WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10814) on Aug. 11, 2025, by Cory Welt, Russian and European affairs specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Belarus, located in eastern Europe, is a close ally of Russia. Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has served as president for 31 years. Lukashenko increased Belarus's dependency on Russia starting in 2020, when a government crackdown on political oppositio more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 -- The Counter Extremism Project issued the following news release on Aug 11, 2025: * * * Extremist Content Online: ISIS Content Located on Instagram, Founders of The Base and Active Club Movement Release Videos (New York, N.Y.) -- The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. In searches of Instagram on August 7, CEP researchers located ten accounts that pos more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft has issued a brief titled 'Desecuritizing the Belarusian Balcony: Principles for U.S.-Belarus Relations.' Written by Mark Episkopos, the document outlines a strategy for the U.S. to reengage with Belarus to stabilize NATO's eastern flank. The Quincy Brief No. 81, dated August 2025, proposes a "low-cost, low-risk roadmap" for sustained diplomatic efforts. This approach aims to leverage the inherent divisions between th more PR

STRASBOURG, France, Aug. 12 -- The Council of Europe issued the following news: * * * Secretary General Alain Berset on Alaska talks: The war must end -- and it must end fairly The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, made the following statement today: "When the eyes of the world turn to the peace talks in Alaska on Friday, we will face a single question: will peace in Ukraine be built on justice or shaped by concessions to aggression? The line between pragmatism and fa more PR