Navalny: Harbinger of Democracy or Flash in the Pan?

The arrest of Alexey Navalny upon his return to Russia has triggered widespread protests. For many, they represent the first step towards democratization. This article, though, argues that things are more complicated. The first problem is that Navalny is a much more controversial figure than he seems. In fact, his idea of democracy might be very different from the Western concept of democracy. The second problem is less idiosyncratic and more strategic. Namely, the Russia regime seems willing to lock up Navalny for quite some time. And this alone, could leave protestors without a leader and without purpose.

Russian Protest: Anti-Corruption, Pro-Navalny, and Violent

On January 23rd, protests across Russia demanded Alexei Navalny’s release from detainment, and called out the corruption unveiled in his latest investigation. The demonstrations grew quickly in size and in violence, instantly attracting international attention.

Air Confrontation Between Four Countries Distresses East Asia

While the world is still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, the Russian and Chinese militaries seem to be growing closer than ever. On December 22nd, 2020, Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over an area of the Western Pacific that is dangerously close to disputed territories between China, South Korea, and Japan. This mission succeeds a first one in 2019 which had already shaken up peace in East Asia.

The New Domain (and Threat) of the Cyberattacks: Russia

Although there has been history of hacking activity especially from Russia, the new report released by Microsoft shows that hacking by nation-state actors has become more prominent than ever, especially from Russia.

[Analysis] Oil Security in Northeast Asia: Sino-Russian Drillers vs ExxonMobil

Oil and natural gas are undergoing an important crisis, as they are running out worldwide. In this context, powers like Russia and China have chosen to detach from the reliance on Middle Eastern oil, and have been seeking to create their own regional independence to the point companies such as Gazprom and Sinopec have overtaken US and European former leaders like ExxonMobil and Shell. What does this imply for oil security in Northeast Asia? And how are these countries coping with sustainability and oil consumption?

The Effect of Novichok: The Case of Navalny and The EU-Russia Relations

Alexei Navalny, the main opposition leader in Russia against President Putin’s regime has been poisoned with Novichok, a dangerous nerve agent that has been allegedly used several times against Russian opposition figures. How will that affect the relations between the EU and Russia?