Tina Dolbaia

Associate Fellow, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program
Tina Dolbaia

Tina Dolbaia is an associate fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she examines political, economic, and military developments in Russia and Eurasia, as well as Russia’s defense-security relations with Global South countries. She is particularly interested in Russia’s evolving military industrial production capabilities and how it leverages its diplomatic and defense ties in the Global South. Previously, Tina worked in the international development sector, including Chemonics International and the Center for International Private Enterprise. She holds an MA in Eurasian, Russian, and East European studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she also worked as a graduate fellow, examining the intersection of the Russian defense and technology sectors, as well as great power competition in Eurasia. Tina is originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, where she obtained her bachelor of science in sociology.

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Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?

After four years of war, Russia’s defense industrial base has significantly reshaped, creating an asymmetric threat to NATO: It can rapidly scale production of weapons proven on the battlefield, combining Soviet-style resource allocation with selective market mechanisms.

Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, Nicholas Fenton, and Max Bergmann — July 14, 2026

Eurasia’s Shifting Balance of Influence: An Opening for the United States?

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Iran have created greater space for Washington to engage with Eurasia. Yet these developments have also provided more opportunities for other actors, including China, to expand their footprint in the region.

Commentary by Tina Dolbaia and Leah Kieff — June 12, 2026

Audio Briefs

Eurasia’s Shifting Balance of Influence: An Opening for the United States?

An audio version of "⁠Eurasia’s Shifting Balance of Influence: An Opening for the United States?⁠," a new commentary by CSIS’s Tina Dolbaia and Leah Kieff. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Tina Dolbaia and Leah Kieff — June 12, 2026

Audio Briefs

Resilience Through Linkage: Russia, Iran, and Aspirations for North–South Trade

The study identifies a clear Russian and Iranian commitment to creating a north–south trade route that could bypass Western sanctions. The report evaluates the route’s potential to reshape the U.S.-dominated global trade system in the coming decades.

Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nicholas Fenton — April 16, 2026

Russian Roulette

The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

Max sat down with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee to talk about their new CSIS paper, "Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations." They delve into the history of the Russia-India relationship, how it's been impacted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and what to watch for going forward.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Tina Dolbaia — October 7, 2025

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Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations

India’s ties with Russia differ from their Soviet-era partnership, especially as New Delhi deepens links with Washington. Yet continued dependence in the defense sector and newfound reliance on Russian oil keep India’s stance toward Russia constrained.

Report by Tina Dolbaia, Vasabjit Banerjee, and Amanda Southfield — August 22, 2025

The Russian Wartime Economy: From Sugar High to Hangover

Russia is muddling through the sanctions, with its economy impacted but not ruined and its defense industry able to maintain the current levels of attrition. Moscow hence sees no need to end the war, unless it leads to Kyiv’s capitulation on key political issues.

Report by Maria Snegovaya, Nicholas Fenton, Tina Dolbaia, and Max Bergmann — June 5, 2025