Section: International Relations and Security Network (Switzerland)
Ukraine vs Russia and the Kleptocrats
This paper lays out the legal means Ukraine might use to recover assets stolen by the regime of former President Viktor Yanukovych, and to recoup its losses from Russia’s 2014 invasion and occupation of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. (In the case of Yanukovych’s thievery, for example, the state could resort to plea agreements in order to...
Anti-Corruption Measures in Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity: Key Legislative Aspects
This publication takes stock of the recent legislative-legal reforms pursued by Ukraine in order to blunt internal corruption. More specifically, the authors discuss 1) the maneuvering that has led to the reforms, and 2) the anti-corruption mechanisms that have actually been put in place, including the new national police. …read more...
Distract, Deceive, Destroy: Putin at War in Syria
This report uses open source/social media materials to examine Russia’s campaign in Syria, particularly how the reality on the ground has matched the claims made about it by Moscow. The text’s authors conclude that Russia’s policy in Syria was basically to distract, deceive, and destroy. That is to say, the buildup that led up...
Democratic Civilian Control and Military Crisis in Ukraine: Legislative Aspects
Ukraine’s recent political troubles have revealed significant gaps in the democratic civilian control of the country’s security sector. This publication highlights the steps that must be taken to close these gaps, including legislative and legal reforms and revisions to Ukraine’s security strategy and military doctrine....
Europe’s New Political Engine: Germany’s Role in the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy
This report examines how Germany has become a foreign policy leader in the EU and what impact it’s having on Brussels’ internal and external affairs. More specifically, the text’s authors examine 1) Berlin’s role in developing EU institutions, the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), and the European Neighbourhood...
Nordic Security: Moving Towards NATO?
This analysis considers how Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has impacted the potential for greater Nordic defense cooperation. By looking at 1) how this collaboration has evolved over time, and 2) the present defense policies of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, the text’s author concludes that the creation of an enduring...
Russland: Mögliche Auswege aus der der Wirtschaftskrise
Diese Publikation zeigt Russlands mögliche Auswege aus der gegenwärtigen Wirtschaftskrise, hervorgerufen durch fallende Ölpreise und westliche Sanktionen. Während das Ölpreisproblem durch längst fällige strukturelle Wirtschaftsreformen hätte abgemildert werden können, schlägt der Autor als Kompromisslösung die Rückkehr der Krim in die Ukraine als...
Georgian Drift: The Crisis of Georgia’s Way Westwards
This brief 1) assesses Georgia’s deteriorating political, economic and social circumstances, and 2) explores how the country’s political and social malaise has been breeding Euro-skepticism and an overall disenchantment with the West. If these trends aren’t reversed, the brief’s author concludes, the country may lose what...
Russia’s Arctic Security Policy: Still Quiet in the High North
This paper examines Russia’s policies towards the Arctic and how its proxy war in Ukraine has affected its security relations with its northern neighbors. More specifically, the author grapples with a number of questions that apply here. For example, what are Russia’s security concerns in the Arctic region? How has Moscow’s...
The Rule of Law in Contemporary Ukraine
This paper assesses the internal and external hurdles that are delaying the reform process in post-Euromaidan Ukraine, particularly when it comes to the rule of law. Some of the problems include 1) actually being able to measure rule of law reforms in the government and justice sector; 2) the low level of public sector accountability; 3) the...
