emerged... 🔗 www.cips-cepi.ca/2026/05/06/c...

“History is cruel, geography crueler still…This American president demands peace, even if it is on the Kremlin’s terms. And Ukraine’s leaders, like [Bosnia’s] in 1995, must…choose whether to say yes or no to Washington.” For Odgovor.ba on (un)just peace. odgovor.ba/article/5552/

Russia is committing crimes against humanity by hunting Ukrainian civilians with drones, according to a UN commission of inquiry. www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies...

👀 Three Russian servicemen were eliminated on October 22 in Stavropol, Russia, during a special operation executed by Ukrainian intelligence. united24media.com/latest-news/...

Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists” increasingly includes not militants or separatists but ordinary opposition politicians, journalists, and public figures. meduza.io/en/cards/rus...

READ: @ratellejeff.bsky.social examines the August agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and how this may signal an American regime eager to exploit weakness for its gain. Read now: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/an...

This is broadly good news. Some seized equipment still seems to have been diverted from the CAF, but not the guns, ammo or explosives. globalnews.ca/news/1128743...

💢 This case illustrates very well how corruption permeates every layer of the Russian army, from the policeman who tortures boys for a bonus by sending them to war, to the commanders who extort money from common soldiers to spare them from the most dangerous front lines.

There is much about this story that is staggering. But the inclusion of military members while deeply troubling is not surprising. A story: I was part of the RWE CAF research network funded by the Department of National Defence to study IMVE in the military for three years 2020-2023.

MENTOR: Margaux Knoerr and @ratellejeff.bsky.social ‬ examine American foreign fighters in Ukraine, exploring their security implications and care needs. As part of our mentorship program, we are highlighting the outputs of young scholars throughout June. Read Now: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/am...

READ: Marika Barbieri-Antonoglou’s policy memo explores the impact of Russian disinfo campaigns during the 2024 EP elections. This memo is part of our mentorship program, which aims to highlight the outstanding work of young scholars. Read now: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/th...

In a shocking daylight abduction in central Moscow, entrepreneur and blogger Areg Shchepikhin was violently shoved into a car trunk by several men. His alleged kidnappers, 6 kadyrovtsy, forced Shchepikhin to record a video apology for his past criticisms of Chechens. www.kavkazr.com/a/chastj-sis...

Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya offers a cogent articulation of the argument that Ukraine's daring drone strikes over the weekend risk escalation and psychological effects that will harden the Kremlin's resolve for regime change in Kyiv without adding to Ukraine's long-term security.

READ: Dr. @ratellejeff.bsky.social’s latest policy memo examines how Russia is cracking down on activists and expanding the reach of the Kremlin. 📖: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/th...

New policy memo carleton.ca/eetn/2025/th...

⚡️Nearly 102,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation. Russian independent media outlet, Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 101,833 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.

READ: Dr. @ratellejeff.bsky.social's white paper analyzes Armenia’s asymmetrical peace negotiations with Azerbaijan to argue that it must make a painful choice between its sovereignty, identity, security, and the pursuit of international justice. To read: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/th...

For the past six weeks, Hungary has been blocking €10 million ($11 million) in non-lethal military aid to Armenia from the EU’s European Peace Facility (EPF), RFE/RL reported on Monday, citing sources. oc-media.org/hungary-repo...

The Other Side of Signalgate Eyewitness account of the US strikes against Yemen that killed an estimated 50+ civilians, hit a cancer-treatment center under construction, and destroyed homes at night during Ramadan --- for no apparent gain, and with no clear strategy in mind

Trump is eliminating Wilson Center, a stellar US foreign policy study establishment. Along with it goes the Kennan Institute - one of the best Russia study institutions. I was fortunate to be a Kennan Fellow in 2017. Such a loss

Recent talk at the Armenian Embassy in Canada. canada.mfa.am/en/news/2025...

🚨New PONARS Policy Memo: Military Mobilization in Russia’s Regions: From Protests to Submission by @ratellejeff.bsky.social and Marat Ilyasov @ieres-gwu.bsky.social 📖Read more here: www.ponarseurasia.org/military-mob...

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled against Chechnya’s leadership for threatening Novaya Gazeta and its staff over a 2017 investigation into reports of mass extrajudicial executions of gay men in the republic. oc-media.org/echr-upholds...

Islamic State attack on Israeli embassy in Berlin thwarted An 18-year-old native of Chechnya has been arrested in Germany on charges of planning to attack the Israeli embassy in Berlin.

The best* book ever written on the Caucasus Emirate’s ideology is now available for pre-order. The Caucasus Emirate: Ideology, identity and insurgency in Russia’s North Caucasus (Manchester University Press) amzn.eu/d/6QrSQ3h * and only

Strange story: Sweden has expelled an antiwar Russian activist and scholar and banned her from the EU zone for 20 years, arguing that her advanced theoretical mathematics research has Russian military applications. She'll likely be imprisoned if she returns home. www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/rysk...

Measuring Progress in a CVE Program: A 3-Year Longitudinal Case Study crestresearch.ac.uk/resources/me...

Trump demanded a $500 billion "payback" for protecting Ukraine, including 50% of revenue from extraction of rare minerals, oil, gas, etc. "Trump’s demands would amount to a higher share of Ukrainian GDP than reparations imposed on Germany at the Versailles Treaty"

Trump signs executive order to withdraw U.S. from U.N. Human Rights Council www.nbcnews.com/video/trump-...

Most overrated russian capability? russia's air defense is now primarily known for friendly fire. It has struggled to intercept numerous Ukrainian strikes and would face major challenges against NATO. Its primary strength lies in its vast number of batteries and interceptors

⚡ Russian forces occupying Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region have converted the city’s mines into logistical hubs, storing military supplies and establishing field hospitals.