Expert monitoring of events from 17 to 24 October 2025 by the ANO "Minin Center"

      Experts of the "Minin Center" analyze the events of the past week that affect the socio-political situation in the world, Russia and the Nizhny Novgorod Region, where long-term trends are manifest. This week’s topics: "Running in Circles with the Risk of Serious Escalation", "Nizhny Novgorod Region Entered the Top-5 in Level of Scientific and Technological Development", "Prospects for the Development of International Economic Relations Discussed in Nizhny Novgorod".

      Federal theme – "Running in Circles with the Risk of Serious Escalation"

      Chairman of the ANO "Minin Center" Alexey Orekhov:

      "At the highest political level, the Russian side sent a clear warning about a 'red line' in the event of strikes by Western long-range missile weapons in strategic depth. Vladimir Putin promised a staggering response to such an escalatory step.

      Russian-American relations after Donald Trump’s return to the White House for a second time resemble running in circles with the risk of serious escalation. Just last week the United States threatened Russia with supplies of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which could easily have led to a direct clash between the two largest nuclear powers; then talk of a second Russian-American summit at the highest level; and now again threats and sanctions.

      Preparations for a summit in Budapest predictably failed; the contradictions are too great and they have not disappeared. The Kremlin is not satisfied with the formula 'ceasefire along the line of contact — then negotiations' that the Trump administration insists on. Moscow’s conditions have not changed — the elimination of the root causes of the crisis (for those who do not understand or do not want to understand here: freezing the conflict in the near future would bring catastrophic consequences for our country).

      The United States has moved from words to deeds: the U.S. Treasury has included Rosneft, Lukoil and 34 of their subsidiaries on sanctions lists. The entire chain from extraction to export has fallen under restrictions. Now all assets of these structures in the U.S. are blocked, and any transactions through the dollar system are prohibited for them. In other words, attempts have begun at the structural strangulation of Russia’s export vertical.

      Washington emphasizes that it is imposing sanctions as part of political pressure on Moscow. The document states that the sanctions will be lifted if Russia agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine. With Trump’s arrival, the American strategic task of weakening Russia has not gone away.

      At the same time, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on October 22 approved three immediately anti-Russian bills. The first — on countering cooperation between Russia and China (STOP Russia and China Act), aimed at undermining Moscow’s ties with Beijing. The second — on implementing the REPO program, designed to accelerate the use of Russia’s sovereign assets in the interests of Ukraine. The third — even proposing to recognize Russia as a 'state sponsor of terrorism.'

      And that is not to mention the whole range of 'forceful' measures: from sabotage to announcements of transfers to Kyiv of increasingly sophisticated weapon systems. It is no surprise that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are making particularly active attempts these days to strike at Russia’s energy infrastructure.

      All this looks like an attempt to box Russia into a corner. The collective West remains committed to the strategic defeat of Russia, achieved, as they believe, through synchronized efforts. Hence — the postponement of negotiations. Hence — new bills in Congress. Hence — the brazen plans to finally seize Russia’s foreign exchange reserves. The architects of the campaign intend this to destabilize the domestic situation, forcing Russia to enter negotiations on terms unfavorable to it. A new round of escalation is meant to convince the Russian population of its helplessness, and a slow and indecisive response will be interpreted only as a sign of Russia’s softness.

      The U.S. certainly does not want a convincing victory for Moscow and the inevitable strengthening of its influence in the post-Soviet space, nor an enhancement of Russian positions in Europe. Moreover, in the long term the United States would like to become a mediator in Russian-European relations and profit economically from that role.

      Only the situation on the front — that is, a sharp deterioration in the position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces — can push the Trump administration toward truly realistic positions. It is indeed becoming worse, but there is not yet a collapse of the front. When that happens, real movements toward preparing a peace treaty will begin."

      Regional theme – "Nizhny Novgorod Region Entered the Top-5 in Level of Scientific and Technological Development"

      Expert of the "Minin Center", Professor at the National Research University RANEPA, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences Andrey Dakhin:

      "The Nizhny Novgorod Region has again become one of the leaders in terms of scientific and technological development, taking fourth place in the all-Russian rating. Rosstat and Rospatent data are used to compile this ranking. The analysis includes 19 indicators grouped into four key categories reflecting the condition of the material and technical base, the availability of qualified personnel, as well as the scale and effectiveness of scientific activity.

      In the 2019 ranking the region was in 3rd place (the Republic of Tatarstan was 4th), and since 2020 the Nizhny Novgorod Region has settled into the fourth position in the ranking (by 2024 the Republic of Tatarstan had moved to 2nd place).

      As can be seen, the dynamics of ranking indicators in the Volga Federal District on the scale of scientific and technological development are not stagnant. The stability of the region’s fourth ranking position in 2024, confirmed now for the fifth year, speaks to a solid accumulated base. But the larger the previously achieved base, the greater the impetus required for the next leap. The situation is such that standard, inertial mechanisms of support for innovation produce the effect of simple reproduction, the effect of preserving what has been achieved, but so far do not provide an effect of growth and development.

      One way to create a cumulative effect could be to focus innovation support measures and target development institutions not at isolated innovations from disparate fields, but at cluster innovations in areas interconnected by common or overlapping region-wide production and technological chains that — while already producing in-demand products — are also oriented toward the prospective manufacture of a new class of technical systems.

      For example, toward new systems of high-speed urban transport (maglev and others), toward new systems of small-scale urban mechanization (robotic gardeners to care for lawns, flowerbeds, trees in public urban spaces). The problem of 'displacing' humans from delivery roles in favor of other, more productive kinds of labor is relevant. For this, new, more unmanned technologies for pickup points are needed, new forms of integrating pickup points into the architectural and construction system of residential buildings, where special elevator systems with apartment-by-apartment reception-and-collection boxes could be created, etc. In short, apparently new ideas are needed, the implementation of which can proceed relying on the already created base."

      Regional theme – "Prospects for the Development of International Economic Relations Discussed in Nizhny Novgorod"

      Expert of the "Minin Center", Director of the Scientific and Educational Center for Oriental Studies, Associate Professor of the Department of International Journalism at N.A. Dobrolyubov Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University, Ph.D. in History Eradj Boev:

      "The VI International Forum on Foreign Economic Activity 'Challenges and Solutions for Business: Territory of Successful Practices' (18+), held on October 21, 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod, was an important event in the country’s economic life.

      It should be noted that this forum has been held annually since 2020 and serves as a platform for organizing interaction among various participants in foreign economic activity — representatives of relevant government bodies, business entities, the scientific and educational sphere, and foreign experts — with the aim of exchanging experience and developing practical recommendations to strengthen and develop international economic cooperation.

      The first five forums were held in Moscow. The event was held in Nizhny Novgorod for the first time, which may indicate a high federal-level assessment of the region as a venue for international events, which in turn is undoubtedly the merit of the governor’s team and the regional government, who ensure the appropriate level of organization for such events. The active development of the region’s foreign economic ties also contributes to hosting a large number of international events in Nizhny Novgorod. At present, the Nizhny Novgorod Region actively cooperates in the trade and economic sphere with 120 countries. The number of countries and regions that are official partners of the region is growing, and ties between Nizhny Novgorod businesses and foreign companies are strengthening.

      More than 500 participants from Russia and nine foreign countries took part in the event in total. The event opened with official greetings from the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova, who in their speeches identified among the forum’s most important tasks the discussion of pressing issues of international business development in the context of the current global agenda.

      The composition of speakers emphasized the high level of the event. Among the plenary program speakers it is necessary to note Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Andrey Sanosyan, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government Dmitry Starostin, as well as representatives of relevant state structures, the diplomatic corps and the business community from foreign countries — the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), China, India, and countries of the Middle East and Africa.

      Within the forum, strategic sessions on various thematic directions and round tables were organized, where practical aspects of cooperation between Russian entrepreneurs and foreign colleagues were considered. Representatives of government bodies, the business community, and Russian and foreign experts in the field of foreign economic activity participated in these events. All proposals voiced during the strategic sessions are planned to be taken into account in the implementation of the strategy for the development of the Nizhny Novgorod Region’s foreign economic ties.

      It should be noted that Nizhny Novgorod universities took an active part in the work of the international forum. Teachers and students participated in discussing various issues during the strategic sessions and round tables. In addition, the region’s higher education institutions signed an agreement within the forum to create an educational consortium in the Nizhny Novgorod Region for the training and retraining of specialists in the field of foreign economic activity. The agreement was signed by representatives of the N.A. Dobrolyubov Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University, the N.I. Lobachevsky National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University and the company Just Logistic. The government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region will support the implementation of this initiative. The main task of the consortium will be the development of higher, secondary and continuing education programs in the field of foreign economic activity, as well as the formation of a unified career guidance system 'school – university – enterprise.'

      Thus, the VI International Forum on Foreign Economic Activity 'Challenges and Solutions for Business: Territory of Successful Practices' became an event of great importance not only in terms of Russia’s international image as a whole, and the Nizhny Novgorod Region in particular. It served as a starting platform for the implementation of regional initiatives aimed at strengthening the region’s international ties."

      The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about the main events, exclusive materials and оперативная информация. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.