Section: International Relations and Security Network (Switzerland)
Russian Ideology After Crimea
This paper examines the form of conservative and nationalistic ideology that the author argues has been increasingly embraced by the Russian public since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014. More specifically, among other issues the author looks at 1) the key elements of this ideology; 2) what has driven the rise of this ideology in...
Post 2008: British Foreign Policy in an Age of Uncertainty
This is a transcript of a speech by Simon Fraser in which he reflects on his time as the Permanent Under-Secretary of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2010-2015) as well as what guidelines he believes should inform British foreign policy. More specifically, Fraser 1) provides a brief overview of the global situation facing the UK during...
Russian Propaganda, Disinformation, and Estonia’s Experience
This commentary examines the challenges to the international community arising from Russia’s use of information and psychological warfare. In particular, the author discusses 1) what psychological warfare is and why it is important to combat psychological attacks; 2) Russia’s concept of information security, which aims to protect...
Managed Nationalism: Contemporary Russian Nationalistic Movements and their Relationship to the Government
This paper examines the ideologies of nationalist movements in Russia as well as the relationship between these movements and the state. More specifically, the author 1) examines the nationalist Eurasian Youth Union and Russian March; 2) how these two groups responded to various events in the Ukraine crisis that began in 2013 and Russia’s...
OSCE Focus Conference Proceedings 2014
This paper presents the outcomes of the October 2014 OSCE Focus Conference held in Geneva on the Ukraine crisis that started in 2013, the conflict in the East of the country that began in 2014 and the implications of these issues for European security. More specifically, it includes articles on 1) the role of international organizations in...
Saakashvili in Odessa
This alert discusses the Ukrainian government’s appointment of former Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili as governor of the city of Odessa. More specifically, the author examines 1) the strategic importance of Odessa to Ukraine as well as the problems the city has concerning corruption; 2) the controversy surrounding the appointment of...
Reform #1 Why Ukraine Has to Reform its Gas Sector
This paper discusses the gas sector in Ukraine and efforts to reform it, including the reasons the Ukrainian parliament passed a law in April 2015 to break up the state-owned company Naftogaz and create a competitive gas market in the country. More specifically, the author examines 1) Ukraine’s high levels of gas imports and how this...
Transforming Ukraine: Successes and Obstacles on the Way to Reform
This is a transcript of an interview with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on his country’s reform agenda and its energy policies. Among other issue, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk addresses 1) corruption in Ukraine as well as what economic, political and judicial reform his government is undertaking to address this problem; 2) what...
On Target? EU Sanctions as Security Policy Tools
This report examines the impact of EU sanctions on the countries over which they have been imposed as well as the effectiveness of these sanctions. More specifically, the authors assess 1) the conditions under which sanctions are likely to be successful and effective; 2) the economic impact of EU trade and financial sanctions imposed on Russia;...
Regional Security and Cooperation in the Arctic and Baltic
This commentary argues that the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West that has followed Moscow’s intervention in Eastern Ukraine is having a negative effect on regional cooperation and security in the Baltic and the Arctic regions. The authors outline some of the challenges created by this deterioration in relations,...
