The Russian Black Sea Fleet After the Georgian War
Russian ships left their bases in Sevastopol and Novorossisk and sailed for the Georgian coast on August 9, the day after hostilities began in the region. A total of 13…
Is There a Chance for Constructive Cooperation in the CIS?
Developments after the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war have signaled increasing dynamism and complexity in the post-Soviet space. On August 7-8, the short period of relative calm that existed after the…
A Curse or a Blessing?: What to Expect from a Typical Developing Resource-Abundant State
It might seem obvious that a country endowed with larger quantities of natural resources has an advantage and, other conditions being similar, will grow faster than resource-poor countries. This is…
The South Caucasus Corridor after the Russian-Georgian War
The “five-day war” between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 has many dimensions. For those trying to discern its strategic implications, perhaps the most important is its impact on alternative…
The Rapprochement between Belarus and the European Union
In June 2009, a crisis developed in Russian-Belarusian relations, triggered by the Belarusian leadership’s refusal to accept payment in rubles of a promised $500 million Russian credit. It was exacerbated…
Wrestling from Brotherly Hugs: Prospects for Involving Belarus in Regional Energy Cooperation
Contradicting dire forecasts of economic crisis and even collapse, “Lukanomics” has managed to lead Belarus into a thirteenth consecutive year of uninterrupted economic growth. This stability, however, has been heavily…
War in Georgia and the ‘Russian Card’ in Ukrainian Politics
Escalation of the South Ossetian conflict into a Russian-Georgian war immediately changed the security climate in the post-Soviet space. For the first time since 1991, the Russian Federation officially rejected…
The EU’s Eastern Partnership: Why It May Help Democracy Promotion and How the United States Can Help Move It Forward
The European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative, generally welcomed on both sides of the Atlantic as a positive step toward drawing the countries of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus into…
How We Assess Civil Society Developments: The Russia Example
In assessing a country’s commitment to democracy, civil society developments are a key component. An encouraged, or at least unfettered, civil society usually provides evidence of democratic governance. An overtly…
Russian-Ukrainian Relations After the Georgian War
There is little doubt that the August 2008 crisis in Georgia affected relations between Russia and Ukraine. At the time, a number of analysts voiced serious concerns that Ukraine would…
Civil Society in the New Authoritarianism
Russian prime minister and former president Vladimir Putin’s efforts to strengthen the Russian state are well-known. His consistent advocacy of a strong society is less so. In this respect, Putin’s…
Circassian World: Responses to New Challenges
Every tourist who comes to Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, visits a famous gift shop called “Adyga Una” (“The Circassian House”). The owner of this gift shop is a well-known Circassian businessman…