The latest issue of the R.Politik Bulletin No. 13 (165) 2025 is out now, offering exclusive insights into the sharpest escalation in Russia-Azerbaijan relations since the early post-Soviet era.


IN FOCUS

This edition’s lead analysis explores the deepening friction between Moscow and Baku. Beneath the high-profile detentions, diplomatic rebukes, and cancelled official contacts lies a complex story of regional realignment. Azerbaijan, emboldened by its military successes and Turkey’s backing, is asserting a more autonomous path—while Russia struggles to maintain influence in a region it once took for granted. Although both sides are seeking to avoid a full-scale rupture, the underlying tensions remain unresolved and likely to resurface.


SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

NATO Summit: Europe adopts a 5 percent defence spending target, reinforcing Moscow’s belief in Western disunity and strategic overreach.

US, NATO & Ukraine: Mixed signals from Washington and a pause in US military aid to Ukraine feed Russia’s sense of tactical opportunity.

Eurasian Economic Union Summit: Russia highlights symbolic trade deals with the UAE and Mongolia to signal resilience amid isolation.

Nationalisation in Dagestan: The Dagnefteprodukt case illustrates how Moscow uses economic levers to unsettle regional power structures.

Andrey Turchak’s Standing: Once a rising figure, Turchak continues to face political stagnation in the Altai Republic.

LDPR Infighting: The expulsion of Yaroslav Nilov reveals deepening fractures within Zhirinovsky’s former party.

Communist Party Congress: Zyuganov holds his ground while rejecting reform, under quiet but growing administrative control.

This issue goes beyond surface-level reporting to unpack the strategic calculations and latent conflicts shaping Russia’s domestic and foreign policy. The kind of analysis you won’t find in the headlines—only in R.Politik.