The Ebbing of the Patriotic Wave
President Vladimir Putin has seen his approval rating reach a record-high of 89 percent in recent months, riding a wave of so-called “patriotic mobilization” triggered by Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. But are Russians truly enthusiastic about Putin’s policies, or are they merely passive supporters? Donald Jensen, resident...
Chaos in the Arab World Suits Russia’s Domestic Propaganda
Chaos in the Arab world has offered the Kremlin a convenient opportunity to shape public opinion at home on such issues as the legitimacy of the regime, its confrontation with the West and the situation in Ukraine. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Croatia, Kosovo Refuse Joint War Holiday With Serbia, Vilnius Says Moscow Planned Crimea Grab …
Plus, Russian state media whistleblowers allege a Kremlin-directed propaganda campaign, and a journalist dies after being attacked in Azerbaijan. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Macedonian Police Raid ISIS Suspects, Analyst Warns of Russian Advance in Ukraine
Plus, Croatia condemns flag-burning in Belgrade, Czechs to toughen up gambling laws. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 6 August 2015
This report is for the media and the general public. The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. There was a significant increase in ceasefire violations at and around Donetsk airport. An SMM-facilitated...
Ukraine Runs Out of Coal, May Run Out of Gas
Ukraine’s government has failed to properly adapt to the reality of Russia’s energy blockade. Just like at this time last year, Ukraine’s power plants are currently short of coal, ahead of the heating season, which begins in October, and no natural gas is being imported from Russia. Ukraine’s coal industry has been ruined...
Ukraine Is Asked to Provide Legal Cover for Donetsk-Luhansk ‘Elections’
Moscow is prepared to orchestrate local elections in the “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk (“DPR, LPR”), separately from Ukraine’s upcoming local elections. Donetsk and Luhansk announced this intention in early July (see EDM, July 9) and reaffirmed it during the Contact Group’s failed meetings in Minsk, on July 21 and...
Reforms in Ukraine: No Room for Pessimism
Ukraine’s old, corrupt political system is determined to resist change. At the same time, the country’s civil society activists are determined to change that system. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Euro Area growth is gaining momentum
Euro area growth is strengthening in the course of this year according to the Eurogrowth Indicator calculated by the Euroframe group in August 2015. GDP growth has accelerated slowly on quarter-on-quarter basis from a modest 0.2 per cent in the summer of 2014 to 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of this year. The indicator points to a further...
Power in the Service of Power
It’s been a bad month for the angst-ridden US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power. Last week, she was “outraged” by Russia’s veto at the UN Security Council of an international criminal court into the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Three weeks prior, Power was again “outraged” by Russia’s veto of a...
