Eurasia Daily Monitor — Volume 12, Issue 51
This week (March 16–21), the Russian military began massive, “sudden” military exercises (“vnezapnaya proverka”). The authorities initially announced that the “sudden exercises” are intended to check out the battle readiness of Russia’s Northern Fleet and the possibility of reinforcing it with forces from other military districts. According...
Kiev, not Moscow, should be the choice for marking V-E Day
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron have rightly turned down Vladimir Putin’s invitation to go to Moscow on May 9 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allies’ victory in Europe, and President Obama may soon follow suit. However, there is still a way for Western leaders to attend a commemoration that...
The Mariupol line: Russia’s land bridge to Crimea
While the Minsk II ceasefire has not yet taken full hold, observance has improved since the first week after the ceasefire began, when separatist and Russian forces occupied Debaltseve in Eastern Ukraine. The question now: will the ceasefire be fully implemented? It appears fragile at best. What happens at Mariupol has become a bellwether....
Crimea One Year On: Where Does Russia Go Now?
A year has passed since Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed the formal annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation. This act, which in the Kremlin’s narrative amounted to the rightful return of an ancient Russian holy land, seemingly elevated Vladimir Putin to near savior-like status in the eyes of the Russian people. read more...
Will the Ukrainian Economy Collapse in 2015?
On March 11, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved an Extended Fund Facility for Ukraine. This is the tenth IMF program with Ukraine since 1994, none of which have been completed. Op-ed by Anders Åslund. …read more Source: Peterson Institute for International...
Serbia Makes Landmark Arrests of Massacre Suspects; Kazakhstan Convicts Police of Torture
Plus, rights groups accuse Ukrainian Army and rebels of using cluster bombs and Kyrgyzstan begins legalizing the underground economy. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to hold news briefing in Kyiv today
KYIV, 19 March 2015 – The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) will hold its regular news briefing today in Kyiv. Alexander Hug, the Deputy Chief Monitor of the SMM, will talk about the recent Mission’s activities and the general security situation throughout Ukraine. Journalists are invited to attend the news briefing today, 19...
Imitating Chavez: A Year of Nationalization in Crimea
Although it began with state-owned assets, the nationalization project in Crimea quickly consumed Ukrainian and Russian private property. One year on, every significant Crimean enterprise is in the hands of local authorities, and there is little hope for privatization. | Русский …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
OSCE Chairperson Dačić and Secretary General Zannier condemn horrific terrorist attack in Tunisia
BELGRADE, 18 March 2015 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, and the Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, condemned the horrific terrorist attack in Tunis today, and expressed their deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the victims. “The attack in Tunis today highlights yet again that the...
Broken Ukraine
The rise of an ungoverned, violent Donbass-which had a prewar population of six million-is likely to be one of the war’s most important lasting legacies. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
