Weekly Insights | May 16, 2025

Outcomes of a potential Russia-Ukraine deal, Georgia's authoritarian shift, and more.

Leah Pedro

and

Natalia Kopytnik

May 16, 2025

The Wrong Russia-Ukraine Deal Could Undermine US Security

Philip Wasielewski - Analysis

President Trump’s administration has invested considerable time, effort, and political capital trying to end this war. However, it is possible that a “deal” that both warring parties can agree on to stop the war in Ukraine does not exist, and the conditions that Russia wants will weaken US national security.

Gradually, Then Suddenly: Georgia’s Slide Into Authoritarianism

Bob Hamilton, Batu Kutelia, Vasil Sikharulidze, and Miro Popkhadze - Chain Reaction

Since November of last year, Georgia has seen daily protests against its increasingly authoritarian government. For over 150 straight days, Georgians have been in the streets demanding that their country return to the path of European integration and halt what they describe as its slide toward becoming a Russian client state. But the Georgian government has not budged, cracking down on the protests, sometimes with violence, and refusing to consider the protestors’ demand for new elections.

How might this all end, and what does Georgia’s plight mean for the country, Europe, and the US?

FPRI Fellow Substack Highlight | No Yardstick

András Tóth-Czifra, a political and risk analyst based in New York City, is a Fellow in FPRI’s Eurasia Program and a contributing author for the Bear Market Brief Newsletter. His Substack provides commentary on domestic politics and political economy in Russia and illiberalism in the broader Eastern European region.

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