Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia

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DGAP’s Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia assesses current dynamics in the post-Soviet states in the context of domestic political changes as well as regional and global power shifts. It not only covers the entire space consisting of Central Europe, the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus, Russia, and the countries of Central Asia, but also explores the growing role of China.

Main Topics:

  • Disintegration of the post-Soviet space in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the weakening of Russia as a security actor and hegemon in its neighborhood
  • The new European security order in the context of Russia’s war of aggression
  • Changing regional orders with a special focus on the role of Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran in Eastern Europe, the Black Sea region, the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia
  • Domestic political, technological, and social developments in the states of the region that include democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine; regime developments and elite change in Russia; Russia’s sovereign Internet; and civil societies in Georgia, Moldova, and Armenia
  • Eastern Partnership and European Enlargement Policy as well as EU policy toward Russia, Central Asia, and the Black Sea region
  • The reconstruction of Ukraine and its future in Europe
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Applications for Our Research

The rules-based, international order is under massive pressure. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia are going through dramatic changes in terms of their security, technology, and economy. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shaken the European security architecture and posed new challenges for Germany’s role in the EU and its eastern neighborhood. While the war initially united the West, growing fault lines are emerging among partners.

The research and advisory services of our international team focus on geopolitical and security policy and societal and technological trends. We conduct research on security and geopolitical shifts across the post-Soviet region in the context of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine. We assess the unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus, Russia’s role in Central Asia, and the influence of actors such as China, Turkey, and Iran in the region. We also examine the future of the EU’s Eastern Partnership and the further development of the European Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy, for example regarding Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans.

We focus on domestic political trends and – together with our network of associate and visiting fellows – explore not only regime developments and technological trends in Russia but also domestic political developments in countries including Moldova, Hungary, Poland, and Georgia, among others. Based on this analysis, we develop recommendations for German and EU policy toward Russia, Eastern Europe, and the future of Ukraine.

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Publications

Das Ende der Hegemonie

Russlands Einflussverlust im postsowjetischen Raum
Author/s
Stefan Meister
Russlands Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine verändert die Machtbalance in der postsowjetischen Region. Russland verliert zunehmend an Einfluss auf Kosten der Länder der Regionen sowie externer Mächte und Staatenbündnisse.
Externe Publikationen

Erweiterung ohne Allianz

Die EU zwischen Geopolitik und Reformblockaden
Author/s
Nikola Xaviereff
Für eine EU-Erweiterung fehlt derzeit der politische Konsens der Mitgliedstaaten.
Memo

Armenia Before the Election

What Kind of Democracy Will Prevail?
Author/s
Eviya Hovhannisyan
Stefan Meister
Armenia is often seen as a role model in the South Caucasus, especially when it comes to democratization. But this development is accompanied by a increasing personalization of power, weakened institutional autonomy, and a deeply polarized political landscape.
External Publications

EU Enlargement in Transition

Montenegro at the Frontline
Author/s
Nikola Xaviereff
If Ukraine has restored urgency to enlargement, Montenegro will determine whether the European Union can still turn strategy into action.
External Publications

Ukraine-Moldova Relations After 2022

Shift to Strategic Partnership
Author/s
Anastasia Pociumban
Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, together with the second Trump presidency, has put an end to the previously existing rules-based international order. These developments continue to shape not only Ukraine but also the whole of Europe and have profound implications for Moldova–Ukraine relations in particular, as Ukraine is also impacting how the new order will look. In the current context, Ukraine and Moldova have put aside their previous differences and created a more strategic relationship between them, as well as greater interdependence.

Schritte zum europäischen Nukleardialog

Author/s
Karl-Heinz Kamp
Trumps NATO-Politik treibt Europa zur Debatte über nukleare Abschreckung jenseits des US-Schirms: Wie lassen sich die Arsenale Frankreichs und Großbritanniens koordinieren – und was leisten nicht-nukleare Verbündete für glaubwürdige Abschreckung gegen Russland?
Memo

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