Weekly update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10:00 (Moscow time), 4 March 2015
SUMMARY KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, RUSSIAN FEDERATION The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both BCPs. The overall cross-border traffic increased at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The net flow considerably decreased confirming OM’s predicted return movement into Ukraine. The OM also observed an increase of the number of...
Obama’s China toolkit: In need of serious repair
About a year ago, the Obama administration found itself on the defensive abroad.In late 2013, China had established an Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea, imposing rules that amounted to a Chinese assertion of sovereignty over international airspace and disputed territories. The following month, a Chinese warship halted in...
Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) based on information received from the Monitoring Teams as of 18:00hrs, 4 March
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”. Based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – the SMM assessed the security situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as relatively...
Media freedom situation in Crimea, Ukraine, at all-time low, OSCE Representative says
VIENNA, 5 March 2015 – One year on after her assessment visit to Ukraine, which included Simferopol, Crimea, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said the media freedom situation in Crimea has continued to deteriorate. “The continuous dismantling of free media in Crimea and the crackdown on independent and critical...
Statement by the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM)
KYIV, 05 March, 2015 — The Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, today expressed his sadness and regret at reports that several dozen had been killed in a mining accident in eastern Ukraine. He sent his deep condolences to the families of the victims. Ambassador Apakan expressed the...
Greece Seeks to Sidestep Kremlin Import Ban, Ukraine Says Gazprom Blocking Fuel Supply
Plus, Croatia will vote on Adriatic drilling, and Kyrgyzstan does away with final exams in Uzbek. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The OSCE’s Near-Impossible Mission in Ukraine
The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe discusses the task of monitoring the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the future of European security. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Despite Multiple Troubles, Russia Continues Its Pressure Against Georgia
One might expect that while Russia’s political, diplomatic, military and economic resources are tied down in its protracted war in Ukraine, the Kremlin would have difficulty focusing on other regions within the post-Soviet space. But even a casual glance at Russia’s recent activities in Georgia immediately dispels such assumptions....
North Caucasus Economic Woes Likely Due to the Shrinking Role of the Central Government
In February, the Arbitration Court of North Ossetia declared the Vladikavkaz Thermal Networks joint stock company insolvent and put in under external management until June 1, 2015. Vladikavkaz Thermal Networks is a monopolistic public utilities management company in North Ossetia’s capital, Vladikavkaz. The company owed overall over $12...
Ukraine Has Escaped Financial Meltdown—But Challenges Lie Ahead
The desperate financial crisis that Ukraine faced in February has been lifted temporarily by recent positive actions in Kiev. Ukraine is far from out of the woods, but it has bought time to undertake the reforms that its new government appears committed to carrying out. RealTime post by Anders Åslund. …read more Source: Peterson Institute...
