Tagged Russia

15/01/2019

Beyond Europe, Publications

In Ukraine, this year’s celebrations for the Orthodox Christmas on January 7 assumed a whole new meaning, as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has now gained its religious independence - or autocephaly - fr... Be More Curious...

POLICY PAPER – European Populism Feels at Home in Moscow: the Italian Case

18/12/2018

Publications, Russia

With the recent rise of tensions in the Azov Sea, Russia-EU relations seem to have reached a new low after the Salisbury attack. However, some European political parties, and notably the so-called populist movements, have often called for a sanction lift... Be More Curious...

OPINION — Beware of Russia’s bilateral cyber world order

Marta Barandiy

07/12/2018

This piece, which was first published on Euromaindanpress, was co-authored by Marta Barandiy and Katria Tomko. Russia, the United States, France, and China held secret talks on cybersecurity in Pari... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY — No option left? In the Azov Sea, the EU is all Talk and No Action

04/12/2018

Publications, Russia

On November 25, Russian border patrol boats seized three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Azov Sea — two artillery boats and a tugboat — as they were attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait and used w... Be More Curious...

OPINION — How Russia may be isolated on energy trade

Ana-Maria Caminski

02/12/2018

After the division of Russian empire in the end of First World War, a new concept has appeared in the political field. Intermarium was the answer of newly independent states at the Eastern imperialism. At the beginning, the concept designate a regional... Be More Curious...

POLICY BRIEF — “Elections” in Donbas: more European involvement needed to change the status quo

25/11/2018

Publications, Russia

On November 11, so-called “elections” were held in the occupied territories of Donetsk (DNR) and Luhansk (LNR), in the Eastern area of Ukraine commonly referred to as Donbas. The two self-proclaimed... Be More Curious...

Russia Still Angry about Spanish Missile

Joseph Hammond

12/11/2018

RRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that a NATO air patrol in Estonia came close to firing a missile sparking World War III. “A Spanish fighter recently accidentally fired an air-to-air miss... Be More Curious...

Monday Talk with Gabi Zimmer

Elisa Telesca

15/10/2018

Monday Talks

As Part of our Monday Talks series, we have conducted an interview with Gabi Zimmer, Chair of Conferederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left, to discuss about Brexit, the upcoming European Elections, migration issue, Russia, Tur... Be More Curious...

Macedonia referendum result – everyone rejoices, none is satisfied

Sergio Caliva

05/10/2018

Western Balkans

Last Sunday, on the 30thof September, Skopje held the most important vote in its recent national history, after the independence which took place in 1991. This time the aim was to settle the three decad... Be More Curious...

Chernobyl 2.0 –The Crimean ecological disaster

Sergio Caliva

30/09/2018

Beyond Europe

Overnight into the August 24, the Ukraine’s independence day, an ecological disaster in the city of Armyansk in the northern part of the temporary occupied Crimea occurred, close to the administrative b... Be More Curious...

Pension reform: Will Russians have the chance to retire?

17/09/2018

Last weekend saw the violent reaction of the Russian police over protests against the pension reform that has been proposed by the government. However, those protests were not the first one to show opposition to the latest pension reform. Indeed it ... Be More Curious...

Looking Globally – Europe with Hard Power

31/08/2018

There have been a few moments in the last century of Modern Europe’s history that shaped the structure of the continent for the next decades. Without any doubt, World War One and World War Two have trul... Be More Curious...

Four countries, one threat

Ana-Maria Caminski

22/08/2018

On the chessboard of the world, every pawn seems to be an important pawn. Especially when the stake of the game is the expansion of the political power by gaining of the old sphere of influence and the ... Be More Curious...

Can Russia gain from a failing Iran deal?

14/08/2018

This article was first published by Bear Market Brief. It is no secret that Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal has left Tehran in a difficult situation. Emerging from a period of market isolation, the state hoped that the 2015 ag... Be More Curious...

2019 Ukrainian elections, what to expect from Russia

14/08/2018

The Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections that are scheduled respectively in March and October 2019 are to draw our attention, especially taking into account the numerous Russian interferen... Be More Curious...

Can cyber attacks cause a major war?

Valeria Mingardi

30/07/2018

In the last two decades, the world has seen a rapid digitalization of services, both in civil society and state functions, thanks to the Internet and to the world wide web. As much as this is considered a p... Be More Curious...

Monday Talk with Pierre Vimont on Transatlantic Relations

30/07/2018

Monday Talks

Following the NATO Summit (July 11-12) and the Trump-Putin Summit in Helsinki (July 16), we discussed with Mr Vimont, who is former Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service and a Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe, about the tw... Be More Curious...

Can the World Cup become a vehicle for promoting human rights?

Alessio Tardivo

20/07/2018

During the lead up to the World Cup tournament that ended this past Sunday, both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International noted significant human rights abuses on the part of host country Russia. Wh... Be More Curious...

Poland’s dilemma: Euro-scepticism and US cooperation

06/07/2018

As Poland is more and more on the conservative side and becoming a tenacious partner in European discussions, it seems, however, that it is open to a deeper cooperation with the United States. Since 2015... Be More Curious...

The Putin club is growing but who will benefit more?

Alessio Tardivo

21/06/2018

In recent days, Angela Merkel’s visit in Sochi to meet President Vladimir Putin, followed by Emmanuel Macron’s flight to St. Pietersburg to meet the former KGB lieutenant recently elected President for the 4th time and the visits of Putin himself to Recep ... Be More Curious...

Mitya Maker: Medvedev’s New Cabinet

25/05/2018

This insight was first published by Bear Market Brief. President Putin met with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday to discuss the structure of the new government. While the full list of Ministers is y... Be More Curious...

Putin IV: Stagnation at Home, Action Abroad?

Toni Michel

23/05/2018

Following his re-election on 18 March, Russia’s old and new president Vladimir Putin was inaugurated in the Kremlin on 07 May. Both the dates of the election and the inauguration were deliberately chosen to... Be More Curious...

President Erdogan’s juggling act

Robert Ellis

17/05/2018

Beyond Europe, Turkey

At Tuesday’s press conference with Turkey’s President Erdogan, the best Theresa May could muster in the form of condemnation of Turkey’s human rights abuses was a pious reminder: “I have underlined to President Erdogan that we want to see democratic values... Be More Curious...

Zapret a manger: Russia’s elites face growing sanctions pressure

15/04/2018

‘zapret’ (запрет) is the Russian word for ‘ban’. There is much to unpack in the US Treasury Department’s latest sanctions expansion, announced on 6 April. Seven Russians explicitly labeled oligarchs by Tre... Be More Curious...

Baltic States: missed opportunities in global politics

07/04/2018

We are living in the world where the facts "who makes" and "where it is made" are much more important than "what for" issue. Nowadays the world political scene is divided between superpowers supported by their ... Be More Curious...

Is Vladimir Putin the new archaic face of Europe’s enemy?

Richard Senneville

28/03/2018

Lotus Coffman, the fifth president of the University of Minnesota, said: "The chief support of an autocracy is a standing army. The chief support of a democracy is an educated people". And Oliver Wendell Holmes, who served as an Associate Justice of the Su... Be More Curious...

Why 1.5 million Syrians are wanted by the Assad regime?

Ruslan Trad

27/03/2018

These days data from the Syrian regime leaked out, including lists of people wanted by the authorities. Names count over one million, including mine. The lists include the names of the particular person,... Be More Curious...

What to expect from Putin’s Russia for six more years ahead?

Julien Hoez

21/03/2018

In the days following Vladimir Putin’s “electoral victory”, we have seen the usual mix of indignation, humor and derision aimed at the deplorable situation within the Russian Federation. People laugh at Rus... Be More Curious...

Putin Wins, Russia Loses — Six difficult years ahead

Anita Porta

19/03/2018

The results of yesterday’s voting for Russian Presidential elections hardly came as a surprise for anybody. Former President Vladimir Putin was re-elected to his fourth term with an overwhelming majority, more than 76%. The second and third place were won ... Be More Curious...

Influential Czech MEP shares his take on the Current EU-Russia Relations

Jiri Mastalka

07/03/2018

All opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe. Current relations between the EU and Russia have been frozen for a long time. Some people say it is due to the „Crimea annex... Be More Curious...

An Authoritarian’s Guide to Building a Regime and Surviving a Colour Revolution

Toni Michel

06/03/2018

Beyond Europe

All opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe. “For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted.” &... Be More Curious...

CAATSA and the Russian pipelines: how hard the bill can hit them?

Madalina Sisu Vicari

27/02/2018

The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) bill, passed by the U.S. Congress with full bi-partisan support, and enacted on August 2, 2017, sparked stormy reactions of some EU Member States- notably Germany and Austria-, brought hop... Be More Curious...

Colors of Islamic Iran

Georgi E. Asatryan

21/02/2018

Thirty-nine years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran appeared on the political map of the world. And what is modern Iran? Will the President of the United States Donald Tump start war with Tehran? And why, d... Be More Curious...

The Battle of Murmansk: A tale of corporate conflict in Russia’s Arctic

16/02/2018

Apadlock stuck on a railroad switch was enough to block Murmansk’s oil terminal for about seven hours, one of the latest episodes of a bizarre corporate conflict in one of the world’s northernmost cities. Ac... Be More Curious...

Long way to common European Security and Defence

13/02/2018

On 14-15 February, 2018 NATO Defence Ministers will meet in Brussels again to discuss the main threats the world faces nowadays. NATO consists of 29 member states but 22 of them are simultaneously the EU member states. Speaking in general, the decisions, t... Be More Curious...

If Erdoğan has a boss, it must be Doğu Perinçek

Leonardo Veneziani

11/02/2018

Beyond Europe, Turkey

No doubt that there is a new and strange alliance in Turkey’s current political landscape. However, to understand the full awkwardness of this co-operation, one needs to take a few steps back in time to the... Be More Curious...

In the EU, Syrian embassies have built a strong network to stifle opposition views

Ruslan Trad

30/01/2018

All opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe The man looked at me and answered with a slight smile; "The Syrian Embassy in Sofia is very strong at the moment. They have th... Be More Curious...

CAATSA Out of the Bag: Russia’s Arms Exports Under Threat

Madalina Sisu Vicari

23/01/2018

*This article was co-authored by Madalina Sisu Vicari and Nick Trickett Russia’s exports amounted to in 2016 $285 billion, led by the following sectors:: hydrocarbons ($176 billion, accounting for 62%), metals (nearly 10 percent), machinery (7.3%), chemical... Be More Curious...

The Baltic States and the gained dependence

18/01/2018

Future of Europe is still uncertain. Though security is the real priority for all countries, each of them understands the process of achieving security by its own. Lithuanian and Latvian authorities increased p... Be More Curious...

The 3G of Armenian-Russian Relations: Guns, Gas and Goods

Richard Giragosian

16/01/2018

Beyond Europe, Inside Europe, Russia

Of the various states of the former Soviet Union, Armenia has long been seen as the most loyal, and perhaps most subservient, to Russia. For Russia, its leverage over Armenia has depended on a “3G” approac... Be More Curious...

The Korean Crisis: Give Peace a Chance Through Economy

Matteo Lanfredi

16/01/2018

Tuesday 9 January, in the village of Panmunjom, after more than two years North Korea held talks with South Korea. Pyongyang announced that a North Korean delegation will join the 2018 Winter Olympics, organized by South Korea (9-25 February). The South propos... Be More Curious...

Building Blocs: Why Moscow is pursuing its apartment renovation program

02/01/2018

Beyond Europe

As the center of political power in Russia, Moscow enjoys a reputation for being a city of dynamic action. In keeping with this tradition, the city is embarking on an unprecedented program of demolition and rec... Be More Curious...

Why Europe Should Care About Kazakhstan’s Coming Power Transition

Toni Michel

08/12/2017

Beyond Europe, Inside Europe

Central Asia is not exactly a region of primary interest to many decision makers in Brussels and wider Europe. There is, however, a profound political and economic risk in ignoring the momentous change that... Be More Curious...

Are Protests on the Rise in Russia? The data says “probably”

01/12/2017

Lawyers may seem an unlikely bunch to go on strike, especially in Russia. Yet, in September and October, lawyers’ associations in several Russian regions (Sverdlovsk, in the Urals, Chelyabinsk, near Kazakhstan, and Karelia, on the border with Finland) called o... Be More Curious...

Post-Putin: Imagining the unimaginable

24/10/2017

Across Russia, millions stare at their television sets, mouths agape. In a shocking turn of events, president Vladimir Putin has called it quits — despite what seemed like another likely run and another likely ... Be More Curious...

Did Russian Online Propaganda Hack the Catalan Vote?

Daniele Rietti

12/10/2017

After the alleged interference into the US presidential elections in 2016 and in the French general elections in the past spring, Russian online propaganda has tried to influence the recent Catalan referendum. ... Be More Curious...

Anti-government protests spread over Russia in the day of Putin’s birthday

Anita Porta

10/10/2017

ONSaturday widespread demonstrations started in all major Russian cities, from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, the same day of President Putin’s 65th birthday. The objective was to protest the arrest of opposition leader Alexej Navalny, who was sentenced ... Be More Curious...

Can the West Handle Erdogan’s Flip-flop Diplomacy on NATO?