Section: Research Organizations & Think Tanks about Ukraine
Why Putin ended up gambling on airstrikes in Syria – and what might come next
Mikhail Klimentiev/Ria NovostiFor those watching closely, the signal for Russia’s first airstrikes came in a statement early on September 30 by Kremlin spokesman Sergei Ivanov, just after the upper house of the parliament authorised military operations: To observe international law, one of two conditions has to be met – either a UN Security...
Quo vadis, Ukraine? asks Ivan Mikloš during 139th mBank – CASE Seminar
Language English “If I am to point to one most important characteristic of Ukraine it is the fact that it is a country whose level of development is far below its potential” – said Ivan Mikloš, co-founder and president of think-tank MESA10 and a member of the International Advisory Board of National Reform Council of Ukraine, who was the keynote...
Russia Launches Airstrikes in Syria
Syrian opposition says attacks targeted them, not Islamic State as Moscow claims. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
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...
Australia’s possible strategy shift on Syria is a nod to Russia’s influence
Julie Bishop says all options should be considered when it comes to Australia’s position on a post-civil war Syria. AAP/Amanda VoisardEarlier this week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made some comments flagging a significant shift in Australia’s position on the Assad regime in Syria. According to Bishop, if the Assad regime were to be...
Australian foreign policy needs a shake-up after two decades of sclerotic decline
Under the assertive leadership of Xi Jinping, China won’t meekly accept the terms of closer engagement with Australia being determined by the US alliance. AAP/Lukas CochMalcolm Turnbull welcomes that Australia now lives in riskier, more exciting times. This is especially true of foreign policy. Malcolm Turnbull has stressed that Australians...
Ukraine to Resume Gas Purchases From Russia This Fall
On September 25, Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission (EC), which has been acting as a mediator in the energy talks between Moscow and Kyiv, agreed on new terms for Russian gas deliveries to Ukraine from October 2015 until March 2016. EC Vice President Maros Sefcovic said Ukraine would have enough gas in the coming winter, and there would...
Radars for Ukraine: Obama’s Signal to Putin
A day after US President Barack Obama met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the United States announced that it will ship long-range counter-battery radars to Ukraine. Obama authorized $20 million to provide the country with radars, bringing US security assistance to Ukraine up to $265 million. Obama’s message is clear: the United...
Yesterday, the Northern Lights went out: The Arctic and the future of global energy
This week, Royal Dutch Shell announced that it would postpone oil drilling in the Chukchi Sea and the broader American Arctic indefinitely. The decision came in the wake of disappointing output from its Burger field, the high costs associated with the project (already nearing $7 billion), the “challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory...
