Section: International Relations and Security Network (Switzerland)
Border and Migration Management in the East: The Cases of Norway and Poland
This paper uses case studies from Norway and Poland to discusses the migration and refugee situation in Eastern Europe. The authors pay special attention to the question of border management, including small border traffic and migration control, and to the gender dimension of migration. They also look at the increasing politicization of the...
Ukraine: From Evolutionary to Revolutionary Reforms
This brief discusses the political and economic situation in Ukraine as well as efforts at reform after the collapse of President Viktor Yanukovych’s regime in 2014. The authors describe 1) Ukraine’s post-revolutionary agenda, highlighting the fight against corruption and the lack of diversification in Ukraine’s energy sector;...
Energy Sanctions and Russia: What Comes Next?
This brief discusses the effectiveness of Western sanctions on Russia’s energy sector following Moscow’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine. The author explains that although the Russian oil and gas production and exports are unlikely to be significantly affected in the short run, in the long run, as the Russian oil and gas industry loses...
Nordic-Baltic Security and the US Role
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine have changed the security landscape in the Nordic-Baltic region, placing it under increasing strain. This brief looks at what NATO and the US can do to help address this challenge. The author argues that the US must, first and foremost, bolster assurance among...
Military Conscription in Europe: New Relevance
This paper discusses the relevance of military conscription in Europe today. More specifically, it examines 1) the trend of abolishing conscription in Western countries over the last 20 years; 2) the approaches to conscription used by the countries that chose to maintain the practice; 3) why increased threat perceptions following Russia’s...
Threat Perception in Central Asia in Response to Russia-Ukraine: Will Not be Next
This paper examines 1) how Central Asian governments have reacted to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 as well as the country’s involvement in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine; and 2) whether, in light of the Ukraine crisis, Russia poses a threat to Kazakhstan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The authors contend that...
Russian Analytical Digest No 173: Russia and Regime Security
This issue of the RAD contains four articles focusing on regime security in Russia and the Kremlin’s foreign policy. More specifically, the articles discuss 1) why Russia’s more assertive foreign policy on Ukraine and Syria should be interpreted in light of questions of Russian domestic security and the Putin regime’s wider...
Lessons from Russia for the Future of Sanctions
This brief reviews the development of US and EU sanctions on Russia in 2014 and early 2015. The author also discusses 1) what led US policymakers to develop new sanctions tools to deal with Russia; 2) the extent to which the sanctions affected Russia’s strategy toward Ukraine; and 3) what lessons the US and the EU can learn from their...
Georgia Seeks Partners to Continue Military Modernisation Quest
This paper examines the reasons why Georgia feels it needs to make major investments in the development of its military capabilities as well as the country’s military modernization efforts since the 2008 Russia-Georgia War. The author contends the are two reasons why Georgia is seeking to provide state-of-the-art equipment for its military:...
The European Neighborhood Policy’s Eastern Dimension: The Impact of the Ukrainian Crisis
This paper discusses the impact of the Ukrainian crisis that started in 2013 and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 on the EU’s European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). The author contends that the crisis and the annexation have created a more hostile environment in Europe, one in which it will be difficult to further implement the ENP....
