Eastern Promises: Who Pays?
The "Eastern Promises" seminar at the Lithuanian Embassy in Brussels a few days ago started like a detective story: the Ukrainian security services detained at the airport Vasil Filipchuk, senior…
Eastern Partnership Debate: Not Only About EU’s Neighbors
Ambassadors' Debate Day in Tallinn brought together heads of diplomatic missions from four Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries—Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—and also from Poland, a co-founder of the event. Tellingly,…
Omissions in Russia’s Afghanistan Policy
The NATO-centrism in Russian foreign policy can perhaps best be seen through the lens of Afghanistan. Russia has no clear strategy toward this country once NATO troops withdraw. Its only…
“Russia First” Policy in Retreat?
Perhaps the best explanation for the proverbial Russia-centrism in German foreign policy is Berlin's excessive expectations of Russia in recent years. Nowadays, however, Germany faces hard challenges in its policy…
Ukraine’s Perfect Storm: How Far Will It Go?
Over the first winter weekend, youth-led rallies across Ukraine, protesting the government’s decision to suspend the signing of an Association Agreement (AA) with the EU, have turned into a genuine…
The South Caucasus, Eastern Partnerships, and Russian Activism
Alongside the mainstream debates of the approaching Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, we have Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, which keep striking a precarious balances between the EU and Russia. The…
The Rainbow Rationalization
(Guest post by Aliaksei Kazharski) In the past, the West was a threat because of capitalists. Now it is because of gays. This according to a discourse that unexpectedly took…
The failure of the Cox-Kwasniewski mission and its implications for Ukraine
The Cox-Kwasniewski mission was launched on the initiative of the European Parliament in June 2012. Its purpose was to resolve the issue of “selective persecution” exemplified by Yulia Tymoshenko’s jailing,…
Summary of Russian Navy Ship Construction
Ilya Kramnik has put together a handy set of summary tables of Russian naval surface ship construction, including contracts signed. The Russian original is here, and re-posted here, for those interested.…
Why Do Eurasia’s Authoritarians Stay in Power?
Why have non-democratic regimes in the post-Soviet space been so durable? Some leaders whose human rights records are regularly criticized, from Belarus in the west to Kazakhstan in the east,…
Old-Style Sausages and Komsomol Beauty Contestants
The question of how to engage an increasingly reluctant Russia in cooperation with its western neighbors was at the top of the Baltic-Russia Youth Forum held a few days ago…
Setting Expectations Right
(Carnegie Corporation) Finding ways to mend the U.S.-Russia relationship requires a clear understanding of the benefits it can bring to both sides. Moscow and Washington need to rethink their expectations…