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Putin Stymies Protesters With Subversion Strategies
Vladimir Putin's reaction to Moscow protesters perfectly illustrates how he masterfully leverages classic subversion strategies to undermine the opposition and even ridicule the concept of democracy
After a decade in the doldrums, during which the Kremlin co-opted or marginalised all competition, Russia's political scene has come alive
Russians United against United Russia
Russians are coming out onto the streets to transform their country once again
The US/NATO ABM Defense Shield in the Black Sea Region
The anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system under construction by the US and NATO in the Black Sea Region poses no threat to US-Russian nuclear strategic parity. On the contrary, it holds cooperative potential for the two leading nuclear powers. It could also stabilize the broader Eurasian security situation in the light of Iran’s policy of nuclear blackmail
Stage Set For 2012 Euro Cup Finals
The stage is set for the 2012 Euro Cup following Friday's draw that saw host Poland and Ukraine getting the top draws while Spain placed in a tougher group. Poland was drawn in Group A along with Greece, Russia, and Czech Republic
What made Europe a compelling political, economic, and social alternative wedged between Anglo-American free marketeers and Soviet nomenklatura is rapidly becoming a thing of the past
Slovakia Thumbs Down on Euro Bailout Fund Hike
Slovakia rejected the proposed expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility. The measure was defeated by 21 votes after eight hours of debate by Slovakian parliament members
Poland's Tusk Wins Historic Second Term
Civic Platform has become the first Polish political party and Prime Minister Donald Tusk has become the country's first leader to win two consecutive terms since the fall of communism in 1989
NATO and Russia: Missile Defense Sticking Point?
NATO, Russia and Missile Defense mark a triangle which contains political promises but also the danger of failure and friction
Putin's Comeback: Fast Forward to the Past
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev's decision to swap jobs may put an end to the diarchy in Russia but is unlikely to lead to any tectonic policy shifts. Instead, it will further cement the system of ‘managed democracy', which in time will become so inflexible that it may fail to cope with a protracted crisis
Erdogan Pushes for Common Future with Balkan States
Speaking alongside leaders of the Balkan states at the New York Balkan Forum, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the cultural and historical ties between Turkey and the Balkans, while calling on the region to overcome its troubled history to co-operate and integrate to form a common future
Russia Strives to Clarify Vision for Central Asian Alliance
Russian officials think the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a bloc of friendly ex-Soviet republics, can develop into a security grouping on par with NATO. But recent CSTO military exercises show that Moscow lacks a clear vision for how to utilize the alliance
Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy
Whereas Turkey's foreign policy mantra used to be 'no problems with the neighbors,' Turkey now seems to want to become the chief bully in the eastern Mediterranean, escalating tensions between the NATO member and Israel, a key US ally
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia Agree to Help Each Other on Road to EU
The leaders of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina backed each other's Euro-Atlantic integration
Can NATO Nudge Russia Westward?
The trilateral summit between French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made some gains in drawing Russia closer to NATO. However, many Russians, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, are skeptical of the West's intentions and many new NATO members from the former Soviet bloc are uncomfortable about closer ties with Russia
Ukrainian Blues: Viktor Yanukovych's Rise and Democracy's Fall
In February 2010, Viktor Yanukovych made a remarkable political comeback. In the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election Yanukovych was accused of fraud and ousted by the Orange Revolution, which was led by Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko. Just over five years later, surrounded by his party's blue-and-white banners, Yanukovych became president
It has been two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but for those who witnessed the drama of 1991, memories remain vivid
Examining the Causes and Effects of the Soviet Collapse
One sign of the how highly Lawrence Sheets is esteemed as an analyst of Central Asia and the Caucasus was the large turnout of his fellow journalists for his presentation of his new book, 8 Pieces of Empire: A 20-Year Journey Through the Soviet Collapse
America Now More Pro-Civil Service Than Russia
Why is Medvedev bothering to symbolically make this distinction in denouncing the federal bureaucracy? The answer to this question is highly instructive to those of us in the Western world, particularly as we implode economically under the weight of public-sector costs, among other things
Reading through these dispatches last year, I was struck by the slightly desperate but nevertheless creative way American analysts tried to make sense of impenetrable Kremlin politics
Some Albanians Consider Changing Nationality for Profit
Greece may be drowning in debt and awash in protests stemming from unpopular austerity measures, but that has not deterred thousands of Albanians from trying to claim Greek heritage and formally change their nationality
It is important to understand that the crisis is not fundamentally about Greece. After all, Greece represents only 2.5 percent of the eurozone's GDP, and the bloc's fiscal numbers are not that bad when looked at in the aggregate. The real crisis is the more fundamental question of how the European continent is to be ruled in the 21st century
Russia has entered election season, with parliamentary elections in December and presidential elections in March 2012. Typically, this is not an issue of concern, as most Russian elections have been designed to usher a chosen candidate and political party into office since 2000. Interesting shifts are under way this election season, however
Belarus Holds Lessons for Syria's Asssad
If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wants a glimpse of his nation's future, should he continue savagely suppressing his people's democratic aspirations, he need only look north to Belarus, another venal dictatorship whose security forces brutalized thousands of citizens protesting a fraudulent election in December
Muliculturalism has failed. So said Chancellor Angela Merkel in a speech in Potsdam last October. David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy both echoed her opinion early this year. But it is not easy to know just what they meant. The term is open to so many interpretations and used in so many different ways. Is it an ideology, a set of policies, or a social reality?
Visegrad: A New European Military Force
The Visegrad Group consists of four countries — Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The group was reconstituted in 1991 in post-Cold War Europe. The goal was to create a regional framework after the fall of Communism. The Visegrad Group took an interesting when it announced the formation of a 'battle group' under the command of Poland
If you're looking for Places in Europe you can visit without breaking the bank, you'll find the lowest hotel prices in the East and in Iberia. But you can find reasonable prices in dozens of other European cities
Russia: A 21st Century Alliance?
BP and the Russian state controlled company Rosneft have announced a strategic global alliance that involves the first major equity-linked partnership between a national and international oil company. While the potential rewards are high, so are the risks. Is this really an 'alliance fit for the 21st Century'?
'Europe Looks East' Hints at the Future
The formal subject was 'Europe Looks East,' and while that seemed to mean Atlantic and Central Europe looking at Russia and beyond, more important was Western Europe looking at relations between Europe and Russia, plus Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. The second perplexing subject was the Balkans, still the location of Europe's most persistent (and contagious) troubles
The Dying Bear: Russia's Demographic Disaster
Perhaps of all the painful developments in Russian society since the Soviet collapse, the most surprising -- and dismaying -- is the country's demographic decline. Over the past two decades, Russia has been caught in the grip of a devastating and highly anomalous peacetime population crisis
Counterrevolution in Kiev: Hope Fades for Ukraine
Ukraine, no stranger to crisis, is again in turmoil. President Viktor Yanukovych has failed to deliver on any of his campaign promises -- economic reform, increased prosperity, and an end to corruption -- and instead has rolled back democracy and the rule of law, deepening political, regional, and linguistic divisions in the country
Bulgaria, Romania and Greece Initiate EU strategy for Balkans
The adoption of European standards, economic projects and genuine regional co-operation are the focus of the proposed strategy
The Black Sea: A Forgotten Geo-strategic Realm
The expectations of the last ten years that the states surrounding the Black Sea would follow the example of the Balkan region and shape themselves into a security community have not been realized. Perceptions of stagnation have replaced the hopes of a working and stable geo-strategic framework, based on a balance of cooperation and conflicts
Russia: Podium Pressure and the 2014 Winter Olympics
In 2014, Russia will host the Winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi. Potentially an opportunity to project a strong image of the country and develop international partnerships, the Games also run the risk of drawing attention to a number of issues Russia might prefer stayed hidden
Montenegro: The Survivor Exits
Milo Djukanovic may have stepped down as the Prime Minister of Montenegro, but the conclusion of a protracted struggle over succession will ensure that he remains a key figure in Montenegrin politics.
On December 12, 2010, Kosovo held its first general election since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008. The elections were a test of Kosovo's democratic institutions - unfortunately, they are unlikely to be remembered as a resounding success.
On December 19, 2010, Belarussians went to the polls amid hopes in Europe that the presidential vote would show evidence of a freer and more transparent process than in previous elections.
Russia's international behavior during the last decade has puzzled many U.S. observers. As seen from Washington, the greatest challenges of the moment -- terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change -- are global ones that threaten all states. The United States has been trying to organize multilateral responses. Yet the Kremlin has proved singularly unhelpful
Belarus is a land between, now neither part of Russia nor a real European nation. Its president, intent on rallying the voters in this month's election, has cast Moscow as a threat to its very survival. The reality, as he is re-elected, is likely to be another balancing act between Russia and the west.
Moscow's Modernization Dilemma: Is Russia Charting a New Foreign Policy?
The last year has seen considerable change in the U.S.-Russian relationship -- or at least the desire and promise for change. But the prospects for Russian relations and Russia's foreign policy cannot be discussed in isolation from wider questions: In what direction is Russia moving? What will Russia be like ten or 20 years from now?
Religion's Growing Influence in International Politics
Around the world religion is on the rise. It is growing in countries with a wide variety of religious traditions and levels of economic development, suggesting that neither poverty nor social exclusion is solely responsible. The religious resurgence is not simply defined by the growth of fundamentalism but is occurring through a variety of renewed rituals and practices, both public and private