Putin in dilemma as Russia grapples with series of crises

 Vladimir Putin has found himself in the middle of successive crises going on in Russia's neighboring countries. From political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan to massive uprising in Belarus, the Russian President is grappling to find solutions to these mounting flare-ups that appears to be spinning out of control.

Amid these challenges, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is the most concerning. With Turkey providing mercenaries and arms to Azerbaijan, Moscow needs to step up efforts to broker a 1994-like ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a bid to settle the conflict. As Russia shares cordial relations with both warring sides, however, Putin will have to mediate the conflict diplomatically to sustain the country's position in the region.

The land-locked country of Kyrgyzstan has been witnessing violent protests over the past few days. Seen as Russia's most loyal ally in the Central Asian region, Kyrgyzstan has been facing one of its worst political crises in decades after the disputed parliamentary election that took place on October 4.

In Belarus, a flawed Presidential election triggered a massive political crisis, with thousands of people carrying out protests demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko. A former Soviet Republic, Belarus is also closely allied with Russia. However, Vladimir Putin recently stated that Russia has not interfered in the internal matters of Belarus, adding that he hopes other nations also won't force their decisions on Minsk. While Putin could work with either Lukashenko or his successor as the President of Belarus, he would still want to keep things in Russia's control.

Even though these crises are largely driven by internal strife and not due to geopolitical transitions, Putin would still want to solve them through Russia's way.

At the same time, China is increasing its presence as a trading partner in Central Asia. Taking note of these developments, it appears that a multi-polar world is emerging in the region adding to the troubles for Putin, who presents himself as a strong statesman and promoter of stability and harmony, not only in his country but among Russia's foreign partners as well. With these countries facing domestic political struggles, Moscow's role becomes even more crucial currently, all thanks to the Kremlin's years of efforts to establish hegemony in the region.