We often hear that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has transformed Europe, forcing many nations to reimagine their approaches to everything from energy to defense and security. But the conflict, now well into its third year, hasn’t just jolted the continent out of postwar complacency. In some of the countries that border Ukraine, Russia’s neoimperial ambitions have upended domestic politics, shifted geopolitical strategies, and influenced elections.

This edition of Flash Points examines how Moscow has tightened its grip on five of those states: Belarus, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, and Slovakia.

State flags of Russia and Transnistria fly close to the monument of the 18th-century Russian military commander Alexander Suvorov in Transnistria.

State flags of Russia and Transnistria fly close to the monument of the 18th-century Russian military commander Alexander Suvorov in the town of Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, on Sept. 12, 2021. SERGEI GAPON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Ukraine’s War Is Killing Another Country

Paul Hockenos examines how Moldova’s fate has become tightly tied up with its neighbor’s.

Orban and Putin walk near a podium.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrive to deliver a joint press statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5.ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

How Orban Became Putin’s Pawn

Among all of Russia’s useful idiots, few have sought to make themselves more useful than the Hungarian prime minister, FP’s Keith Johnson writes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visit the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt, on Kotlin Island, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 23.ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Next Door to Ukraine, Moscow’s Grip Is Tightening

In Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova, the Kremlin is waging a quiet war to consolidate its hegemony, Jeffrey Mankoff writes.

Peter Pellegrini receives congratulations from Krisztian Forro, a supporter, on April 7, 2024 in Bratislava, Slovakia.ZUZANA GOGOVA/GETTY IMAGES

Russia Just Helped Swing a European Election

Slovakia’s new Russia-friendly president won office with the help of a barrage of pro-Kremlin disinformation, Paul Hockenos writes.

Protesters attend a rally organized by the ruling Georgian Dream party aimed at countering days of mass anti-government protests over a controversial “foreign agent” bill in Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 29. VANO SHLAMOV/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

How Georgia Sided With Its Enemy

Georgians are angry at the government’s pro-Russian turn, Ani Chkhikvadze writes.