Section: Research Organizations & Think Tanks about Ukraine
Political Shenanigans to the End: Ukraine’s Parliament elects their own MP as ‘Human Rights Ombudsman’
“The Ombudsman is not a commodity and parliament is not a bazaar!”. That was the message from Ukrainian rights activists this week, and one that Ukraine’s parliamentarians have now ignored. On March 15, a politician was elected to the post by her colleagues through procedure in open breach of the Law on the Human Rights Ombudsperson...
The Byzantine history of Putin’s Russian empire
Russian athletes were conspicuous in their neutral colours during this year’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics due to a ban based on doping allegations. In Vancouver in 2010 and in Sochi in 2014, however, Russia’s Olympic hockey jerseys prominently featured a two-headed eagle exactly where Canada’s jerseys highlighted the maple...
The Balkans’ unravelling peace
It was not that long ago, well into the late 2000s in fact, that the complex network of internationally brokered peace agreements that pacified the Western Balkans in the wake of the 1991-2001 Yugoslav wars were held up as hallmarks of post-Cold War diplomacy. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dayton peace accords, in particular, were regularly...
Watch List: March 15, 2018
The items listed below represent potential emerging issues that our analysts are tracking. These can be long term or short term, but will be updated daily. If an item on our Watch List becomes critical, we will email you a full analysis explaining its significance. Each Saturday, we will follow up our daily Watch List for each week with our...
Putin is sure to win, so what’s the point of elections in Russia?
EPA/Sergei ChirikovThe result of the imminent presidential election in Russia won’t surprise anyone. The incumbent, Vladimir Putin, will be reelected for the fourth time until 2024, to become Russia’s longest serving ruler since Stalin. Putin’s victory will be based on two contradictory factors. On the one hand, he is genuinely...
Kyiv Weighs Costs of Prosecuting Manafort
Ukraine’s elites may feel that keeping Trump happy outweighs the karma points for crushing his former aide. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Moldovan Ex-MP Jailed as Russian Spy
Lithuania also engrossed as a parliamentarian quits amid allegations of working for Russian interests. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The Mixed Feelings of Russian Voters
This article has been translated into English from Russian by Maia Otarashvili, Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program at FPRI. On March 18, a significant number of Russian voters will go to the polls with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they want to vote for Putin—at least out of habit—but they are not very happy with the idea that...
Leapfrogging to the Digital Future
With the welcomed news that Volkswagen will be opening facilities in the Czech Republic and Poland to aid in their electric car production, already running in Germany and Slovakia, the innovative future of the V4 looks ever brighter. This decision is in line with and follows the announcement from last October that the South Korean firm LG Chem is...
Fearless leader or lame duck? Putin’s certain triumph heralds fresh uncertainty
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a massive rally in his support n Moscow, March 3, 2018 AP/Pavel GolovkinLong before it happened, Russia’s ruling party had already called it “the ultimate victory.” On March 18, Russians go to the polls where they will – without doubt – re-elect President Vladimir Putin to a fourth leadership term. The...
