Europe’s new Russia policy must focus on human rights
When US President Joe Biden stood in the East Room of the White House on September 15 flanked by television screens with the images of Australian Prime Minister Morrison and…
POST-SOVIET
NEWS OF POLITICS OF POST-SOVIET COUNTRIES
Europe is under attack from Putin’s energy weapon
Nord Stream 2 is not yet operational, but the Kremlin’s tightening grip on energy supplies is already being felt across Europe. The price of gas futures continues to hit record…
Time to rethink Ukraine’s fight against corruption
Discussions about the fight against corruption can sometimes become a little confused. After all, corruption cannot ever really be “defeated.” The kind of institutional corruption involving public servants of whatever…
Saakashvili arrest overshadows Georgian ruling party’s election win
Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream secured a convincing victory in October 2 local elections that were widely seen as a referendum on the current authorities. However, the imprisonment of returning…
The EU must stop serving as a playground for corrupt Ukrainian oligarchs and officials
In late September, the European Court of Auditors issued a damning report criticizing the ineffectiveness of the European Union’s anti-corruption initiatives in Ukraine. In order to make genuine progress, the…
Ukraine seeks peace with the past
“Do you know what the letters M and B stand for here, children?” I could not help but listen in when I came across a Kyiv museum guide addressing her…
Southern Ukraine’s Bessarabia is poised for a regional revival
When President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits southern Ukraine’s Bessarabia region later this fall to discuss local economic development, a brand new wind farm, the area’s largest recent investment project, will be…
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy must prove he is serious about judicial reform
Ukraine’s courts currently sit at the very bottom in public confidence rankings. For example, the latest annual survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine found that more than…
Europe’s energy crisis highlights dangers of reliance on Russia
Europe is currently in the grip of an unfolding energy crisis that is sparking questions over the role of Vladimir Putin’s Russia in exploiting rising demand, low supply, and geopolitical…
Medvedev echoes Putin’s dangerous Ukraine obsession
The new pastime of the Russian elite appears to be penning abusive essays about Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin set the tone in summer 2021 with a 5000