On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine the likes of which Europe had not seen in the 21st century. Today, the human casualties continue to mount as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brazen assault on democracy continues.
Meanwhile, the rest of the post-Soviet world is left to pick up the foundations of a quickly-crumbling world order, amid what appears to be a second stage of Soviet collapse. Russian decolonization not only encompasses the defense of Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, but also a renewed focus on the region most immediately vulnerable to Russian aggression and hegemony. From Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia in 2022 to border clashes between Collective Security Treaty Organization member states Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, countries once under firmly in Russia’s orbit are quickly slipping from the sphere of influence Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power so heavily relies on.
As an international relations organization firmly devoted to upholding values of human rights and democracy globally, the USC Dornsife Global Policy Institute lends itself as a platform for student analysis of the war in Ukraine, contextualized more broadly in the region of post-Soviet Eurasia, and its international implications.
Follow the editorial analysis by GPI fellows in this latest series organized by GPI editorial lead Mané Berikyan.
The views expressed in Eye on Ukraine: The Region In Context do not necessarily align with the views of the Global Policy Institute editorial staff.
It’s a victory when the weapons fall silent and people speak up.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Editorials
Read our fellows’ analysis of the war in Ukraine, as well as the broader geopolitical challenges across the post-Soviet world and beyond.
South Caucasus: Should US Deep Engagement Apply to the Post-Soviet Region?
With dwindling Russian influence in the post-Soviet region, U.S. engagement in the South Caucasus region is increasing.
The Future of Crimea: How Far is Too Far?
“Give us your weapons — we will return what is ours,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his recent…
Europe’s dependence on Azerbaijani gas replaces one dictatorship for another
In an effort to reduce its dependency on Russian gas, the European Union has turned to another dictatorship —…
Selective Activism and Its Detrimental Effects on the Armenian People: The Lachin Corridor
GPI fellow Ariana reflects on the role of media and activism in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Politics of Tank Distribution: International Image, Aid to Ukraine, and the German Leopard A2 Tank
Pressure mounts on Western Europe to export much-needed tanks to Ukraine.
Before Bucha in Ukraine, There Was Abkhazia In Georgia: An Interview With Tamara Chergoleishvili
GPI sits down with an artist reintroducing the genocide against ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia
Azerbaijan: A “New Republic”
As Azerbaijani aggression continues, Armenians face greater challenges with each day.
An attempted ethnic cleansing: Azerbaijan closes the Lachin corridor
As the Lachin corridor’s closure passes its two-week mark, the circumstances in Nagorno Karabakh continue to decline.
Azerbaijan’s illegal closure of the Lachin corridor is a precursor to the last stage of ethnic cleansing
By orchestrating the closure of the only link between Nagorno-Karabakh and the outside world, Azerbaijan is creating a quickly…
Violence in Karakalpakstan: what the ongoing human rights violations mean
Violence in the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan demonstrates the growing need for international intervention.
Was Kazakhstan’s “Bloody January” a Symptom of Putin-Gone-Rogue?
Putin’s war on democracy played a role in the CSTO’s decision to deploy troops in Kazakhstan. With the invasion…
For Kim Jong-Un, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an ideal distraction
While the world is preoccupied with Russia, another unpredictable adversary is acting up under the radar.
A war in Ukraine means an energy crisis in Europe
The EU is being asked to confront its dependency on Russian gas and oil.
Is Bosnia headed for another war?
The already-strained political system looks close to collapsing under pressure from Serb leaders.
Hungary flirts with Russia amid Ukraine invasion
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has steered Budapest closer to Moscow since stepping into power.
Biden’s Silence on the Nagorno Karabakh Crisis Jeopardizes the American Foreign Policy Agenda
As a humanitarian crisis unfolds in blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh, the Biden Administration’s response has been lacking. Without decisive action, 120,000…
North Korea Denies Military Alliance With Russia
North Korea and Russia displayed a positive political relationship during the Cold War, beginning in the later half of…
State Symbols on Skates: The Politics of Russian Sports During the War in Ukraine
International sports competitions have long served as a theater of nationalistic symbolism. Competitors act as proxies for their countries,…
Eye on Ukraine: The Region in Context
Editor: Mane Berikyan, Deputy Director
The Great Authoritarian Makeover: A Look Into Today’s ‘Spin Dictators’
Dictators of the twentieth century — Hitler, Stalin, Mao — utilized terror as a means of control. But a pivotal realization occurred at the end of the century: to exert greater control over the population, power must disguise itself. Dictatorships, Democracies, and The Great Makeover A dictatorship refers to any nondemocratic government, a synonym for…
The Social Implications of the CIIT
The Corridor Interoceánico de Isthmus de Tehuantepec (CIIT) is a Mexican infrastructure megaproject that includes a 188-mile corridor of railways, industrial parks, and other commercial infrastructure that stretches across the isthmus of southern Mexico. It is hailed as Mexico’s alternative to the Panama Canal, which has been facing a myriad of problems ranging from water…
What the Zetas-Gulf Split Reveals About the Sinaloa Cartel’s Civil War
The Drug Enforcement Agency describes the Sinaloa Cartel as “one of Mexico’s oldest criminal organizations, and one of the most violent and prolific polydrug-trafficking cartels in the world.” Based in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, the modern iteration of the cartel was founded by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, who…
Opium’s New Frontiers: The Taliban’s Poppy Ban and its Ripple Effects
In just one growing season, Afghanistan’s opium fields — once the source of more than 80% of the world’s opium — have all but vanished. A near-total ban enforced by the Taliban since their return to power in 2021 wiped out the crop, slashing cultivation by 95% as of late 2023 and sending shockwaves through…
Defending the Defenseless: Protecting Women in the DRC Amid Rising Rebel Violence
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has long been a battleground for competing rebel factions, with women bearing the brunt of the violence. The recent attack on Munzenze prison in Goma on February 5, 2025, stands as a grim reminder of this reality. During the chaos of a mass jailbreak, hundreds of female inmates…
Future of the Gurkhas and the India-Nepal Relationship
In rural Nepal, thousands of boys and young men undergo rigorous military training. They aspire to become Gurkhas, some of the most feared and respected soldiers in the world, whose military prowess is so highly regarded that foreign militaries and police forces actively recruit them. While Gurkhas have been regularly recruited into the British, Malaysian,…
If the U.S. Department of State Wants to Counter Terrorism, It Shouldn’t Get Rid of USAID
Over the past couple of weeks, mass disarray has erupted in vulnerable communities across the world with the dismantling of USAID, leaving them in dire conditions and in an optimal environment for terrorism to bloom. As the Trump organization ends U.S. humanitarian work abroad under the guise of saving American taxpayers’ money, they could make…
Grassroots Resistance in Georgia: The Battle Over Democracy Enters a Critical Phase
Tbilisi remains a flashpoint of political unrest as Georgians continue their fight against the government’s controversial “foreign agents” law, which critics argue is designed to suppress civil society and push the country closer into Russia’s orbit. Despite months of mass protests and international condemnation, the law was passed in May 2024 — deepening Georgia’s internal…
Hegemony vs. Justice: The US’s Selective Support for the ICC and Global Accountability
In the wake of Israel’s intensified ethnic cleansing in Gaza, many have looked to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a key arbiter to navigate this conflict. On Nov. 21, 2024, the Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, signaling the tension between Israel’s actions in the Gaza…
