Russia and Eurasia Programme

Bringing together the best thinking on the region’s changing dynamics and their global implications.

Our Russia and Eurasia Programme aims to be a catalyst for debate. We provide forthright, interdisciplinary discussion of problems that demand an interdisciplinary approach.

We achieve maximum geographical and thematic coverage through our international network of associate fellows and local experts.

Activities

Producing lucid, analytically focused and well-substantiated research.
Convening roundtables, seminars, and study groups to underpin long-term projects.
Informing the expert community and the wider public through international media.
Providing expert consultancy for the corporate sector.

Research focus

Established in 1986 as the Soviet Foreign Policy Programme, we swiftly evolved to cover policy in both the Russian Federation and newly independent states. Our challenge today is to reflect forces and interests in the region without diminishing the attention we have always devoted to Russia.

Our research includes work on:

Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The impact of the war on domestic politics in Russia.
Internal political developments in Ukraine.
The geopolitics of the region.

Arrested officials are serving as scapegoats following battlefield failures in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The surprise raid has put talk of concessions to Moscow on hold. Kyiv hopes it will also defuse fears of Russian escalation.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin welcomes Russian citizens released in a major prisoner swap with the West, at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on 1 August 2024. Photo by Mikhail Voskresenskiy/Pool/AFP via Getty Images.

The prisoner exchange is a victory for diplomacy, but we should not assume that justice has prevailed.

There was no invitation for Kyiv to join the alliance. But there was agreement on what Ukraine needs now to ensure Russia’s war fails.

Even as Russia bombs Ukrainian cities with murderous effect, Moscow is on the diplomatic offensive. Putin hopes to exploit division among Kyiv’s allies – but is also fearful of a Trump presidency.

Latest content

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small girl walks between power generators on a street in Kyiv

Open access

The head of Chatham House’s Ukraine Forum reveals how her fellow Ukrainians are preparing for winter, why she chose a career in international relations and why her son would love to live in Kyiv.

Open access

Anna Morgan profiles two cash-strapped projects struggling to offer mental health support to soldiers returning from the front line.

Like other high-profile weapons systems, the impact of F-16s may be curbed by limited numbers and US restrictions on their use.

Upcoming events

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The former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine offers insight into the evolution of Russia’s war against his country, and what to expect next.

Latest projects

Assessing and responding to ongoing developments in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a focus on its geopolitical and strategic consequences.

Examining Ukraine’s domestic trends and how Russian aggression is affecting its governance, resilience and capacity to build new institutions.

This project seeks to understand the post-war future of Russia and planning for change after Putin.

Examining Russia’s changing relationships with Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and other countries in the Black Sea region.

The Ukraine Forum is a unique platform providing insight on internal Ukrainian dynamics in key policy areas.

Using data to understand how to assist Belarus’s democratic transition.

Programme team

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James Nixey

Director, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Keir Giles

Senior Consulting Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Orysia Lutsevych OBE

Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Programme; Head of the Ukraine Forum

Anna Morgan

Programme Manager, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Melania Parzonka

Coordinator, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Contact

For information on supporting the Russia and Eurasia Programme, please contact [email protected].

Funding

The Russia and Eurasia Programme seeks support from organizations which recognize the importance of independent and rigorously objective policy-focused research which will further understanding of the changing dynamics of this region.

The programme funds its activities through a combination of project grants from international organizations, government departments and private foundations; fellowship support; and discretionary donations from the corporate sector.

All research programmes and staff adhere to the Chatham House Principles for Independent Research and Convening. For further information on Chatham House’s overall funding, please visit the Our Funding pages.

The Russia and Eurasia Programme would like to thank the following organizations for their current support of our work:

AIG
Alaco Limited
Argentem Creek Partners
Barclays Private Bank
BP
Chevron Ltd
Eni SpA
Equinor
ExxonMobil
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UK
Government of Canada
JETRO
McBain Family Foundation
Morgan Stanley
National Endowment for Democracy
New Generation Europe Foundation
Open Society Foundations
Shell
US Government

Value for supporters

The Russia and Eurasia Programme offers the opportunity to support leading independent research addressing the domestic and international politics of Russia and the independent states of Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The programme brings together the best thinking on the changing dynamics of these countries, as well as their implications for the West and the wider world.

Chatham House’s unparalleled convening power allows us to attract the most influential figures from and the best analysts on the region.

The programme holds approximately 50 expert roundtables each year, with speakers ranging from heads of state, foreign ministers and opposition figures to political scientists, economists and energy specialists.

Meetings are usually small and invitation-only, involving presentations by visiting speakers or in-house researchers followed by questions and open discussion with invited experts.

Often held under the Chatham House Rule to encourage free and frank exchange, the roundtables provide an invaluable resource for information from the most significant experts and policymakers from and on the region.