Russia

BRICS eyes expansion, but without a coherent agenda. Meanwhile, rhetoric about respect for international law sours beside Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China has been keen to expand BRICS as a direct counter to the U.S.-led G-7, but other members were more hesitant.

The downing of a plane that may have killed the leader of the Wagner Group parallels an incident in Mao’s China.

Later this month, the two nations will each attempt to make a soft landing on the South Pole of the Moon. The missions will have implications for the two rival blocs now forming in space.

China’s domestic economic realities are colliding with Xi’s geopolitical ambitions and impacting Beijing’s Russia policy. 

And in doing so, test the definition of a “strait.”

What compelled a Turkmen foreign ministry official to push back on admittedly vague comments from a Russian foreign ministry official?

Russia is reportedly looking toward its Central Asian neighbor Kazakhstan for manpower as the war in Ukraine lurches toward its 18th month.

The lesson China is most eager to learn from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: how to thwart U.S. reconnaissance. 

China and Russia are keen to expand BRICS into a coalition to counter the U.S. Brazil and India, however, are reluctant.

In one case, both the U.S. and Russia want a Russian citizen extradited, putting the states of Central Asia once again in the middle of a geopolitical mess.

There is considerable evidence of an uptick in cyber conflict associated with the war, yet few significant cyber operations. Here’s what East Asia can learn from the conflict.