Analytics

France’s growing activity on NATO’s eastern flank represents a long-term shift in its foreign policy and reflects a particular emphasis on relations with Poland, even though the project being advanced by Paris faces a number of fundamental limitations, argues Aleksei Chikhachev

The conclusions of the June 18-19 European Council meeting confirm, after more than four years of war, that Europe’s strategy remains unchanged.The situation on the battlefield is ignored, while calls are made for a “just peace” that in reality would amount to Russia’s capitulation.

Russia’s current distancing from the western part of the continent followed a period of rapprochement that lasted through the first two decades after the end of the Cold War. From that period, Moscow drew two main lessons, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Anton Bespalov.

On June 30, 2026, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “Migration 2026: Lessons of the Past and Challenges of the Present”. Moderator Anton Bespalov called migration one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. However, he noted that the average person is often unable to understand the intricacies of migration policies, due to being bombarded with m...

On June 23-24, the Valdai Discussion Club, in partnership with Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, held an expert dialogue in Kaliningrad titled “From Global ‘Fighting With No Rules’ to a Dialogue of Civilisations”. The event took place at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University. Prominent Russian and international scholars participated in the event. The meeting was opened ...