U.S. Helsinki Commission

Expert Laura Linderman on why the United States should be invested in normalization, stability, and peace between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey:

A peace built in the South Caucasus without Moscow at the table erodes something Russia has long counted on: the assumption that the region cannot be ordered except through Russia. A region that can settle its own affairs is a region less available for others to dominate.

🇦🇲 Armenia’s domestic politics are organized around a single question: the country’s pivot away from Russia and towards the West.

Hear from Laura Linderman of about how this dynamic is playing out in Armenia’s parliamentary elections.

🇦🇲🇺🇸A stable, secure, and democratic Armenia is in the U.S. national security interest.

Why? Hear from Michael Cecire at our briefing, “Armenia’s Election: Peace, Pressure, and What Comes Next.”

🚨 On a recent episode of our podcast, the Transatlantic, host Bakhti Nishanov sits down with historian Adrian Matus to discuss, “Coming of Age in 1968: Youth Music, Politics, and Protest Behind the Iron Curtain.”

Bakhti and Adrian discuss how the generation of eastern Europeans born amidst World War II found unconventional ways to resist the authoritarian systems they grew up in—engaging with underground universities, literature, and making their own instruments. Adrian then shares how the legacy of the ‘68ers lives on in Ukrainians under Russian occupation who are keeping their culture and identity alive using many of the same methods.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s episode of our podcast, the Transatlantic, Adrian Matus explains how the methods of resistance used by Hungarians and others facing Soviet invasions and occupation are used today by Ukrainians resisting Russia’s genocidal invasion.

Stream the full episode, Coming of Age in 1968: Youth Music, Politics, and Protest Behind the Iron Curtain, today wherever you get your podcasts.

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s control of the Fortress Belt is critical for the endurance of its frontline forces and operational depth. The loss of this fortified defensive line would extend Russia’s operational reach, making several Ukrainian cities more vulnerable to a major offensive.

Historian Benjamin Nathans explains how Putin’s experiences in the Soviet system inform how he quashes dissent in Russia today.

Watch or listen to the latest episode of the Transatlantic, “The Dissident Playbook: Lessons for Putin’s Russia,“ on YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform!