Joshua Kucera is a journalist living in Tbilisi. He also contributes to Eurasianet, The Economist, and other publications.
At once in thrall to both soccer mania and a political crisis over democratic values, Georgian aspirations of joining Europe – on the pitch and in the EU – are increasingly intertwined.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has just visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days after Russian peacekeepers began to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, more than a year ahead of schedule. With Russia's sway in the Caucasus at a nadir, Azerbaijan's star is perhaps higher than ever.
Georgia's ruling party has introduced laws that would ban "gay propaganda" and create a "foreign agents" registry. Ahead of critical elections in October, critics say that the laws are part of an effort to portray the opposition as captives of foreign interests inimical to Georgian values.
Georgia's opposition calls it the "Russian law." The ruling party insists the bill is simply copied and pasted from U.S. legislation. But the newly resurrected On Transparency of Foreign Influence bill is, more than anything, a product of Georgia's homegrown struggle for political power.
To many, in the Caucasus, in particular, the tragedy of the killings of Lilit Israelian and Vugar Huseynov was compounded by the improbability of a match that spanned the deep ethnic divide stemming from a decades-long conflict.
Fraying Armenia-Russian ties have led to speculation about the future of Russia’s military base in Armenia. But locals find it hard to imagine it leaving.
If there were a Guinness record for most world records per capita in one town, it would doubtless be held by Talin, Armenia. The town has just 7,000 inhabitants but they have broken dozens of records, and at the Home of the Titans gym they are training for more.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian posted a photo on Instagram: a mountain with the caption "Aragats. The highest peak of the Republic of Armenia." In normal times, it might have just been an innocuous bit of trivia. But in today's Armenia, it is a direct challenge to the nation's identity.
For decades, negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh were conducted with mediators -- varying combinations of Russia, the United States, and European powers. But now Azerbaijan says the Western mediators in its talks with Armenia are biased and has pushed them aside.
In a show of power, Azerbaijan's leader, President Ilham Aliyev, cast his vote in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was retaken by Azerbaijani forces last year. With Aliyev still riding high on the victory and without any true democratic process, the election is just a way to rally and solidify support.
Ahead of Azerbaijan's February 7 presidential election, the political parties that could offer a genuine opposition to the incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, are all boycotting the race. The only intrigue is whether the margin of Aliyev's victory -- in light of the retaking of Nagorno-Karabakh -- will be his biggest yet.
Tens of thousands of Russians moved to Tbilisi after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They managed to work remotely for Russian tech companies and made Georgian friends. Now, though, the Russian newcomers are quietly -- but in large numbers -- going home.
With its September offensive, Azerbaijan regained control over the rest of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Over 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled en masse for Armenia. While the refugees received a warm welcome and support from the government, many are living in difficult circumstances.
Azerbaijan has arrested six journalists in the last two weeks. At the same time, it's been railing against the U.S. and its funding of journalism in Azerbaijan. Even as it's riding high on military victory in Karabakh, analysts say that the government remains sensitive to corruption allegations.
Twenty years ago, Georgia's Rose Revolution applied a radical jolt to the country's politics, economy, and foreign policy. For many in Georgia and abroad, the revolution and the man it brought to the presidency, Mikheil Saakashvili, represented a new hope for the Caucasus country. But as the anniversary of the momentous events approaches, many in Georgia won't be celebrating. Especially the current leadership.
For decades, Azerbaijan sought popular legitimacy through its conflict with Armenia. Now that is resolved, will it be able to find a new issue to mobilize the public?
Concerns are growing that Armenia's Syunik region may now be vulnerable to an Azerbaijani attack. In an attempt to calm -- and also influence -- the situation, Europe, Russia, and Iran are all stepping in and boosting their regional footprints.
Over the past three years, Armenia has suffered a series of traumatic, near-existential defeats. And yet the leader who has presided over all these defeats, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, remains firmly in power, with no serious challenge to his rule.
As a critical decision on Georgia's EU candidacy looms, the country's No. 1 European ally visited Tbilisi in a show of last-minute support. What's unclear is whether that ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is going to help bolster Georgia's EU chances or sabotage them.
At least eight senior Karabakh Armenian leaders have been arrested since the de facto leadership's surrender and now face serious charges in Azerbaijani courts. To many Azerbaijanis, it is long-awaited justice. But to Armenians, it amounts to revenge in a politicized court system.
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