Poland’s right-wing government poised to seize more control of the judiciary than Yanukovych achieved in Ukraine
Poland’s ruling party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość [PiS] is set to gain effective control over the National Council of the Judiciary and influence over all judicial appointments in the country. Many of their moves seem ominously reminiscent of the methods used to gain control – and he hoped, to maintain it, by Ukraine’s ex-President...
Beyond Zapad 2017: Russia’s Destabilizing Approach to Military Exercises
The world can be relieved that Russia did not use this fall’s Zapad 2017 military exercise as a pretext for aggression or to permanently base troops in Belarus, as many analysts feared before the event. Much has been written about the exercise, most of it focusing on competing claims regarding its size and purpose. What has received less...
The Duplicitous Superpower
Ted Galen Carpenter For any country, the foundation of successful diplomacy is a reputation for credibility and reliability. Governments are wary of concluding agreements with a negotiating partner that violates existing commitments and has a record of duplicity. Recent U.S. administrations have ignored that principle, and their actions have...
Introspecting on trans-Atlantic alliance at Halifax
This blog is based on discussions at the Halifax International Security Forum, held mid-November 2017. For more details on the event click here. A year after Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential election, the United States is debating and re-orienting its global engagement. This has sparked concern among the U.S.’ allies about...
Eastern Partnership in Demise
The fifth summit of Eastern Partnership, taking place in Brussels, was a classic case of unmemorable event that other than being a photo-op delivered nothing and satisfied no one. This is perhaps unsurprising for the two fundamental reasons: mismatch of expectations and poor leadership of the initiative. When Eastern Partnership was initiated in...
A quarter-century of independent Ukraine. Dimensions of transformation
On 24 August 1991, the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR proclaimed independence, and on 1 December the same year, the Ukrainian people ratified that proclamation in a referendum. The new Ukrainian state had some very important assets, such as the peaceful path that led to its independence, the fact that its territory was uncontested and its...
Ukraine’s Challenges Are Very Real, but Now Is Not the Time for the West to Let Up
Four years since its Euromaidan revolution, Ukraine is fighting for its survival as an independent and viable state. The country is struggling to hold together and resist Russia’s interference and pressure—in the military, diplomatic, economic, and media spheres. But simultaneously, an internal contest is occurring that will...
What is the Future for German-Polish Relations
Relations between Warsaw and Berlin are amongst the most crucial, and historically-burdened, bilateral entanglements in the world. The German-Polish historical rapprochement that was put in motion in 1989 has been one of the pillars of European order that has proved indispensable to the stability of Central and Eastern Europe. Yet, this pillar...
‘Waiting in vain’ Flash-mobs for Russia’s Ukrainian political prisoners as number rises well above 60
The Kremlin’s Ukrainian political prisoners were waited for in vain at countless airports throughout the world on November 26. There are now well over 60 known prisoners, held on spurious charges, and the number has risen alarmingly over recent months. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Poroshenko accused of following in Yanukovych’s tracks over retrograde law
A law recently passed and signed by the President in blitzkrieg fashion strips the heads and deputy heads of local state administrations of their civil servant status, with this removing any requirements for their appointment on a competitive basis, and restrictions on political party affiliation. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights...
