In addition to the risk of the Ukraine War spreading to Georgian territory, the planned Russian naval base in Abkhazia could threaten Georgia's status as a global east-west connectivity hub.
Russian diplomacy and Turkmenistan's evolving foreign relations amidst president Berdymukhamedov’s growing influence. And more in this week's Akhal-Teke Bulletin.
The U.S. and Russia have both made high-level contact with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials as the rhetoric from Baku is getting increasingly bellicose.
As the Georgian government entertains the idea of allowing Russia to resume direct flights, Washington and Brussels have issued warnings about complying with international sanctions.
Officials in Moscow and their allies in Abkhazia and South Ossetia all canceled meetings with international diplomats brokering the discussions, casting the future of the talks into question.
In South Ossetia, meanwhile, the authorities have remained completely silent on the issue. Most residents in both territories hold Russian citizenship, raising the prospect they could be drafted.
Land ownership is a sensitive issue in Abkhazia. The deal also sparked controversy in Georgia proper, where critics accused the government of closing its eyes to Russian expansion.