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Executive Summary: Rumors have circulated throughout January that the strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is suffering from kidney failure, sparking speculation about his successor and the durability of personalized regional governance in Russia amid leadership transition. Kadyrov has attempted to institutionalize a quasi-hereditary system by promoting family members into senior political and security roles….
20.01.2026 (Caucasian Journal) Today, the Caucasian Journal welcomes Dr. Rusif HUSEYNOV, a distinguished Azerbaijani political analyst and the co-founder and CEO of the Baku-based think tank, the Topchubashov Center. He has first-hand knowledge of key developments not only in Baku but across all regional directions. A widely cited expert, Dr. Huseynov offers an essential regional perspective on the evolving dialogue around…
On 14 January 2025, Topchubashov Center Director Rusif Huseynov met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska during her visit to Azerbaijan, which also included a meeting with Azerbaijani experts. The meeting was attended by Alexander Vinnikov, Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Tbilisi, and focused on regional developments in the South Caucasus, including…
On January 3, the U.S. launched a lightning-speed operation in Venezuela, which lasted for about two and a half hours and ended with the capture of the country’s president Nicolas Maduro together with his wife. The couple was brought to New York where they are indicted with drug smuggling and will face a trial soon….
On 9 October 2025, US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) has imposed secondary sanctions which target Russian oil and gas sectors and extend their pressure on NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije), the main Serbian energy company, because of the majority share owned by the Russian Gazprom Neft (44.85 per cent) and JSC Intelligence (11.3 per cent)….
On 19 January 2025, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Marianne de Jong, together with Senior Policy Officer Shahla Balakishiyeva, paid a visit to the Topchubashov Center and were hosted by the Center`s Director Rusif Huseynov and Deputy Director Murad Muradov. The parties exchanged views on regional developments,…
The South Caucasus is entering a phase of geopolitical recalibration that is both overdue and transformative. For more than three decades, the region was locked in a structural paralysis shaped primarily by the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The Karabakh conflict created a logic of fragmentation that dictated political behavior: Armenia’s reliance on Russia hardened, Azerbaijan’s access to…
On 13 January 2025, Topchubashov Center Director Rusif Huseynov participated in the meeting of the Peace Bridge Initiative, a direct communication platform bringing together representatives of Azerbaijani and Armenian civil society. The meeting was attended by members of the initiative and representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who discussed the activities of the Peace Bridge…
On 22 December 2025, Topchubashov Center hosted a meeting with the winners of the Politicon Writing Competition. Within the framework of the competition, a large number of articles were submitted to Politicon. Among these submissions, articles that stood out for their quality and content were published on the website, and four of them were selected as…
Iran’s humiliating military setbacks during the twelve-day war, compounded by deepening economic strain under the renewed maximum-pressure campaign, have forced an internal reckoning in Tehran over the country’s domestic social contract and its regional posture. The debate is no longer confined to how Iran should absorb external pressure, but whether the political and economic foundations…
