Insights

Senior Fellow Nargis Kassenova contemplates Kazakhstan after the Nazarbayev era in a piece for Foreign Affairs.

Putin is a politician and leader, not an academician. His conservatism should be judged accordingly, writes Professor Timothy Colton.

Senior Fellow Nargis Kassenova argues that despite recent turmoil, it would be wrong to presume that the past three decades of efforts to build Kazakh statehood are now on the verge of evaporating.

Seeking control, the Kazakh government shut down the Internet—but the long-term effects may only necessitate continued crackdowns, writes REECA student Katrina Keegan in The Diplomat.

Years of research undertaken by Memorial cannot simply be erased from the historical record, writes Mark Kramer.

There’s little doubt that Russian demographic trends look discouraging—but what Russia becomes is less important than what Russia is willing to do, writes Alexandra Vacroux.

A former top U.S. diplomat reflects on the many ways ex-Soviet Central Asia can be viewed from Washington — Russian dependency, Chinese sphere of influence, new global hub with links in all directions — and on the limitations of all those visions.

Addressing the economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan demands that the Taliban and the West make difficult decisions, writes Fara Abbas.

In building trust, Shultz humanized the Soviets, viewing them as partners in dealmaking, write Danny Stoian and Nora Cyra.