Latest Articles
The International Flavor of Kremlin Propaganda
By Richard ArnoldRussia-watchers have noted the Kremlin’s domestic deployment of propaganda, which attempts to harness Russian society’s support for its imperialist project in eastern Ukraine (see EDM, May 1), but the efforts being made by the Kremlin to change international opinion have received less attention.... MORE
Russian Neo-Nazis Mark Hitler’s Birthday With Violence
By Richard ArnoldEvery year on Adolf Hitler’s birthday, neo-Nazis around the world engage in actions designed to “celebrate” the Fuhrer’s entry into the world on April 20. Russian neo-Nazis have been no exception to this trend and, in the past, have engaged in a number... MORE
Non-Russian Countries Growing Ever More Non-Russian, Reducing Moscow’s Soft Power Options
By Paul GobleMoscow has sought to rely on ethnic Russians and some non-titular nationalities in the former Soviet republics as a means of exerting influence on the governments of those now independent states. But that “soft power” option is increasingly less available as these countries... MORE
Ukrainian Crisis Update: Special Operation Shows Promise
By Maksym BugriyThe central government’s counter-terrorism operation against separatists in Ukraine’s southeastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions has shown the first signs of success. Notably, Ukrainian government forces, which included the military as well as police and security agencies special forces, were able to defend the... MORE
A Russian Flag Over Gagauzia
By Paul GobleA group of pro-Moscow Gagauz activists have raised the Russian flag in their capital city of Komrat, on March 15, in support of the Crimean “referendum” Moscow organized and are insisting that Gagauzia—an autonomous region of Moldova populated by the Gagauz, an Orthodox... MORE
Vladimir Putin’s Allies in the European Far Right
By Richard ArnoldOne of the stories that in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis has escaped the notice of journalists and analysts alike is Vladimir Putin’s attempts to build support amongst the European Far Right. Perhaps the most notable instance of this was the meeting... MORE
Cossackia Re-Emerges as an Issue
By Paul GobleFew subjects were addressed so furiously by Soviet propagandists as any mention of Cossackia, or “Land of the Cossacks,” in the United States’ 1959 law on captive nations. The Soviets referred to US support for Cassackia as an indication of what they described... MORE
Russian Neo-Nazis React to Events in Ukraine
By Richard ArnoldWhile the exact role of Ukrainian far-right groups in removing President Viktor Yanukovych is disputed, they were clearly present among the protestors and well represented by, amongst other organizations, Pravyi Sector (Right Sector). The role of the ultra-radicals is one of the variables... MORE
Ukraine: Countering Threats of Strategic Drift and Economic Collapse
By Matthew BryzaThis article first appeared on Eastbook and on the International Centre for Defence Studies (ICDS, Tallinn) blog page.Last weekend’s breathtaking triumph of those who seek a democratic, prosperous, and modern future for Ukraine will remain fragile for months to come, even in a... MORE
Cossack Militia Whip Pussy Riot in Sochi
By Richard ArnoldOne of the most positive (and most surprising) features of the 2014 Winter Olympiad in Sochi has been the absence of security problems—an absence which has boosted the perception of Vladimir Putin’s Russia as a more stable, orderly, and developed country than Western... MORE