Section: Research Organizations & Think Tanks about Ukraine
Nord Stream Expansion Agreed, Wintershall Swapped to Gazprom (Part Two)
*To read Part One, please click here. The agreement to build the Nord Stream Two gas pipeline marks a return to business as usual with the Kremlin in a political sense—that is, accepting Russia’s war against Ukraine as a given and moving past it (see Part One in EDM, September 10). Nord Stream Two, however, goes far beyond business as...
Putin Losing in Ukraine, Looks to Syria
In Ukraine, the Kremlin’s overarching goal has been to bring that country back under Russian control. But as Ukraine has become a stronger state that is integrating itself with the West, the likelihood for the Kremlin’s success is getting smaller every day. In order to distract from this strategic defeat, Russian President Vladimir...
Weather Reports, Defense Budgets, and Military Power
Budget Weather Reports Since NATO allies committed to spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense, freshly released budget figures have been scrutinized and commented upon. Such daily budget weather reports are convenient to engage in “talking defense.” The 2 percent benchmark is snappy and plausible, and reminding governments to adhere it has the...
Europe to Planet America: Stay With Us, But Don’t Stampede Us
As the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign gears up, and conflicts on the other side of the Atlantic multiply, two opposing views of what the United States should do about European security are competing for airspace in the U.S. public debate: “Let’s Get Out of There”: The United States no longer has any business being engaged in...
Local Capacity is the First Line of Defense Against the Hybrid Threat
Introduction The March 18, 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation was not something that could happen in 21st century Europe — until it did. Through the strategy of hybrid war, alternately called “non-linear war” or “war in the gray zone,” Russian leaders have found an effective means of attack that also frustrates conventional...
How Religious Institutions Help Prevent Violent Conflict
What is the main source of violent conflict in the world? If you judged solely by media reports you might assume that religion would be at the top of the list. Today, for example, there is news that Islamic State—a terrorist group that wants to create an Islamic caliphate—set off two car bombs in Syria. on How Religious Institutions Help Prevent...
Regional Security and Cooperation in the Arctic and Baltic
The Ukraine conflict has created a deep and long-running crisis of confidence in relations between the West and Russia, as Moscow challenges the foundations of the European security order. Russia’s behaviour in the Baltic and Arctic regions, which it shares with members of NATO and the European Union, has become increasingly confrontative...
The role of international organisations in Ukraine: capabilities and limits
Сo-director of Foreign Affairs and International Security Programmes at the Razumkov Centre Oleksiy Melnyk took part in the Sofia Security Forum “The role of NATO and EU in the wider Black sea region” that was held on 9-10 September 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Mr. Melnyk delivered a speech under the title “The role of international organisations in...
Empty words: Republican non-proposals for dealing with Putin
We knew well before the first Republican presidential debate on August 6 that most of the GOP candidates don’t like Vladimir Putin or President Obama’s reset policy—instead, they advocate getting tough with Moscow. Perhaps the second debate on September 16 will give them a chance to describe more fully how they would deal with the...
Kazakhstan Celebrates Statehood, Counters Putin’s Slight
President Nazarbayev installs his daughter as apparent ‘heir to the throne’. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
