Verbal Strategies from Kosovo to Crimea. Part One
Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 has become a turning point for the Kremlin’s relationship with the West. While inside Russia the event is largely viewed as a “restoration of historical justice,” in the West it is perceived as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and essentially as the first...
Ukraine should double down on reform in 2018
Getting back on track …read more Source: European Policy...
Poland’s War With Israel
Israel, as an enemy, has been chosen perfectly. It is ruled by right-wing populists, so it has been possible to accurately predict the mirror mechanism of sharp reactions. And that is what Jarosław Kaczyński wanted. Nothing consolidates power better than war. A war undermines any internal divisions within a country and removes all citizens’...
Poroshenko accused of creating a weapon against critical NGOs, like in Russia & Kazakhstan
Ukrainian civic activists have expressed anger over public claims made by the President’s spokesperson that two contentious bills imposing extensive reporting requirements on NGOs, though not, for example, political parties, have been agreed with civic organizations …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Armed Conflict in 2017 Part Three: 2018 Forecasts for the Rohingya Crisis and Ukraine.
Predicting the future trajectory of armed conflict is a notoriously difficult task, even when limited to a period of only one year. Events internal to a country are capable of producing unwelcome surprises: in the DRC we have witnessed the Kasai region plummet into horrendous violence that began over the matter of a local succession, at a time...
World Bank Launches Ukrainian Crop Receipt Programme
The IFC, the commercial arm of the World Bank Group, in partnership with the Swiss and Ukrainian governments, is rolling out a new financial instrument – crop receipts – across Ukraine to expand access to finance for small farmers, boosting agricultural productivity and supporting economic growth. Crop receipts are a pre-harvest financial...
Menacing attack on the son of a Crimean Tatar National Congress member
23-year-old Fakhri Muratov was dragged from his car in Russian-occupied Crimea on February 6 by men in masks and without any insignia. The men proceeded to beat him and then search his car, before driving off. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Kleptocracy Watch | January 12, 2018
The week’s leading news and features on globalized corruption and the threat to democracy… TOP STORIES Global Magnitsky Act: 52 individuals and entities were sanctioned in the first tranche of designations – but the real story is the extraordinary Executive Order that Trump signed to do it, writes Rob Bershinski. (Just Security) Beyond...
Germany’s Critics of Russia Sanctions: What Motivates Them?
Russia / Europe At the end of January, the prime ministers of five regions in what was formerly East Germany demanded a softening or lifting of the European Union’s sanctions against Russia. “Restrictive policies are not working. We need new approaches,” said Reiner Haseloff, prime minister of Saxony-Anhalt (CDU). The head of...
Reforming Ukraine’s Energy Sector: Critical Unfinished Business
Transforming Ukraine’s energy sector is essential to strengthening the country’s economic and national security. Despite intensified efforts and some recent progress, the outlook is troubled. …read more Source: Carnegie...
