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 Military parade to be held in Beijing as China and Russia reaffirm close ties

Military parade to be held in Beijing as China and Russia reaffirm close ties

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “old friend” as the two began a series of meetings Tuesday at a time when their countries face both overlapping and differing challenges from the United States. Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. According to AP, Putin addressed Xi as “dear friend” and said that Moscow’s ties with Beijing are “at an unprecedentedly high level.” Following their formal talks, they planned to have another meeting over tea with some of their top aides. The talks come the day after both attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the nearby Chinese city of Tianjin, and the day before a grand Chinese military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
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OSCE Minsk Process and related structures disbanded

OSCE Minsk Process and related structures disbanded

The OSCE Minsk Group has been disbanded. The decision was taken by the OSCE Permanent Council at its meeting in Vienna on Monday, 1 September. Following the adoption of this decision, the OSCE will take steps to implement the closure of the Minsk Process and its related structures. Only administrative functions, such as the handover of assets and equipment, will continue until the process is completed no later than 1 December 2025. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Finland Elina Valtonen, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu welcome the adoption of a Ministerial Council decision closing the Minsk process and related structures following a Joint Appeal from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

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NATO-Russia Council meets for a "not an easy discussion"

NATO-Russia Council meets for a "not an easy discussion"

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussles, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who chaired the meeting, said: “This was not an easy discussion, but that is exactly why it was so important.” He noted that NATO Allies are ready to meet again with Russia to discuss a number of topics in greater detail and to put concrete proposals on the table. “There are opportunities for constructive engagement which should not be missed, in the interest of security in Europe,” he said.
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Opinion: The implosion of Kazakhstan was unexpected, and it has implications for the whole post-Soviet space

Opinion: The implosion of Kazakhstan was unexpected, and it has implications for the whole post-Soviet space

"We need time to understand better what happened in Kazakhstan, and why", writes Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed. Whilst sending CSTO troops to Kazakhstan was clearly President Putin's decision to support President Tokayev in the internal fight between Kazakh local elites, the deployment has implications also for other countries participating in the mission, including Armenia.
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A week of intensive diplomacy as the west engages with Russia on Ukraine and disarmament issues

A week of intensive diplomacy as the west engages with Russia on Ukraine and disarmament issues

NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that the buildup of Russian military forces and equipment along the Ukrainian border is continuing and that Russia has failed to respond to international appeals and pressure for de-escalation in recent weeks. Stoltenberg was speaking after an extraordinary virtual meeting with all NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held on Friday, 7 January.
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Israel says it does not oppose "a good nuclear deal" with Iran

Israel says it does not oppose "a good nuclear deal" with Iran

Israeli leaders appear to have recently softened their position as regards a nuclear deal with Iran, saying they would not oppose "a good deal". Israel’s foreign minister, Yair Lapid, said that Israel would have no problem with a strong nuclear deal with Iran on condition that the deal permanently limits Iran’s ability to assemble a nuclear weapon.
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Opinion
Opinion: Crisis in Kazakhstan gives Putin more leverage on Central Asia

Opinion: Crisis in Kazakhstan gives Putin more leverage on Central Asia

As an uneasy calm returns to Kazakhstan, it seems that once again, the only beneficiary from another crisis in the post-Soviet space has been Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes Maximiliaan van Lange in this op-ed for commonspace.eu. Putin’s decision to quickly deploy airborne troops as part of a "peacekeeping force" to support the Kazakh regime in controlling the turmoil surprised even some Russian commentators who have called it inappropriate. But by its actions, Moscow is sending a message that it will not tolerate turmoil in former Soviet states. With this step, Russia has considerably strengthened its position in Kazakhstan and nips in the bud the risk of a domino effect in Central Asia