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
Foreign Men at Russia’s Front Lines
As analysis of Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, one of the most revealing developments has been the Kremlin’s growing reliance on foreign recruits. However, Russia is not just attracting outside volunteers, but often pulling vulnerable men into the war through pressure, fraud, and manipulation. In many cases, this process looks more like exploitation than voluntary…
The Politics of Entry is the Politics of Public Perception: How the U.S. and China’s Visa Policies Shape Global Perception
Airports once symbolized freedom; they are gateways to opportunity, mobility, and the promise of international connection. But in 2026, the face of this symbolism is shifting. In the U.S., entry increasingly feels like scrutiny. In China, it is increasingly becoming an invitation, which is surprisingly aligned with the very ideals this symbolism once embodied in…
Why Iraq is Getting Hit from Both Sides, Plus from Within, in this war
A month into this war, strikes and spillover have hit multiple places across the region. Iraq is different because it has become the most reliable overlap zone, where the conflict can keep running on two tracks at once: external escalation between Iran and the US/Israel, and internal armed competition inside Iraq. Recent reporting has even…
U.S. Involvement in Venezuela: Oil, drugs, and the Trump Corollary
An interview with Professor Richard Downie, a Professor in the USC M.A. in Global Security Studies Program On January 3, 2026, the United States military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple is currently in New York City, where they face criminal charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Following Maduro’s…
Somalia and the Struggle for Stability and Survival
Since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, the country has been experiencing conflict. This collapse was followed up by uprisings against the military dictatorship, ultimately leading to a full-scale civil war. These conditions created widespread human rights abuses, which have only been worsened by the Trump Administration’s cuts to vital USAID programs that…
Europe’s ICE Moment: How the EU’s Deportation Push Could Reshape Daily Life
The EU’s new push to speed up returns, or deportations of people ordered to leave, is being pitched as administrative housekeeping. But the fight over it in 2026 is not really about paperwork; it is about what kind of society the EU is willing to become in the name of migration control. The Council of…
How Cricket at the Olympics Complicates Sovereignty, Governance, and Meritocracy
Cricket was last played at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, with Great Britain and France as the sole participants. After 128 years, Cricket is set to return to the LA28 Olympic Games. The tournament is expected to follow the exciting and shorter T20 format, with the men’s and women’s competitions each having six participants. While…
Pixels turned Projectiles: The Unseen Human Cost of Cyber Warfare
In 2017, hospital workers across the entire National Health Service of England stared helplessly at malfunctioning screens: unable to access patient records, authorize treatments, or even dispense medication. The enemy? Not a bomb or a bullet, but a system bug, a packet of malware. The WannaCry ransom attack transcended large-scale computer vulnerabilities into tangible physical…
Panda Diplomats: Can Conservation Save Global Cooperation?
“Today marks the end of an era in the nation’s capital, as the beloved giant pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo head back to China. Their departure could be a turning point after half a century of so-called ‘Panda Diplomacy.’ […] The pandas’ departure was one of the best-kept secrets here in Washington.” – CBS…
