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Russia is expanding its economic and military hold over the Arctic in order to preposition for its long-term bid to secure resources, expand its defense posture, and gain strategic advantage over the U.S. and China.
The latest ISW & Syria Direct map highlights developments in the war in Syria, including Russian airstrikes in Idlib, anti-Assad regime protests in Southern Syria, and ISIS's targeting of a military convoy in Northern Syria.
Turkey’s deepening cooperation with Russia, including naval coordination in the Black Sea and joint military patrols, undermines NATO's cohesion and jeopardizes the prospects for a U.S.-Turkey deal to stabilize Eastern Syria.
The Kremlin is tightening its domestic control over the information space inside Russia while refining the campaign targeting neighboring Ukraine ahead of the Ukrainian Presidential Election on March 31, 2019.
Read the latest updates on the presidential election in Ukraine and how it is shaping the future of a key NATO partner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently sought a set of objectives since his rise to power in 2000: the preservation of his regime, the end of American hegemony, and the reinstatement of Russia as a global power. The West must understand Putin's worldview if it wants to avoid strategic surprise.
U.S. and NATO partner Ukraine is entering a critical election cycle as it attempts to defend against Russian aggression. Read an assessment of the candidates in Ukraine's March 31, 2019 presidential election and their alignment with Russian objectives.
Growing Turkish-Russian military cooperation in Syria is a dangerous sign of a wider shift to a closer strategic relationship between Turkey and Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to keep a residual force of at least 400 troops in Syria prevents the immediate takeover of valuable natural resources and infrastructure in Eastern Syria by Iran, Assad, and Russia. These actors nonetheless still have options that could lead to the defeat or expulsion of U.S. forces.
The latest Syria Situation Report Map from ISW and Syria Direct details key developments in the war in Syria, including an uptick in violence in opposition-held Idlib Province.