Section: Atlantic Council (USA)
Russian Propaganda in Ukraine: Fighting Phantoms
For Ukrainians, the war in eastern Ukraine has become an everyday reality. Only two years ago, though, no one in the country believed war was possible—and certainly no one expected that propaganda would be one of its main weapons.Since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, little attention was paid to building a system that would ensure the...
Thanks But No Thanks, Mr. Inozemtsev: A Response from Kyiv
What is wrong with Vladislav Inozemtsev’s recent opinion piece on how to help Ukraine?The problem with his article is not his advice itself, as flawed as it is, but the logic on which it is built. He uses the logic of imperialism, of an authoritarian state, of conspiracy theorists for whom the world is a chessboard and a powerful few are...
The Future of Mykolayiv, the Future of Ukraine
In many ways, the problems facing the city of Mykolayiv since the October 2015 local elections are a microcosm of the challenges facing Ukraine’s national leaders. The new mayor, with a strong track record of engaging with civil society on anti-corruption efforts and a fresh face to city politics, faces huge obstacles from old faces who...
In Ukraine, Putin Tries to Cash In Before Luck Runs Out
Ukraine has become the object of high-stakes diplomacy. This does not mean that fighting has stopped—quite the opposite. Russian forces continue to launch probes and violate the cease-fire agreement; they have substantially reinforced themselves, as have the Ukrainian forces arrayed against them. Nevertheless, a major diplomatic campaign is...
Making Sense of Minsk: Decentralization, Special Status, and Federalism
Decentralization, special status, and federalism. These terms are three different things, although they are often mistakenly substituted one for another, and some people think one term means another in Ukraine today.The decentralization debate is heating up again as Ukraine faces a legal deadline to pass a constitutional amendment that gives the...
Not So Fast, Mr. Inozemtsov
Responding to an article that Ambassadors Steven Pifer, William Taylor, and I wrote in The New York Times advocating greater US and EU assistance to Ukraine, Vladislav Inozemtsov wrote a provocative article January 19 in which he makes the case that Kyiv should cede the occupied territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), Luhansk...
Ukrainians Need to Stop Waiting for Their White Knight
My source leaned forward and said with a muffled voice: “The latest news is that grey cardinal Igor Kononenko’s men have been placed inside Ukrainian Railways, and Member of Parliament Sergei Fayermak of the People’s Front is now in charge of all the seaports.” This conversation with a government insider took place in the...
Ukraine’s Economic Revival Starting in the West
What do coastal China, northern Mexico, and western Ukraine have in common?After Beijing dropped Maoist economics in the 1970s, low-wage China began to thrive. The economic boom started with the coast, the area closest to the Pacific coast ports of Canada and the United States, with its access to a huge market.Low-wage northern Mexico boomed...
Did Ukraine’s Cyberattacks Originate in Russia?
As Ukraine grapples with a plethora of challenges, including endemic corruption and trade disputes with Russia, cyberattacks against the country’s critical infrastructure can now be added to the list of issues.In late December, Ukraine experienced what may have been the world’s first blackout caused by a cyberattack. While the...
What the Falling Oil Price Means for Russia and Ukraine
At present the price of Brent crude oil is $28 per barrel, while it was $114 per barrel in June 2014. This price fall by three-quarters is of great importance for the Russian economy and its policy toward Ukraine. The only rational option for the Kremlin is to wind down the conflict with Ukraine.Russia is a petrostate. When the oil price was...
