Section: Research Organizations & Think Tanks about Ukraine
What are Russia’s grand designs in Central Asia?
Vladimir Putin and friends at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in September 2015. EPA/Mikhail Klimentyev/Ria NovostiWhile international attention has focused on Russian military operations in Ukraine and Syria, Moscow has also been involved in a flurry of diplomatic and security initiatives to address the growing...
On Syria, the West must face facts: Russia can help
Western analysts have been at pains to discern Russia’s ‘real aims’ in Syria. But the best explanation probably remains the simplest: the preservation of the existing Syrian state and its institutions in pursuit of a political settlement that limits the amount of Syrian territory under permanent Islamist control. This was the...
Much more to be done before MH17 findings can support a war crime trial
The reconstructed front of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014. AAP/Lloyd JonesOn Tuesday, the Dutch Safety Board released its report into the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in July 2014. All on board – 298 people – were killed. MH17 is said to have been downed by a Russian-made...
Russian Hybrid War, Euro-Hybrid Democracy in Ukraine’s East (Part Two)
*To read Part One, please click here. Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande have prevailed on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to accommodate pseudo-elections in the Russian-controlled territory into a special Ukrainian law. Poroshenko himself, and the Ukrainian body politic...
Two Disparate Newsmakers Push Belarus to Forefront of International Attention
Two notable pieces of news related to Belarus broke in recent days: the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Svetlana Alexievich, on October 8, and Alyaksandr Lukashenka was reelected president of Belarus, on October 11. It is debatable which of these news items actually holds more profound implications for the country. In terms of governance...
Human Rights Challenges in Europe: The Refugee Crisis and War in Ukraine
featuring Dr. Nils Muižnieks Commissioner for Human Rights Council of Europe Hosted by: Ms. Shannon Green Director and Senior Fellow Human Rights Initiative, CSIS read more …read more Source: Center for Strategic and International...
Avoiding a new Cold War. Really?
Writing on this blog—in “Why a new Cold War can be avoided”—Jeremy Shapiro and Samuel Charap pose a stark choice between a new Cold War and Washington negotiating with Moscow on a settlement for Ukraine. They make an interesting case. But they overstate the risk of a Cold War, appear ready to negotiate over the head of a smaller state, and do not...
The Future of Baltic Sea Security
Location: RUSI WhitehallThe crisis in Ukraine and the resurgence of a belligerent, yet vulnerable, Russia has alarmed the whole of Europe. However, the threat posed by President Putin’s regime is felt particularly acutely in the countries closest to Russia. As NATO increasingly dedicates its resources to the defence of the Baltic states...
Freeze the Belarus Sanctions, But Don’t Leave Civil Society out in the Cold
Transatlantic TakeBERLIN—The not-exactly democratic, but this time peaceful, reelection of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this weekend was followed by an expected announcement that EU sanctions will be suspended for four months. Even if the West has many reasons to attempt a pragmatic mending of its relations with Minsk, it should be...
Keeping America secure: Five questions for the presidential candidates
With America’s international influence declining at an ever-faster pace under Barack Obama, the importance of making national security the 2016 presidential campaign’s central issue has increased correspondingly. Although the conventional wisdom of political operatives and commentators is that voters do not pay attention to foreign...
