The ruble and Russia’s food imports: More than Putin’s life source
Following the downward trajectory of the price of oil, the Russian ruble continues to plummet. And amidst this currency free-fall, it is the political ramifications of the country’s skyrocketing food prices, caused by heavy dependence on food imports that are most troubling. An increase in the price of food that outpaces inflation has the...
Ghost in the Machine
Yanukovych may have left Ukraine, but some of his plans for restricting the Internet live on. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Merkel’s (and Europe’s) Foreign Policy at the Crossroads
If European leaders weaken their sanctions on Russia, they will destroy any chance of doing foreign policy and strategy. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
The Feudalization of Ukraine?
Ukraine may be heading not towards federalization or decentralization, but feudalization. To avoid this, the focus should not only be on central, macro-level reforms but also on building civil society to make those larger reforms sustainable. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
The amount of Western aid will be increased soon enough
Analysts believe that Kyiv’s Western backers and lenders were especially cheered by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s decision to appoint as finance minister a US investment banker who once worked in the State Department, the West Australian newsapaper writes. Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk “were clearly taking...
More efforts needed to address gender issues in conflict situations in Ukraine, say participants of OSCE-supported conference
Andrii Dziubenko Resolution adopted following the All-Ukraine Conference “Gender Policy in the Context of European Integration and International Commitments of Ukraine” More work is …read more Source:...
Ukraine Peace Talks May Resume; Kosovo Serbs Demand Review of Property Deals
Plus, archeologists fume as Russian gold miner resumes work at ancient site in Georgia, and Armenia will launch a probation service in hopes of trimming prison population. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Sixteen Years Behind Bars in Russia
A young woman learns ‘there is only one law in prison: everyone does as they want.’ From MediaZona. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The End of the Line for South Stream
On December 1, during his state visit to Turkey, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would cancel the construction of the ambitious South Stream pipeline. According to Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, this decision does not mean an end to Moscow’s search for ways to transport natural gas to Europe...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 15 December 2014
This report is for media and the general public. The SMM continued to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum and the work of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). During a joint patrol, the SMM was caught up in small arms crossfire directed at Ukrainian military vehicles at Donetsk...
