OSCE Representative Mijatović warns of further restrictions to media pluralism and access to information in Crimea, Ukraine
VIENNA, 1 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that media pluralism and access to information in Crimea, Ukraine, have been limited even further, following the end of the imposed re-registration period for all media outlets by 1 April 2015. “Crimean Tatar media outlets are having their registration...
The Ukraine Crisis: Risks of Renewed Military Conflict after Minsk II
Danger of renewed fighting in Ukraine’s east is mounting. Crisis Group’s new briefing shows that neither side is looking to compromise or able to win outright. Our accompanying statement sets out a new Western strategy with Russia to defuse one of the greatest post-Cold War threats to European stability and global order. …read...
The Biggest Threat to American Liberty
George Washington pointed out, “Overgrown military establishments, which under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty.” Wise words by the father of our country, but ones, unfortunately, rejected by modern-day Americans, who love and idolize the...
Assessing U.S. Sanctions: Impact, Effectiveness, Consequences
Cosponsored by the Kennan Institute and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation The unfolding crisis in Ukraine has the United States and its European allies struggling to find a way to respond to Russia’s actions and continuing violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. To date, that response is centered on calibrated but escalating sanctions against...
Moscow’s Twisted History Lessons
Russia’s Victory Day, celebrated on May 9th, has for decades been its most unifying event of the year domestically and its least controversial holiday internationally. But because of the peculiarities of the Kremlin’s politics of history, Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and the ongoing struggle over Ukraine, even the celebration...
New Revelations in Litvinenko Inquiry, Seselj Vows to Stay in Serbia
Plus, Kazakhstan and China sign a $23 billion economic package and a bold Wagner staging costs Novosibirsk’s opera chief his job. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug to visit Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk
KYIV, 31 March 2015 – Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug will visit Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk on 1 and 2 April. He will meet the SMM teams working in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, Joint Centre for Control and Coordination representatives, as well as other relevant interlocutors and assess the...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 29 March 2015
This report is for media and the 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 that fighting continued in areas around Donetsk airport and...
Website blocking in France; other anti-terrorist legislation in some OSCE countries may curb free expression, says OSCE Representative
VIENNA, 30 March 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today that the unilateral decisions by the Interior Ministry in France, without judicial oversight, to block five websites for allegedly causing or promoting terrorism represents a serious threat to free expression and free media. “Blocking websites...
Russia’s UN Ambassador Churkin Discusses Peace and Security at IPI
On March 30th, IPI’s Vienna Office hosted a roundtable on “Russia and the maintenance of international peace and security” with Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. The event was held under the Chatham House rule of non-attribution.Participants included bilateral as well as...
