Dynamism Hallmark of China-Russia Relations
China and Russia have been cooperating closely over the past three decades. But since the Ukraine crisis, the process has become more dynamic. Moscow and Beijing are now coordinating their policies on a wider range of issues. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Shameful Putin ‘Election’ Farce Legitimized by the OSCE
What will the OSCE say at their 19 March press conference in Moscow after agreeing to observe a ‘presidential election’ in which the main opposition candidate had been prevented from running, and which was being illegally held in occupied Crimea?. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Fearless Leader or Lame Duck?
Putin’s certain triumph heralds fresh uncertainty. From The Conversation. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Russians are starved of alternative viewpoints by their media’s united anti-Western front
When Russia ignored a British government ultimatum to explain whether it was involved in the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, Theresa May quickly announced a set of measures in retaliation. These include expelling 23 intelligence officers, the freezing of Russian state assets, and a government...
Blaming Russia for Skripal Attack is Similar to ‘Jews Poisoning our Wells’ in Middle Ages
Congratulations to Craig Murray for getting there first. The colorful former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, turned anti-establishment dissident after he was sacked from the Foreign Office in 2004, has published on his blog some key texts by authoritative scientists which cast serious doubt on the British government’s claims about what...
Donbas Diplomacy: Ukraine Bides Its Time
The Minsk agreements are not dead, nor is the conflict in Donbas frozen. Despite a recent diplomatic push, and given the lack of trust between Russia and the United States, and Ukraine’s resistance to the Minsk accords, the status quo is for the time being an acceptable option for all sides. Mired in the upcoming election cycle in 2019,...
When States Kill
There can be no doubt who poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury on 4 March. The interesting question is why. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Kyiv Weighs Costs of Prosecuting Manafort
Ukraine’s elites may feel that keeping Trump happy outweighs the karma points for crushing his former aide. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Moldovan Ex-MP Jailed as Russian Spy
Lithuania also engrossed as a parliamentarian quits amid allegations of working for Russian interests. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Conflicting Realities in Russia and the EU’s Shared Neighborhood
Precisely because the conflict with Georgia now has a lower profile than Ukraine, the EU and Russia might start exploring ways to minimize the risk of confrontation and even test approaches for accommodation. Using the provisions of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement signed with Georgia EU can underscore...
