Journalist Sergei Shelin argues that, given the divergence of goals between Russia and Ukraine and the unusual intermediary—such as U.S. figure Donald Trump—the resolution of the crisis is unlikely to be swift or stable.

Political scientist Nikolai Petrov looks at the recent reappearance of populist governors in Russia, who had all but disappeared with the emergence of Sergei Kiriyenko as the Kremlin’s chief of domestic policy in 2016 and the transition to a “technocratic” model of governance.

In an interview with RBC, Russia expert Thomas Graham talks about terms for potential ceasefire in Ukraine, including where the ceasefire line may be drawn, and gives his thoughts on the state of US-Russia relations and the limits of NATO expansion.

Ivan Filippov, who tracks the online and offline activity of Russia’s turbo-patriots, explains how the Z-community is reacting to the possibility of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.

Sociologist and Levada Center director Denis Volkov sums up three years of studying public opinion about the special operation and explains the main reasons for the stability of mass assessments.

Journalist Mikhail Tegin speaks with an ex-silovik, a lawyer, a political analyst and a human rights activist, about how Russia – already facing a severe police shortage – will tackle the expected surge in crime after the end of the Ukraine war.

Journalist Sergei Shelin explains how, despite rising government spending and falling oil export earnings, hopes for a ceasefire have managed to strengthen the ruble, push inflation lower and buoy the stock market. This has done nothing to fix the economy’s longer-term problems, however.

In an interview with Tatyana Rybakova and Andrei Sizov, an agriculture market expert, explains the essence of the agreements recently reached between Washington and Moscow and discusses their relevance for Russian agricultural exports.

Economist Alexander Libman explores the factors that could keep companies from doing business with Russia, even in the unlikely event that sanctions are lifted.

Cultural historian Ilya Kukulin examines key innovations in Russian-speaking cultural institution-building that have emerged outside of Russia since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Publisher Felix Sandalov discusses an important Russian cultural phenomenon of the 2020s, the so-called “new tamizdat” – the publication of banned books and writers by emigrant publishers outside of Russia.

Culture commentators Ksenia Basilashvili and Anatoly Golubovsky weigh in on the appointment of Anna Trapkova, the current director of the Museum of Moscow, to replace Roman Romanov at the Gulag History Museum. Before being squeezed out, Romanov had headed the museum for over a decade.

Based on ethnographic research of small-town Russia, sociologists Yakov Lurie and Sasha Kappinen challenge the idea of the war in Ukraine as a major turning point or defining political event.

Historian Sergey Chernyshov outlines how Ivan the Terrible’s capture of Kazan in the 16th century has been viewed throughout the centuries and reflects on what Tatarstan’s recent ban on events to mark the exact date mean for Tatar identity.

Based on her research, Vlada Baranova claims that the war in Ukraine has led to the ethnicization of conflicts and confrontation between the federal authorities, perceived as “Russian,” and the indigenous population. Language and environmental activism is becoming more tinged with nationalism, as well.

Following Wagner’s mutiny in June 2023 and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, the Russian government sought to replace the group in international operations in the Middle East and Africa. Antonio Giustozzi and David Lewis examine the shifts in Russian policy based on a series of interviews with Wagner personnel and other informed interlocutors.

In recent years, Georgia's ruling party has been shifting the country toward Russia, putting its long-standing cooperation with Washington and Brussels at risk. Nicholas Castillo examined the reasons behind this shift.

Moscow’s return to the Middle East rests on three main pillars: arms exports; access to military bases; and use of its private military companies, such as the Wagner Group.