Sanctioning Russia: the right questions
Sanctions are often considered to be effective only if and when they force a change in the behaviour of their intended target. This approach is based on military logic, as sanctioning is considered a form of coercive diplomacy. This is, however, a simplistic way of approaching the matter. Whereas the results of direct military involvement are...
The Disturbing Legacy of the Ukraine Crisis
The new Minsk agreement will not necessarily prevent further escalation, but it might postpone it. The world should work hard to make sure that the truce does not founder, leading to a broader war. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Ukraine Fighting Continues As Truce Nears; Minsk Host Says Coffee, Cheese Helped Fuel Talks
Plus, Kosovo minister wants EU to stanch flow of asylum-seeking migrants, and Bulgaria is under fire over juvenile prison conditions. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Still together, but apart? Kyiv’s policy towards the Donbas
2015-02-06Tadeusz IwańskiThe Ukrainian government has launched a series of actions to adapt the country to the de facto loss of control over part of the Donbas. …read more Source: Centre for Eastern...
What Did Minsk II Actually Achieve?
The agreement and the subsequent joint declaration of the “Normandy Four” lay the political groundwork for peace. Still, questions remain about the feasibility of a ceasefire, and the will of Russian, Ukrainian, and separatist leaders to implement the mechanisms necessary to resolve the conflict. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for...
OSCE/ODIHR Director Link says Office is ready to observe local elections in eastern Ukraine
WARSAW, 12 February 2015 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today that his Office is ready to observe local elections that could be held as part of the ceasefire agreement on eastern Ukraine reached in Minsk. “ODIHR is ready to deploy observers to the east of Ukraine once...
PowerLinks 02.13.15
on PowerLinks 02.13.15… The post PowerLinks 02.13.15 appeared first on Acton Institute PowerBlog.Related posts:Ukraine in the Crosshairs: Its Ongoing Turbulent Relationship with Russia Russian Evangelicals, Like Most Russians, ‘Thank God for Putin’ PowerLinks 12.12.13 …read more Source: Acton...
RAND Experts Discuss the Options for Ukraine
A cease-fire agreement could stop the fighting in Ukraine by Sunday. RAND experts William Courtney and Olga Oliker discuss what was accomplished during the summit in Minsk, whether the U.S. should arm Ukraine, and what other options exist for supporting Ukraine. …read more Source:...
OSCE/ODIHR event emphasizes civil society’s vital role in countering hate crime
140296 Hate crime awareness and recognition were the focus of a training event for Polish civil society activists organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 11 and 12 February 2015. Thirty-two participants from across Poland gathered to learn more about the differences between hate crime and...
Minsk 2 – a fragile truce
2015-02-12Szymon KardaśWojciech Konończuk The document will bring only a temporary halt to the ongoing conflict in the east of Ukraine. …read more Source: Centre for Eastern...
