Section: Atlantic Council (USA)
Here’s Why Nord Stream 2 Isn’t the Only Game in Town
Most Russia watchers, including those at the Atlantic Council, recognize that in this age of hybrid warfare, energy trade is a potent weapon. What has changed with Nord Stream 2 is that the weapon is now pointed directly at the EU rather than Ukraine, and it is masquerading as a commercial project. But who could sensibly argue that another...
Does Saakashvili’s Resignation Mark the End of Reform in Ukraine?
Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation this week does not mark the failure of reform efforts in Ukraine. It opens a new chapter.“Odesa can only develop once Kyiv will be freed from these bribe takers, who directly patronize organized crime and lawlessness,” he bluntly told journalists when he announced he was quitting on November 7.This opinion...
Ukraine, Not Syria, Should Be Top Priority for President Trump
Resolving the conflict in Ukraine should be a higher priority for the United States and Europe than addressing the civil war in Syria, said Archbishop Zoria Yevstratiy, representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate, during a visit to Washington, DC. “I’m very sorry about the Syrian people, but Ukraine can’t be...
Nerve-Racking November: Ukraine’s Energy Subsidies Leave Some in the Cold
“The first week of November is so nerve-racking. Until I get the bill, I don’t know if my subsidy has been extended for this heating season and what amount will it cover,” my friend’s mother, a 69-year old pensioner in Kyiv, said when I called to check on her. “With these high utility prices—if the subsidy is lowered or denied, my...
Here’s How to Fix Public Broadcasting in Ukraine
Zurab Alasania’s resignation from the position of director general of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (NTU) has roused concerns about the future of public broadcasting reform in Ukraine. Although some experts believe it is already too late to reverse the reform, the coming months will determine the future of public...
Four Swift Blows to Putin’s Influence in Europe
Moscow retains substantial influence in Europe. However, its ability to leverage that influence against Ukraine appears to be declining, as four decisions over the past two months illustrate.Moscow’s intervention in Syria is weakening the Kremlin’s position vis a vis Ukraine in the views of European policymakers. This was evident on...
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Putin?
Russia’s cyberattacks and its aggression in Syria and Ukraine have created a climate of concern leading up to the US presidential election, but, rather than give in to hysteria, the next administration must consider policy approaches that manage the relationship with Russia and are focused on common interests, a professor of political...
Kremlin Actively Plotting to Destabilize Ukraine with Mass Protests, Leaks Show
Russian President Vladimir Putin hates color revolutions more than just about anything else. They set him on edge. Now it seems his regime has embraced mass-based protests to destabilize Ukraine.On October 25, the Ukrainian hacker group CyberJunta published a trove of emails purportedly from the official government email account of Vladislav...
Why the Revelation of Officials’ Cash, Cars, and a Church Will Change Ukraine for Good
In a bout of extraordinary transparency, 50,000 Ukrainian officials have declared their assets and incomes and it is easily accessible to the interested public. A staggering amount of wealth has been revealed and this very act is likely to have changed Ukraine for good. As declarations arrived on the publicly accessible register, it recorded the...
Erdogan: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Russian Encirclement
Less than six months ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly complained that the Black Sea had become a Russian lake and sought regional and NATO cooperation against this threat. Russia and Turkey’s long-standing relationship was on the rocks, especially after Turkey had shot down a Russian fighter plane over Syria in November...
