Clik here to view.
Can Russia afford to be an outcast in world politics?
What President Putin has been pursuing during his months-long battle against Ukraine’s economy and society is the semi-collapse and semi-implosion of the Ukrainian state. But at what cost?The President...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You’re a Russian reporter – stay out of Ukraine!
Ukraine's border and security officials are applying a restrictive policy on Russians entering the country, particularly male Russians of military age, and reporters.... In early February Andrei Yurov,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Polite people with guns
For 20 years Russians saw Ukraine as a parody of Russia, because 'Ukraine isn't Russia.' Now, our neighbours are suddenly our enemies; and nobody is laughing. How did we get here?At the moment I’m...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Russian civil society is a 25-year-old work in progress
A summary of the results of the recent Salzburg Global Seminar ‘Russian Civil Society Symposium: Building Bridges to the Future’ is simple: no easy answers, more questions. But that does not mean it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Little green men
Events in Ukraine may develop with lightning speed, but the fear of war is ever present – a new kind of war. There is a war on in Ukraine – and, moreover, it’s a pilot project for a new kind of war....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Building bridges in Russian civil society
Direct aid givers, civic activists, and political activists spend as much time arguing amongst themselves as they do building civil society. With such divisions, it is clear that bridges need to be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Russian civil society and the law
Russia’s foreign agents law caused a great deal of controversy when it was introduced late last year. But the woes of Russia’s NGOs don’t end there…Since its introduction in November last year, much...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rough justice in Chechnya
Three recent court cases in Chechnya suggest that torture is routinely used to persuade people to confess to trumped up charges. на русском языкеIn the Chechen capital Grozny, on the corner of Ulitsa...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Economics of disintegration in Ukraine
‘Shock therapy’ was imposed on the post-Soviet world by the West, with catastrophic results. Now, we are planning on repeating that experiment in Ukraine. In the future, people may look back on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Kremlin’s marriage of convenience with the European far right
Putin’s strong-arm tactics in Eastern Ukraine and ‘moral, family-based’ policies have won him ardent support from far-right European groups. But they should not be under any illusions...For its massive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
After the flood
In Russian, Krymsk and Krym (Crimea) sound quite similar. They also share double standards – as some residents of the Kuban region have discovered. The circumstances under which Crimea became part of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dictators without borders
Central Asian dictators close down the space for domestic political opposition. But politics is still present, only it has moved offshore.Central Asia is home to some of the world’s most consolidated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A new (failing) state or more of the same?
Ukraine is a state in political turmoil. But how much of this is the fault of separatists in the east and how much comes from 'business-as-usual' corruption from the Kyiv government?Ukraine is a state...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Language as a barrier to dialogue in Ukraine
The issue of language and politics has long been a problem in Ukraine. Recent developments and unrelenting Russian propaganda have made the problem centre-stage once more.Recent events have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Extremism in South-Eastern Ukraine
Extremists have hijacked the Anti-Maidan protests in South-Eastern Ukraine. and their extremism and ultranationalism is fomenting violence and hatred. When masked men distributed anti-Semitic flyers in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ukraine's gas politics
It is commonly assumed that the main economic challenge facing Ukraine is its dependence on energy supplies, especially natural gas, imported from Russia. But that is only half the story…It is commonly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The seductive power of Seliger
Every year the Seliger All-Russia Youth Forum brings together tens of thousands of engaged young Russians for a week of edification in an idyllic natural setting. Its goal is to promote patriotism in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Eurosphere is losing Ukraine
Ukrainians may have had high expectations, but the unpleasant truth is that the EU has offered them more than it can deliver. Superpowers are bad losers. The Sovietsphere lost in Afghanistan, and then...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Prisoners without conscience
Members of BORN, a Russian ultranationalist group, will soon face trial for murder. They have been linked with Centre E and the presidential administration in Moscow; and with ‘Svoboda’ and ‘Pravy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A guide to Belarusian prisons
Minsk hosts the Ice Hockey World Championship this month. A Belarusian dissident who served time in twelve prisons shows a side of his country that sports fans might not get to see. Are you going to...
View Article