Moscow’s Pressure on Belarus Increasingly Counterproductive
Moscow’s increasing pressure on Minsk to hew the pro-Russia line is proving to be counterproductive in three ways: First, it has prompted President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to take on even more independent positions—and owing to what Vladimir Putin is doing, he is not the “last dictator in Europe” any more. Second, Russian pressure is...
Moldova Risks Opening Pandora’s Box With ‘National-Cultural’ Districts
The Gagauz autonomous territory, instituted in 1994, is the only jurisdiction with ethnic autonomy in Moldova. Adjacent to the Gagauz territory, the Bulgarian-majority district (“raion”) of Taraclia has no particular status. Legislation now pending in the Moldovan parliament would allow conferring a special status on districts or towns, beginning...
Rebel Forces Prepare Spring Offensive in Ukraine
All parties to the Minsk Two agreement, which has resulted in a shaky ceasefire in southeastern Ukraine since February 12, express varying levels of concern about a possible full resumption of hostilities. On April 10, the pro-Russian Ukrainian rebel leader who heads the Donetsk “People’s Republic” (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, warned that...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 13 April 2015
This report is for the media and general public. The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – observed a massive increase in the number of ceasefire violations, especially...
In Poland, a Tragedy of Negligence, a Legacy of Blame
Five years after the Smolensk crash, the most pressing lessons seem not to have been learned. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
What Russian Students Learn About Russia’s Enemies
Warmed-over conspiracy theories and the battle of ideas. From openDemocracy. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
What Did Tsipras and Putin Gain From Their Meeting in Moscow
The Ukraine crisis has made Europeans see Greek foreign policy as particularly threatening and divisive. In reality, Greece is simply acting in line with its long-standing political traditions. The question of European unity still lies in the hands of Brussels and Berlin | Русский …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Trouble on Europe’s Periphery
27MayMembersTrouble on Europe’s Periphery27 May 2015 – 18:00 to 19:00Chatham House, London ParticipantsDr Tracey German, Lecturer, Department of Defence Studies, King’s College LondonSten Rynning, Professor of International Relations, University of Southern DenmarkBill Park, Senior Lecturer, Department of Defence Studies,...
Steppe Eagle- 2015 Exercise Unites CSTO and NATO forces in Kazakhstan
On April 6, the military exercise Steppe Eagle–2015 officially began with an opening ceremony at Kazakhstan’s Ilisky Training Area. Kazakhstan’s Airmobile Forces commander General-Major Daulet Ospanov remarked, “The experience gained by our soldiers is very valuable.” While the United States’ defense attaché to Kazakhstan,...
Russia and Yemen’s Agony
Russia’s position on the fighting in Yemen needs to be understood in terms of its overall approach to the Middle East. And Moscow’s approach to the region has become more confident and strident, as Washington’s has become ever more confused and disjointed. Vitaly Naumkin, a leading Russian analyst, observes that Russia seeks to...
