Vladimir Putin
All topics-
Mass expropriation in Syria
How Assad is preventing the return of refugees
The Syrian war has moved through many phases and included a number of changing actors. But one aspect has remained constant throughout: the Assad regime is using the conflict to rid the nation once and for all of what it considers to be undesirable demographic groups. By Stefan Buchen and Sulaiman Tadmory
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Interview with Georgian historian Beka Kobakhidze
Europe risks being outmanoeuvred in the restive Caucasus
The balance of power on Europe's eastern borders is shifting. Georgian historian Beka Kobakhidze speaks from Tbilisi about rivalry and emerging alliances in the region, an impotent EU and disappointed pro-democracy activists. Interview by Elisa Rheinheimer-Chabbi
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U.S.-Russian diplomatic tug-of-war
How will Syria's unending war play out in the northeast?
Facing the various divergent interests of external players such as Russia, the United States, not to mention Turkey and Iran, the future of northeast Syria remains anything but certain. By Stasa Salacanin
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Armenia, Azerbaijan – and Nagorno-Karabakh
“Germany is pretending not to see or hear“
After more than a month of war, there is a new ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But whether it will last remains questionable. The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh sees Turkey deploying mercenaries, Israel supplying weapons – and Germany keeping a low profile. German-Armenian lawyer Ilias Uyar is sharply critical. Gerrit Wustmann spoke to him
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Refusing to be sucked in
Russia and Turkey keep powder dry in Nagorno-Karabakh
Sensitive to the threat of wider confrontation, Russia and Turkey are for now limiting involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to providing humanitarian assistance and some military aid. Maria Tsvetkova and Olzhas Auyezov report
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France, Turkey and the Caucasus
French Armenians plead for Nagorno-Karabakh intervention
The Armenian diaspora in France – the largest in Western Europe – is urging the country to do more to support Yerevan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But Paris is, so far, acting with restraint. Lisa Louis reports
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Rentier economies and the clean-energy transition
Cashing out – Saudi Arabia’s radical new oil strategy
Though coinciding with the coronavirus crisis, Saudi Arabia's recent decision to hike oil production reflects a more fundamental strategic shift. By Bernard Haykel
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International Women’s Day
Spotlight on Syria's female White Helmets
The women working for Syria's White Helmets are among the most courageous in the world. It's time they received the credit that is due to them, writes Anna Fleischer
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The destruction of Idlib
"I'd rather suffer bombs than Assad"
The battle for Idlib is likely to be the last, bloody conflict in the Syrian war. Refugees have fled the city in droves, but Huda Khayti is determined to stay and fight for her Syria – using peaceful means. Diana Hodali reports
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War in Syria
The horror of Idlib
The recent escalation of violence in Idlib is also a result of the increasing tensions between Turkey and Russia. The victims are those in Idlib, caught up in a hopeless situation amid a huge spectrum of differing interests. By Bente Scheller
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Fighting for democracy and a free Syria
"Ideas cannot be killed with weapons" – remembering Raed Fares
On 23 November 2018, Syrian activist and civil society leader Raed Fares was shot dead by gunmen in Kafranbel, Idlib province. Committed to building a free press, empowering women and establishing the foundations for a democratic society, he left a legacy to inspire generations of activists. By Marta Vidal
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Syria's constitutional committee
Geneva is key to Assad's rehabilitation
Finding a lasting political solution to the Syrian conflict is the challenge facing the constitutional committee that has been meeting in Geneva since the end of October, under UN mediation. But achieving this goal is an illusion, since the Syrian regime has for years shown no willingness to surrender any of its power. By Kristin Helberg