The West’s Ukrainian Risk Assessment
In the debate over whether to support Ukraine’s armed forces, the EU and the United States must ask themselves how much uncertainty they are ready to accept. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Russian Gas Stream or Dream?
Lately President Vladimir Putin of Russia has transformed what others saw as either his tactical nimbleness or dangerous unpredictability into performance art. Putin’s actions may not always achieve a positive result, however. The annexation of Crimea and expanding conflict in Donbas in Ukraine caused severe damage to the Russian economy...
When Solving Ukraine Focus on Ukraine, not Russia
When trying to solve the Ukraine crisis, the United States and its European allies concentrated their efforts on punishing Russia. While Moscow is a major stakeholder in the crisis, the keys to peace are in Ukraine. The transatlantic partners must turn to Kiev, Donetsk, and Lugansk in their attempt to bring the country back to normality....
Separatists’ mobilization order shows their firm intention to continue escalation
A Ukrainian separatist leader ordered a full military mobilization as the conflict with government forces escalated after peace talks failed to secure a truce, the Bloomberg writes. Zakharchenko’s mobilization order shows the rebels have “no intention of a truce and a firm intention to continue escalation,” Co-director of Foreign Relations...
Recognising Russia as an aggressor will enable the UN to influence the policy of the Kremlin more actively
Russia was recognised as an aggressor country by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine according to the UN documents that determine the concept of “aggression”, and, based on most criteria, there is no reason not to grant such a status to Russia. This was stated by Deputy Director, Director of Political and Law Programmes of the Razumkov Centre Yuriy...
Tatar Leader Arrested in Continuing Campaign of Attacks
Crimea’s self-declared government keeps up the pressure on Tatars. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Kyiv Appeals for Non-Lethal Aid; Macedonian Party Boss Accused of Colluding with Spies
Plus, Budapest demonstrators tell Orban to ‘scram,’ and fire devastates a prized Moscow library. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Statement by the Chairmanship on the Trilateral Contact Group consultations in Minsk on 31 January 2015
MINSK, 31 January 2015 – The participants in the Trilateral Contact Group came to Minsk for consultations with the representatives of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The TCG had prepared a detailed plan for the concrete implementation of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum, which continue to be the indispensable basis for...
Kennan Cable No.4: What’s Next For Donbas?
As 2014 was drawing to a close, hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine were spending the holidays far away from their homes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that as of January 14, 2015, over a million people in Ukraine have fled their homes (Some from Eastern Ukraine, others from Crimea), with the number of internally...
Statement by the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
KYIV, 31 January, 2015 – The Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, today condemned the shelling of densely populated civilian areas in eastern Ukraine. Initial reports indicate more civilians were killed and injured yesterday by shells landing deep in Donetsk City. “Yet again, innocent...
