Section: The Jamestown Foundation (USA)
Ukraine Rapidly Dismantling Gazprom’s Supply Monopoly
Quantitative indicators show a dramatic reorientation of Ukraine’s natural gas supply strategy. Dependence on Gazprom has become a thing of the past. Kyiv demonstrates political resolve to pursue supply diversification and adapt to changing market conditions with the European Commission’s backing. Along with supply diversification,...
Is Belarus Seeking a Helping Hand?
On March 31, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave a two-hour interview to Ryan Chilcote, a Russian-speaking London-based reporter for Bloomberg Television (YouTube, April 2). Most, if not all, media commentaries initially singled out Lukashenka’s particular suggestion that the United States ought to join the negotiations aiming...
Assessing Russia’s Defense Priorities in Crimea
Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014, senior Russian political-military leaders have, on numerous occasions, referred to military reinforcement and consolidation when speaking about integrating the peninsula into the Russian Federation. This has resulted, consequently, in often contradictory statements from the defense...
More Competition, Less Expensive Russian Gas in Ukraine’s Market (Part Two)
On April 2, Russian Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrainy signed an agreement on natural gas sales-and-purchases to cover the next three months. Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized his government, which in turn instructed Gazprom, to sign this agreement, with a substantial price discount for the “Ukrainian partners” (Kremlin.ru, March 31). Valid...
Iranian Deal Leaves Russia in Deeper Isolation
Moscow tried its best to present the hard-negotiated deal in Lausanne, Switzerland, on curtailing and controlling the Iranian nuclear program as a success of its firm diplomatic position for a political solution to this formidable problem. In fact, however, Russia played, at best, a secondary role in achieving this breakthrough. Russian Foreign...
Ukraine Conflict Benefits China
While Beijing officially supports Russia’s position on its annexation of Crimea, behind the scenes China is helping keep the battered Ukrainian economy afloat. On March 26, the Ukrainian government and China’s CITIC Construction (a subsidiary of CITIC Ltd.) signed a memorandum of understanding stipulating that Ukraine will receive $15...
More Competition, Less Expensive Russian Gas in Ukraine’s Market (Part One)
On April 1, on President Vladimir Putin’s instructions (Kremlin.ru, March 31; Interfax, April 1), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev prolonged the validity of the existing agreement on Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine until June 30, effective immediately. Originally signed by Russian Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrainy last October, the...
Continued Confrontation With the West Will Prop up Putin’s Regime for Years
A fragile ceasefire is partially holding in Donbas (eastern Ukrainian region encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk provinces). Massive offensive operations have ceased and some heavy weapons gave been withdrawn from the front line. But the truce is constantly broken by gun battles and bombardments. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in...
Belarus’s Economic Crisis and National Unity
At present, news coming out of Belarus is marked by two particular refrains: the economic crisis and a search for national consolidation. These refrains may be interrelated since negative macroeconomic trends, coupled with a lack of structural reforms that would boost the private sector, make Belarus overly dependent on Russia. And in the absence...
Anti-Corruption Tide Sweeping Across Ukraine
As the fragile truce in eastern Ukraine has provided Kyiv with a respite from war, the Ukrainian authorities have begun to purge their own ranks. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who has been in charge of economic policy since the Maidan victory in February 2014, is having a hard time fending off corruption allegations. Ihor...
